Damien is back in this remake of the chilling 1976 horror classic.
Many original horror flicks been remade over the last few years; Thir13en ghosts, Dawn of the dead and the Hills have Eyes to name but a few. Remakes are renowned for being terrible, but if I were honest, I prefer this remake to the 1976 original, even if both didn"t really do it for me. Released 6th June 2006, (6/6/06)...that added a bit of style to the film. This symbolically represents the number 666, which is regarded as the number of the evil.
The story once again tells of the childhood of Damien Thorn, whose family are unaware that he is not their child, but the offspring of Satan and destined to become the Antichrist. Over the next five years disturbing events follow, all of which seeming to revolve around Damien. First there is the hanging suicide of his nanny at his birthday party, followed by animals going berserk on a trip to the city zoo and Damien himself becoming hysterical during a drive to church. Meanwhile, a series of photographs taken by photojournalist Keith Jennings foreshadow a number of shocking deaths, first of the nanny, and then of the local priest. Having become suspicious, Robert goes in search of Damien's real mother, and finds some very disturbing news; his own child was murdered on the night of Damien"s birth and not stillborn. Robert, convinced that Damien is the root of these incidents, attempts to kill his son in a church, by means of stabbing him with the seven Daggers of Meggido, in the shape of a cross — the only weapons in the world able to harm the Antichrist. Unfortunately, Robert is killed and Damien survives to reeks havoc and murder on another day.
The Verdict
Back in 1976 when the original was released I can only imagine the fear that was shot through the hearts of audiences watching. Over thirty years later, someone was bound to remake such a frightful tale, and I think an amazing job has been done. For individuals that have seen and loved the original, it may feel like a Re-telling just going through the motions and hitting the motifs that we all loved in the original. Yet, even though this Omen follows the original to the letter, there are a few modern aspects added in for this generation. In the original Damien knocked Katherine over the railings by bumping his tricycle into the chair she was standing on. In this version Damien knocked Katherine over the railings by bumping his scooter into the chair she was standing on.
The casting is perfect in contrast to the original. With Schreiber and Stiles as the younger Thorns, their love for one another seems genuine, and Stiles especially adds some nice touches to portraying a mother who is growing more and more afraid of her little boy. Then there is Damien. The original has him as a little British boy, just become familiar with who he really is, and what his purpose is. He doesn"t scowl and shoot demonic daggers every time he looks at someone, the way the young Fitzpatrick plays him. We know the kid is evil, most people watching have seen the original, and there is no need to show I repeatedly. With all that scowling, the poor kid will stay like it if the wind changes.
Fans of the original will say that ultimately, this one doesn"t measure up. Fans of this generation will love the film, just as I have, and just as we have loved previous remakes of old horrors such as Dawn of the Dead and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Just no one try an Exorcist remake, that would be a bad move.
In recent years we have been subjected to some very poor horror remakes
Including 2005's anemic remake of the Amityville horror and this year's poorly crafted The Hills Have Eyes. Now also consider Gus Van Sant's uninteresting interpretation of Psycho and the totally abysmal Texas Chainsaw Massacre rehash, and you could be forgiven for thinking this year"s remake of The Omen is one to miss. Helmed by John Moore, the man responsible for the excellent Owen Wilson war film Behind Enemy Lines and last years forgettable The Flight of the Phoenix remake, The Omen, surprisingly is given no new twists or turns and stays very faithful to the original.
This no doubt will be viewed by some as a weakness, and the film then considered a pointless exercise, but for me and hopefully many more this actually made the film a more interesting experience. It used the same classic story and instead of the 70's, it places itself in modern times and explores many new perspectives on religion and even at times touches on politics too.
The story as mentioned above is nearly a turn for turn a carbon copy of the original. Liev Schreiber plays an ambassador who leaves to go to London with his Wife and son Damien. However after a series of terrible events, including a gruesome death at Damien"s 5th birthday and some peculiar photos it becomes clear that Damien is no normal child and could be the Devil incarnate.
The cast is certainly a lot stronger than most horror films can boast and it does become apparent when characters interact. Instead of getting cardboard conversations and paper thin personality's here we
get offered that bit more, and it really does improve the quality of the film. Liev Schreiber and Julia Stiles both play well as Damien"s parents, and in scenes of peril, particularly Stiles they both come up trumps in conveying their terror. Support is really good in the movie with David Thewlis, Mia Farrow and Pete Postletwaite all delivering
spooky and hammy turns in abundance, and in fact rivaling the original films cast, particularly Farrow who is great value in the form of Mrs.Baylock, Damien"s Nanny. As for Damien himself little Seamus Davey Fitzpatrick is clearly not a brilliant actor but his eyes and stare are so malevolent you get a chill whenever he appears, and that is all that"s required for this particular role Moore has injected plenty of menace and boo moments into the film, so as to keep the audience alert and entertained. There are some genuinely scary set pieces and all the deaths are fun and gruesome in equal measure. Fun is an important word, and a film like this needs to have plenty of it, and that"s maybe why it succeeds like it does. The end suggests that Moore and co definitely gave the politics of today a thought as the Presidents head, are rather the back of his head looks a lot like
George Bush. The beginning of the film is my only criticism. I understand why it is there, the sequence at the Vatican involving all the disasters to try and add something new, but this is well enough made to stand on its own two feet and thus doesn't need the ill judged 9/11 opening as an excuse for its existence.
My final verdict is The Omen is a well made film and well worth seeing for a new look at religion are politics. Or if you want plenty of fun and a guys head getting chopped of, it works well to.
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Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play. Robert Thorn is a senior American diplomat whose wife, Katherine, endures a difficult delivery where their newborn child has died. Thorn knows the news will devastate Katherine, who had suffered two previous miscarriages. The hospital priest presents Thorn with another child born that night, whose mother died in childbirth. The priest compels Thorn to take the infant boy as his own; Katherine will never know the truth, and their son, which they name Damien, will be raised as their flesh and blood. As the child turns five, unsettling events begin to occur: Damien's nanny hangs herself at the youngster's birthday party; a strange priest brings dire warnings to Thorn; a children's trip to the zoo results in a panicked frenzy; Damien becomes hysterical during a drive to church; and blurred movements in a series of photographs portend shocking deaths. Enter Mrs. Baylock, Damien's new nanny, who seems to have a preordained devotion to the child. Then tragedy strikes closer to home. But only later does Thorn comprehend the truth: Damien is no ordinary child; he is the long-prophesized Anti-Christ. Now, Thorn must make the ultimate sacrifice to prevent the unspeakable terror that awaits the world. A re-make of the 1976 classic. Actors Liev Schreiber, Julia Stiles, Marshall Cupp, Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick, David Thewlis, Mia Farrow, Pete Postlethwaite & Michael GambonDirector John MooreCertificate 15 years and overYear 2006Screen Widescreen 1.85:1 AnamorphicLanguages English - Dolby Digital (5.1) ; DTSSubtitles EnglishDuration 1 hour and 50 minutes (approx)
Remake of Richard Donner's 1976 horror classic. Katherine (Julia Stiles) and Robert (Liev Schreiber) Thorn are as loving parents as any young boy could ask for, but as fate would have it, their new son Damien is far from the typical child. Now, as the mysterious boy's growth begins to share frightening parallels with the Biblical passages detailing the rise of the Antichrist, and the lives of all who seek to reveal his true nature are cut gruesomely short, Robert and Katherine are forced to face the horrifying prospect that their child has been sent from Satan to hasten the fall of modern civilisation.
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