Tagline: You have been warned. If something frightening happens to you today, think about it, it may be The Omen.
At 6 a.m. on the 6th day of the 6th month, Katherine Thorn suffers a miscarriage. At the same moment, at the same hospital, a child is born, but his mother dies during childbirth.
Katherine is unaware of these unfortunate circumstances, but her husband, Robert is informed of the dual tragedy by the hospital chaplain. The chaplain urges Robert to claim the motherless child as his own, and raise the boy as his son.
Robert agrees to take on the boy, who is named Damien by his new parents. Damien is doted on by both Robert and Katherine and lives a carefree life, but he is not the angelical child he appears to be, and soon the Thorn family find themselves at the centre of a bizarre series of incidents which are all connected to Damien.
Released in 1976, The Omen is one of the creepiest, and scariest horror movies of all time. This tale about a child, believed to be the anti-Christ, boasts strong central performances from Gregory Peck and Lee Remick, as well as a great supporting role for David Warner. Most important of all, it features a tight story that builds tension and horror with each passing minute.
This is a film which understands how to crank up the scares and it does so with expert precision and multiple set pieces, including a horrifying hanging, an intense impaling, and a jaw-dropping decapitation. All of these memorable moments – as well as the inclusion of Damien’s truly terrifying nanny, Mrs. Baylock – elevate The Omen to a high position in the horror pantheon.
The Omen may not be getting any younger, and some of the sequels and the 2006 remake may have cast a shadow across the original, but this movie is horror at its best. It is perfect viewing with the lights down low, the curtains closed, and one careful eye on the youngest member of the family – the one who has been acting strange as of late, and who appears to have the number 666 imprinted in his scalp.
__
Classic quote
Robert Thorn – “What do you know about my son?”
Father Brennan – “Everything.”
Robert Thorn – “And what is that?”
Father Brennan – “I saw its mother.”
Robert Thorn – “You saw my wife.”
Father Brennan – “I saw its mother.”
Robert Thorn – “You are referring to my wife!”
Father Brennan – “Its *mother*, Mr. Thorn!”
__
Cast and crew
The Omen is directed by Richard Donner, produced by Harvey Bernhard and based on a script by David Seltzer. Jerry Goldsmith composed the score.
The cast includesGregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner, Patrick Troughton, Harvey Spencer Stephens, and Billie Whitelaw.
__
Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this spotlight post focusing on a must-see horror movie. This ‘spotlight’ post on The Omen is one post in a series of ten posts looking at superb horror movies and shorts which you may or may not have seen.
Other posts in this series include: Suspiria (1977), The Strange Thing About the Johnsons (2011), Don’t Look Now (1973), Psycho (1960), The Blair Witch Project (1999), The ‘Burbs (1989), Lights Out (2013), The Woman in Black (2012), and Bone Tomahawk (2015).
The aim is to spread some horror love around the internet, and possibly introduce you to a slice of horror that you may have overlooked. So, make sure to add this movie to your next horror movie marathon.
And for more horror-related content, be sure to check out the recommended reads below.
Read more:
It's A Stampede! 
Leave a Reply