As 70’s supernatural horror flicks go, this doesn’t have the staying power of, say, The Exorcist. Not that this seems outdated. It’s just not nearly as scary. On the other hand, Richard Donner (who would go on to direct everything from Superman and the Lethal Weapon series to, um, Timeline) brings the creepy with a vengeance, mostly by focusing on the unassuming as opposed to the elaborate. Everyday activities like hanging a plant become preludes to pain. Given is-he-or-isn’t-he-devil-spawn Damien’s penchant for freak accidents, the film comes off today as Final Destination with Gregory Peck and a plot. The real winner here is Jerry Goldsmith, who composed the score. Basically a bunch of chanting ten times creepier than most horror music, it sets the tone perfectly. The Latin whispering as Damien’s devil dog looks to make snausages of Peck will freak you out.
"A sinister cabal of superior writers."
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
compact and pity, very nice, thanks and welcome!
2 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
i happen to think The Omen is a far scarier flick than The Exorcist. the stuff when David Warner sees all the freaky shit in the photos, thats far creepier than anything in Freidkins possession epic. Not that i don't love The Exorcist, just think Omen has a more sustained dread running through it.
Also, David Warners hair is downright terrifying.
3 - Zoom
I think they should make an Omen 5. One, because Part 4 left the door wide open for another sequel, and two, even though right now it's been 16 years since the last OMEN movie (disreguarding the 2006 remake) I think I can come up with ideas for Omen 5. It can pick up where part four left off taking place in THIS year. I would have the Karen character return. It will reveal that it was the babysitter who got shot (the one who was trying to keep Karen from killing Alexander). After being pushed down the stairs by Karen, as Karen goes and is about to shoot the baby, the babysitter rushes into the room with a large knife ready to kill Karen, and Karen shoots her. This will explain who gets shot. (It points to the front of the house in Part 4 and hear a gunshot but we don't know who gets shot) And Karen didn't want to participating in the funeral so her husband went with Delia and the baby. It may sound alittle stupid to you, but I like it.
I have a timeline of all the films:
June 1966:
Damien thorn is born
Late 1966:
Robert and Katheryn Thorn adopts baby Damien
June 1971:
The events of The Omen takes place.
July 1-3
Damien is now in the hands of his aunt and uncle after killing his adoptive parents and some other people days before.
July 1971:
The prologue of Damien: Omen II takes place.
Bugenhagen and Charles got to investigate Ygal's wall. Charles is killed and Bugenhagen makes it out alive. His where-abouts are unknown.
Spring 1978:
The events of Damien: Omen II takes place in.
A now pre-teen/teenage Damien causes mayhem and eventually kills his aunt, uncle and cousin.
1997:
The events of Omen III: The Final Conflict takes place in.
Damien has a close relationship with a reporter. Damien prevents the second coming of Christ, but is soon defeated.
The reporter gives birth to Damien's child, Delia
Thorn.
1998:
The prologue/beginning of Omen IV: The Awakening takes place in.
Karen York and her husband adopt Delia Thorn
2007:
The events of Omen IV: The Awakening takes place in.
After realising the truth about Delia, Karen heads home to kill Delia and Alexander and eventually shooting herself (supposely. It is a possible chance that it could have been the baby-sitter who got shot and not Karen shooting herself).
The terror then continues on........