PopHorror Let's Get Scared
In my life, there have been just a few movies that got under my skin. Richard Donner’s The Omen has something about it, maybe because, oh, I don’t know, the Antichrist?! (Insert laugh track here). All joking aside, many people agree that this movie is a traumatic experience.
Let’s get into the review, if you dare.
Synopsis
Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck) is an American diplomat who hurries to a local hospital where his pregnant wife (Lee Remick) is going into labor. When he gets to the hospital, he is informed that his child was a stillbirth. A priest named Father Spiletto (Martin Benson) then offers him the choice to adopt a baby boy just born at the same time who has no parents. What happens next is beyond comprehension.
The Rundown
The film sets its tone very early on. This scene is a vision I will carry forever; this was my introduction to someone taking their life. As a matter of fact, even if I was raised on these movies, it is not good for my mental health at all. The Omen is very hard to find reasoning until a dog comes along that will change Damien’s life forever. I thought it was just another movie in my young mind, and I learned quickly why my horror buff mom refused to show us both The Omen and The Exorcist.
The Omen was the first I watched when I was finally allowed to watch these films. It stuck with me throughout my childhood and still gets to me. I felt like it took the stage for my nightmares about giant lolobsters shooting ray guns (Yes, it was a real nightmare). The Omen is a trick shot that deceives you about your unknown, deepest fears. What if this story were real? The dialogue and filming locations seem like they could happen to anyone. It also screams the perfect light and moment to make you shudder alone.
In 2006, the movie was remade to offer a new storyline to viewers. These tactics did not go very well, and the team created something legendary, leaving us with a remake far beyond the scope of the powerful original. It wasn’t very fun or awe-inspiring; the remake is just a movie full of shock value by amping up traumatic scenes. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it; not everything is going to be award-winning, or even commonly named in the horror community.
In The End
In the end, The Omen still kind of makes me squirmy. That is the feel of a movie I absolutely love. The omen gave us a first-hand look at how killers are quiet and never trust dogs. Not only that, avoid creepy nannies, too. At first, The Omen kept me awake for so many nights’ worth of nightmares; those dreams, however, desensitized me. Here I am, almost 40 with years of horror experience under my belt. I will say this: The Omen is among several films that still make me sleep with the TV on. Take my advice: if you are a freshman in the genre, start with this film among all the others that made you love the genre.
