In 1976 The Omen scored a hit with critics and audiences hungry for more after The Exorcist with its mixture of Gothic horror and mystery and its plot about a young boy suspected of being the personification of the anti-Christ. Directed by Richard Donner (best known for his Superman and Lethal Weapon films), The Omen gained a lot of credibility from the casting of Gregory Peck and Lee Remick as a distinguished American couple living in England, whose young son Damien bears "the mark of the beast". At a time when graphic gore had yet to dominate the horror genre, this... film used its violence discreetly and to great effect and the mood of dread and potential death is masterfully maintained. It's all a bit contrived, with a lot of biblical portent and sensational fury but few would deny it's highly entertaining. Jerry Goldsmith's Oscar-winning score works wonders to enhance the movie's creepy atmosphere. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com Damien: Omen II takes place several years after the mysterious events that claimed the life of the US Ambassador and his wife as the now teenaged and militarily enrolled Damien Thorne is slowly being made aware of his unholy heritage and horrific destiny. Woe is he (including anyone in Damien's adoptive family and his classmates) who suspects the truth or gets in his way. While not as unrelentingly frightening as its blockbuster predecessor, this more-than-competent sequel raises some interesting questions about the nature of free will (can the anti-Christ deny his birthright?) before falling into a gory series of increasingly outlandish deaths, the best of which is a terrifyingly protracted scene beneath the ice of a frozen lake. Jerry Goldsmith (who won an Oscar for his work on the first film in the series) contributes another marvellously foreboding score. --Andrew Wright, Amazon.com The series concludes with The Omen III: The Final Conflict, starring Sam Neill as the adult Damien--aka the son of Satan--in a battle with the heavens for control of mankind. The film ends up depending more heavily on effects and spectacle than on the kind of basic horrors that made the first movie in the series so unsettling but at least this one gives some closure to the seemingly endless saga. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com On the DVDs: On the original movie disc there is an all-new 45-minute documentary, "666: The Omen Revealed", with contributions from all the major behind-the-scenes players, including director, editor, screenwriter (who confesses the movie was only set in England because he wanted a free trip to London!), producer and composer. The latter, Jerry Goldsmith, has his Oscar-winning contribution to the movie recognised with a separate feature in which he talks through four key musical scenes in the score. There's also a thought-provoking short called "Curse or Coincidence?" in which the many bizarre accidents that happened during shooting are related, including the terrible story of what happened to the girlfriend of the man responsible for designing the decapitation scene. Director Richard Donner and editor Stuart Baird provide a chatty audio commentary to the movie. The second and third films lack as many extra features, being content with audio commentaries and theatrical trailers: the commentary for Omen II is by producer Harvey Bernhard, that for Omen III by director Graham Baker. --Mark Walker [show more]
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The Omen: He was born at 6am on the 6th day of the 6th month. The coming of Armageddon, the sign of the final confrontation between the forces of good and evil, as foretold in the Book of Revelations, will begin with the birth of the son of Satan - in human form. The Omen II: After the tragedy that befell his parents, Robert and Katherine Thorn, Damien is taken in by his caring Aunt and Uncle. However, Damien is growing and so too are his mysterious powers - it is time for Damien to find out what his destiny really is... The Omen III: Armageddon has come and the Evil One stands among us. His name is Damien Thorn and the power of evil is no longer in the hands of a child. The final and most terrifying chapter in the Omen Trilogy sees the fate of all mankind hanging in the balance, as the battle lines are drawn for the ultimate war between good and evil, for the Final Conflict.
Triple bill featuring the first three 'Omen' films. The saga begins with 'The Omen' (1976), when US Ambassador Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck) is persuaded to substitute a newborn baby, whose mother has died in childbirth, for his own stillborn son. By the age of five, the child, Damien (Harvey Stephens), seems to be exerting a malevolent influence on the Thorn household, suffering a violent fit when he is taken to church and causing his nanny to hang herself. Thorn searches for an answer to his son's behaviour and meets maverick priest Father Brennan (Patrick Troughton), who tries to convince him that Damien is in fact the Antichrist and must be stopped at all costs. The Ambassador at first dismisses this as the crazy rantings of a religious maniac, but subsequent events suggest that maybe the priest had a point. The second film, 'Damien - Omen 2' (1978), picks up events a few years later, with the now-orphaned Damien (Jonathan Scott-Taylor) turning 13 and living with his adoring aunt and uncle. Aunt Marion (Lee Grant) is the first to suspect there is more to the young devil than adolescent angst, leading to her swift dispatch by a killer raven. As for Damien, he is making his mark at military school, and is dismayed to discover his true demonic identity - but not for long. The third film, 'Omen 3 - The Final Conflict' (1981), finds Damien (Sam Neill) all grown up and heading a multinational company. He is about to be appointed US Ambassador to England, a position which will enable him to take over the world and thus fulfil the terrible forecasts of scripture. But there is opposition in the form of a bunch of monks with sacred daggers who will do everything necessary to prevent Satan's enthronement.
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