Damien: Omen II (1978)

Director:

Don Taylor
(more)

Writers:

Harvey Bernhard (story)
David Seltzer (characters)
(more)

Release Date:

9 June 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

The first time was only a warning.

Plot:

Damien the Antichrist, now age 13, finally learns of his destiny under the guidance of an unholy disciple of Satan. Meanwhile dark mystical forces begin to eliminate all those who suspect the child's true identity.

Plot Keywords:

Uncle | 13 Year Old | Antichrist | Aunt | Satan

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

William Holden	...	Richard Thorn
Lee Grant	...	Ann Thorn
Jonathan Scott-Taylor	...	Damien Thorn
Robert Foxworth	...	Paul Buher
Nicholas Pryor	...	Charles Warren
Lew Ayres	...	Bill Atherton
Sylvia Sidney	...	Aunt Marion
Lance Henriksen	...	Sergeant Neff
Elizabeth Shepherd	...	Joan Hart
Lucas Donat	...	Mark Thorn
Allan Arbus	...	Pasarian (as Alan Arbus)
Fritz Ford	...	Murray
Meshach Taylor	...	Dr. Kane
John J. Newcombe	...	Teddy
John Charles Burns	...	Butler
Paul Cook	...	Colonel
Diane Daniels	...	Jane
Robert E. Ingham	...	Teacher
William B. Fosser	...	Minister
Corney Morgan	...	Greenhouse Technician
Russell P. Delia	...	Truck Driver
Judith Dowd	...	Maid
Thomas O. Erhart Jr.	...	Sergeant #1
Sorin Serene Pricopie	...	Pasarian's Assistant (as Sorin Pricopie)
Robert J. Jones Jr.	...	Tour Guide
Rusdi Lane	...	Jim Gardner
Charles Mountain	...	Burial Priest
Cornelia Sanders	...	Young Girl
Felix Shuman	...	Dr. Fiedler
James Spinks	...	Technician #1
Owen Sullivan	...	Byron
William J. Whelehan	...	Security Guard
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ian Hendry	...	Michael (uncredited)
Gus Kaprales	...	Limo Driver (uncredited)
Leo McKern	...	Carl Bugenhagen (uncredited)

Directed by
Don Taylor
Mike Hodges		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Harvey Bernhard		(story)
David Seltzer		(characters)
Stanley Mann		(screenplay) and
Mike Hodges		(screenplay) (as Michael Hodges)

Produced by
Harvey Bernhard	....	producer
Joseph Lenzi	....	associate producer (as Joseph 'Pepi' Lenzi)
Charles Orme	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Bill Butler		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Robert Brown		(as Robert Brown Jr.)

Casting by
Lynn Stalmaster

Production Design by
Fred Harpman
Philip M. Jefferies

Makeup Department
Robert Dawn	....	makeup artist: Los Angeles
Lillian Toth	....	hairdresser: Chicago
Lillian Toth	....	makeup artist: Chicago

Production Management
Joseph Lenzi	....	production manager: Los Angeles (as Joseph 'Pepi' Lenzi)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jerry Ballew	....	first assistant director: Los Angeles
Bob Dahlin	....	second assistant director: Chicago
Al Nicholson	....	first assistant director: Los Angeles
Richard Luke Rothschild	....	second assistant director: Los Angeles

Art Department
Robert De Vestel	....	set decorator: Los Angeles (as Robert de Vestel)
William B. Fosser	....	associate set decorator: Chicago (as William Fosser)
Bill MacSems	....	property master: Los Angeles
Hendrik Wynands	....	construction coordinator: Los Angeles

Sound Department
William Hartman	....	sound editor: Los Angeles
Godfrey Marks	....	dialogue editor: Los Angeles
Al Overton	....	production sound mixer: Los Angeles
Edward Rossi	....	sound editor: Los Angeles
Theodore Soderberg	....	sound re-recording mixer: Los Angeles
Richard Sperber	....	sound editor: Los Angeles (as Richard A. Sperber)
Paul Wells	....	sound re-recording mixer: Los Angeles
Douglas O. Williams	....	sound re-recording mixer: Los Angeles

Special Effects by
Ira Anderson Jr.	....	special effects: Los Angeles

Visual Effects by
Stanley Cortez	....	miniatures photographer
Bill Hansard	....	process coordinator: Los Angeles
Chuck Taylor	....	miniatures maker

