Amazon.com video review:
After The
Exorcist sparked a lengthy trend of supernatural thrillers,
this 1976 horror film scored a hit with critics and audiences for
mixing gothic horror and mystery into its plot about a young boy
suspected of being the personification of the anti-Christ. (No doubt
it's a favorite of shock-rocker
Marilyn Manson.) Directed
by Richard Donner (best known for his
Superman and
Lethal Weapon
films), The Omen gained a lot of credibility from the casting
of Gregory Peck and Lee Remick as a distinguished American couple
living in England, whose young son Damien bears "the mark of the
beast." Mysterious deaths and unexplained incidents draw the attention
of a photographer (David Warner), whose investigation leads to the
young boy--and also to the photographer's shocking decapitation (in a
scene that has since been inducted into the horror hall of fame). At a
time when graphic gore had yet to dominate the horror genre, this film
used its violence discreetly and to great effect, and the mood of
dread and potential death is masterfully maintained. It's all a bit
hokey, with a lot of biblical portent and sensational fury, but few
would deny it's highly entertaining.
Jerry Goldsmith's
Oscar-winning score works wonders to enhance the movie's creepy
atmosphere. --Jeff Shannon
