The Sign of the Beast

The Omen did very big business in 1976, backed by an chilling marketing campaign, and boasting a top notch cast with the oomphh of a big studio behind it, The Omen cleaned up at the box office. Genre films were not generally big studio productions back in the 70's, rarely featured A-list casts, or big budgets within which to work.

Gregory Peck leads the cast as American diplomat Robert Thorne, who unable to break the news to his wife (Lee Remick) that their expected baby has been stillborn, agrees hurriedly to substitute the child for an orphaned youngster. Initially all is well with the new family, but as the child grows older, strange events begin to occur, and even more worryingly, death seems to follow closely behind the little boy, the boy they have named Damien.

The Omen, and its sequels are probably best known for the inventive ways in which each victim is despatched, indeed it would become the only high spot in the increasingly tiresome trilogy. The Omen boasts some fine moments as charactes meet gruesome ends. It also has a small collection of genuinely creepy moments, as the truth slowly unfolds concerning the childs origins and intentions. Donner, who previously had worked in television, handles the whole thing very admirably, and there is certainly never a dull moment. The sense of dread and doom is ever present, and he is at ease with motion picture making, yet the whole thing just doesn't quite come together.

Damien III - The Final Conflict falls flat on it's arse in trying to portray a grown up Anti-christ. After all, if he's so powerful and evil, why's he taken so long to decide to destroy the Earth, or perhaps he just didn't feel like it that decade. On the whole The Omen juggles this problem well, but the thought does niggle away as the cast all perform so earnestly. Perhaps a little doubt as to his actual family tree might have helped, but to be told in such certain terms, that he is the son of satan, well it's setting yourself up for a fall.

The DVD is first rate, with a commentary from the very listenable Richard Donner, who talks informatively and enthusiasticaly about the film. The documentary is chocked full of interest and background information of the production. There is a 6 minute short that recalls all the disasters that befell the production, which later lead to stories of the movie being cursed. Jerry Goldmsith talks about he scored the movie and came to be involved in the project, and naturally there is a trailer on here too.