31 Days of Halloween: Day Twenty One

The Omen (1976 – Rated R in the US for disturbing images, gore and violence.  Oh, and the antichrist shows up)

Summary (from IMDB):

Robert and Katherine Thorn seem to have it all. They are happily married and he is the US Ambassador to Great Britain, but they want more than to have children. When Katharine has a stillborn child, Robert is approached by a priest at the hospital who suggests that they take a healthy newborn whose mother has just died in childbirth. Without telling his wife he agrees. After relocating to London, strange events – and the ominous warnings of a priest – lead him to believe that the child he took from that Italian hospital is evil incarnate.

Between Jerry Goldsmith’s award-winning score and the masterful direction of Richard Donner, this movie is frightening for what is implied more that the violence shown on screen. From the claustrophic feel of the ancient tombs to the gray skies over London, the tone of this film has dread woven into it from the opening credits.

Born into the world of politics and wealth, little Damien Thorn (Harvey Stephens) is the darling of the beautiful and privileged Robert (Gregory Peck) and Katherine Thorn (Lee Remick). Mysterious accidents and the overall feeling of death begin to shadow their lives until the horrifying truth of Damien’s birth is uncovered millions of miles away in a grave in a decaying pagan cemetery in Italy. Gregory Peck gives a fine performance as ambitious politico Robert Thorn, a man who slowly discovers that his fate is interlinked in ancient biblical prophecy. With escalating horror, he uncovers a grand design that’s unfolding under the unsuspecting eyes of the entire world – and he and his perfect family are at the centre of it. His search for the truth is one of the best in films, taking him to the farthest reaches of the globe and climaxing in an exciting and bizarre confrontation between himself and the face of evil.

Lee Remick is ethereal as his beautiful and tragic wife. The rest of the cast – Billie Whitelaw as the creepy Mrs. Baylock, David Warner as the doomed Jennings and Leo McKern as the mysterious archaeologist Bugenhagen – give the movie its singular dark and moody quality. The Omen has a few disturbing moments that shock rather than disgust, but the film is loaded with memorable scenes that are ingenious. It’s the ‘feeling’ that the film incites that makes this movie unique. The haunted performances of the actors, the creepy-crawly musical score, the insinuation that doom is slowly creeping into the world with the birth of one lone child, all succeed in making The Omen one of the truest horror films.

Sometimes it’s the knowing that something is going to happen that is more frightening than actually seeing it happen.

I also need to mention the weird ‘curse’ that followed the cast and crew through post-production, making the film that much more creepy:

• Star Gregory Peck and screenwriter David Seltzer took separate planes to the UK…yet BOTH planes were struck by lightning.
• While producer Harvey Bernhard was in Rome, lightning just missed him.
• Rottweilers hired for the film attacked their trainers.
• A hotel at which director Richard Donner was staying got bombed by the IRA and he was also struck by a car.
• After Peck canceled another flight, to Israel, the plane he would have chartered crashed…killing all on board.
• On day one of the shoot, several principal members of the crew survived a head-on car crash.
• Special effects artist John Richardson was injured and his girlfriend beheaded in an accident.

Scary Shit.

Tomorrow: Turistas are in trouble…

Peace