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The Omen (1976)

Rate: 6
Viewed: 4/03, 10/04, 10/07

Omen1
10/07: I had rated The Omen '10' in the past, but now, it's more of a '6'.

This time, there are deficiencies that I didn't notice before. Among them is the one-dimensional acting by Lee Remick. If you look at the movie poster, you can see her expression with wide-open eyes. It sums up her acting throughout the film. Oh, how annoying the child actor is. I just want to strangle him with my bare hands. Ditto for the maid. Nobody is more hideous than her.

The story is unrealistic because for a man such as Robert Thorn with this much of power, he would've handled the situations better. Why does he allow himself to be disobeyed by the maid? Thorn should've exercised more control over his personal affairs, but the filmmakers want me to see he's a weak man. Instead, it's the beginning of the end of The Omen.

As much as I dislike his wooden acting, Gregory Peck is one of the few saving graces. The other one is David Warner as Keith Jennings. The best scene is when he's decapitated by the flying window pane in a freak accident. It's a Hall of Fame horror moment. However, the ending serves as a signal that there will be sequels. Had Damien been murdered, my rating would've been higher. Director Robert Donner manages to inject some neo-noir traits into the story to sustain my interest.

Remember the scene when Damien was feeling fearful as he was near the church while riding in the car en route to the Episcopal wedding? Then, remember the ending when Damien was calm inside the church and he's about to be ritually stabbed? Incredible.

Also, when the maid went to the hospital to kill the wife of the American Ambassador to Britain, I want you to think about what I said: "American Ambassador to Britain." His title alone merits heavy-duty security at the hospital, yet this fluky maid manages to go through the barricade.

When the sinister-looking priest flew to London to warn Robert Thorn of the evil that lies within Damien, I asked, "What took him so long?" Why did it have to happen like five years later? The church could've seen it happening within the first year of his birth and acted appropriately to save the world from Armageddon.

All in all, The Omen is a memorable horror flick with the usual Antichrist elements.