Stunts
Max Kleven	....	stunt coordinator: Los Angeles
Jerry Brutsche	....	stunts (uncredited)
Kitty O'Neil	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Derek V. Browne	....	assistant camera: Israel (as Derek Browne)
Colin J. Campbell	....	gaffer: Los Angeles (as Colin Campbell)
James R. Connell	....	camera operator: Los Angeles (as James Connell)
John D. Crededio	....	gaffer: Chicago (as John Crededio)
Al Giddings	....	underwater photographer: Los Angeles
George Hill	....	key grip: Los Angeles
Robert McLain	....	key grip: Chicago (as Robert McLaine Jr.)
Ed Nielsen	....	assistant camera: Chicago
Jack L. Richards	....	camera operator: Chicago (as Jack Richards)
Don Smetzer	....	still photographer: Chicago
Ron Taberer	....	assistant camera: Israel
Gilbert Taylor	....	cinematographer: Israel (as Gil Taylor)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Burton Miller	....	wardrobe: Miss Grant
Ray Summers	....	wardrobe: Los Angeles

Editorial Department
David Garfield	....	assistant editor: Los Angeles
Willie Navarro	....	assistant editor: Los Angeles

Music Department
Leonard A. Engel	....	music editor: Los Angeles (as Len Engel)

Transportation Department
James F. Hogan	....	transportation captain: Chicago (as James Hogan)

Other crew
Ray Berwick	....	raven trainer: Los Angeles
Rusty Lemorande	....	production assistant: Chicago
Audrey Levy	....	production assistant: Chicago
Dr. W.S. McBirnie	....	technical advisor (as Dr. W.S. McBirnie Ph.D.)
H. Bud Otto	....	script supervisor: Los Angeles
Zach Staenberg	....	production assistant: Chicago

Thanks
Cornelius Morgan	....	special thanks: Chicago Police Department (as Sergeant Cornelius Morgan)
Lucie Salenger	....	special thanks: State of Illinois Film Office (as Lucy Salenger)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1978) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1980) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• CBS/Fox Video (1984) (Belgium) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• CBS/Fox (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• CBS/Fox (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Encore Entertainment (????) (UK) (video) (laserdisc)
• Fox Video (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Israfilm Motion Picture Services  Israel sequences serviced by
• Kawasaki Motors  snowmobiles
• Kawasaki Motors  winter clothing
• City Hall, Chicago  special thanks
• Northwestern Military and Naval Academy  special thanks
• Chicago Motion Picture Services  special thanks
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• DeLuxe Laboratories  color by (as DeLuxe)

Also Known As:

Omen II
Omen II: Damien (reissue title)

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Italy:VM14 | South Korea:15 | Canada:18A (video rating) | UK:15 (re-rating) (2006) | Australia:M | Canada:18A | Finland:K-18 | Norway:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

William Holden was the original choice to star in the first film, The Omen (1976), but turned it down as he did not want to star in a picture about the devil. Gregory Peck was selected as his replacement. "The Omen" went on to become a huge hit and Holden made sure he did not turn down the part in this sequel.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Richard is looking at the image on the wall the face has green eyes. Damien's eyes are dark brown.

Quotes:

[Damien has just seen the Mark of the Beast on his scalp, indicating he is the Antichrist. He runs out of the Academy building]
Damien Thorn: [shouting] Why? Why me?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Devil's Disciples (2006) (V)

It commits the sin of boredom

I didn't mind the first Omen picture. Despite the flaws in internal logic, (why is it that Satan can only kill the people who spill their guts about Damien after they've blabbed?). It's also worth watching Billie Whitelaw and Gregory Peck in damn near anything.

Damien: Omen II is a terrible drag by contrast. Every five minutes someone finds out that Damien is the Anti-Christ, then dies in some messy way. It takes William Holden's character an incredible amount of time to notice the corpses piling up around the teen ager, (during which we have to go through the irritating I'm Trying to Convince You scenes that are standard issue in these kinds of movies. They always end with something like, "If you don't do something, I will." The character uttering this line has to die, of course). By the time he gets religion it is so obviously too late that the ending is a fait accompli.

It would have been more interesting if they'd stuck to something the script gestured towards for a second. Damien finds out he's the Anti-Christ and that he's destined to do all sorts of horrible things and he runs screaming, terrified of what prophecy demands he become. It would have been an ironic twist if Damien were a good person who discovered that it was his ultimate, irresistible fate to be evil. That conflict could have had real drama and a meaning beyond the slaughter.

Instead, Damien went and committed the worst movie sin; the sin of boredom.