The Omen (1976)

Director:

Richard Donner

Writer:

David Seltzer (written by)

Release Date:

25 June 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

It is the greatest mystery of all because no human being will ever solve it.

Plot:

An American ambassador learns to his horror that his son is actually the literal Antichrist.

Plot Keywords:

Tense | Airplane Trip | Goth | Lightning | Facial Disfigurement

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Gregory Peck	...	Robert Thorn
Lee Remick	...	Katherine Thorn
David Warner	...	Jennings
Billie Whitelaw	...	Mrs. Baylock
Harvey Stephens	...	Damien
Patrick Troughton	...	Father Brennan
Martin Benson	...	Father Spiletto
Robert Rietty	...	Monk
Tommy Duggan	...	Priest
John Stride	...	The Psychiatrist
Anthony Nicholls	...	Dr. Becker
Holly Palance	...	Nanny
Roy Boyd	...	Reporter
Freda Dowie	...	Nun
Sheila Raynor	...	Mrs. Horton

Also Known As:

Omen I (reissue title)
Omen I: The Antichrist (reissue title)
Omen I: The Birthmark (reissue title)
The Antichrist (USA) (working title)
The Birthmark (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

111 min | Germany:107 min (cut version)

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | Latin

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | South Korea:15 | UK:15 (re-rating) (2006) | UK:18 (tv rating) | Canada:R (video rating) | UK:X (original rating) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | New Zealand:(Banned) (video release, 1989-1991) | UK:15 (DVD rating) | Iceland:16 | New Zealand:R18 (original rating) | Portugal:M/16 | New Zealand:R16 (1992 re-rating) | Australia:MA (25th anniversary special edition) | Australia:R (original rating) | Canada:R | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Norway:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | USA:R (certificate #24560) | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

All Saints Church, Fulham, London, England, UK

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Productions

Trivia:

According to at least one biography of Gregory Peck, he took this role at a huge cut in salary (a mere $250,000) but was also guaranteed 10% of the film's box office gross. When it went on to gross more than $60 million in the U.S. alone, The Omen (1976) became the highest-paid performance of Peck's career.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the decapitation scene of the photographer, you can see the hydraulic rubber belt flinging the plate glass off the back of the loading truck towards the manikin upon its supposed impact against the log Jennings was kneeling behind.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Father Spiletto: [voiceover] The child is dead. He breathed for a moment. Then he breathed no more. The child is dead. Dead. The child is dead.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in The Blair Thumb (2002) (V)

Soundtrack:

Ave Satani

Much Better Than THE EXORCIST

This movie appears in the book 50 Worst Movies Of All Time alongside such fare as ROBOT MONSTER . This is completely undeserved because i rate THE OMEN as one of the best horror movies from the 1970s , if not all time . The book in question makes a big deal of how young Damien's parents experience some ghastly going ons without realising something is seriously wrong , but this is churlish since the audience ( like in most horror movies ) are one step in front of the protagonists , we instantly know what's going on even if the characters on screen don't and this is what makes the narrative so suspenseful , we're waiting for Ambassador Robert Thorn to put two and two together . It should also be pointed out that these types of tradgedies do happen in life and there's a rational explanation with no supernatural causes involved

Comparisons with both THE OMEN and THE EXORCIST will be made but this is by much the better film I think . Both films deal with satanic powers and both are very dead pan but unlike THE EXORCIST the serious tone of this movie doesn't go against it , THE EXORCIST goes out of its way to shock the audience while THE OMEN keeps its discipline and is all the better for it . Richard Donner brings shock moments where it's needed like the revelation of the priest after the fire , the scene in the cemetery and the lorry accident at Megiddo and unlike the shock scenes in THE EXORCIST they're never unintentionally funny . Giving roles to well known Brit character actors like Patrick Troughton , Billie Whitelaw , Leo McKern and David Warner also helps the movie a lot

The only real criticism I have is that it's not as good as I originally remembered after seeing it for the first time , but that's a problem with a great number of movies I've seen , or that the biblical city of Megiddo is nowhere near the location described in the screenplay ( It is in fact a few short miles west of the border of the West Bank on the route to Jenin ) but that won't matter to 99.9% of the rest of the audience . If I ever write a book called 50 Best Horror Movies Of All Time THE OMEN will definitely feature in it