Search - The Omen

The Omen

Actor(s): Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner, Billie Whitelaw
Director(s): Richard Donner
35

Details

MPAA Rating: R
Content Advisory: Graphic Violence, Not For Children, Adult Language, Gore
Movie Release: 1976
DVD Release: 09/05/2000
Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
Audio Tracks: English, French
Subtitles: English, Spanish
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Number of Discs: 1
Run Time: 1 hrs 51 mins
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Total Copies: 1
Genres: Horror, Supernatural Horror
See Also: The Omen [Collector's Edition], The Omen [Steelbook], The Omen [Blu-ray]

Synopsis

Satan's son has arrived on Earth and He's not about to let human parents get in the way. When his wife Katherine's (Lee Remick) pregnancy ends in a stillbirth in a Rome hospital, U.S. diplomat Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck) substitutes another baby, whose mother died. Little Damien (Harvey Stephens) thrives, but, at his fifth birthday party, his nanny mysteriously dies; Father Brennan (Patrick G. Troughton) also expires after warning Thorn that he has adopted Lucifer's son. While sinister new nanny Mrs. Baylock (Billie Whitelaw) assiduously protects Damien, Thorn's fears escalate when photographer Jennings (David Warner) shows him pictures from Damien's party with marks suggesting how the nanny and Brennan would die. Thorn seeks out Bugenhagen (Leo McKern), an exorcist who confirms Damien's identity and tells Thorn that the only solution is to kill his adopted son. As the bodies pile up, Thorn tries to do his duty, but trust the law to get in the way of saving the world from future Armageddon. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide

Cast

Gregory Peck - Robert
Lee Remick - Katherine Thorn
David Warner - Jennings
Billie Whitelaw - Mrs. Baylock

Awards

1976	Best Original Score (winner)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Jerry Goldsmith
1976	Best Song (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Jerry Goldsmith

Editorial Review

Fox's impressive DVD of The Omen is guaranteed to please this horror classic's legion of fans. The anamorphically enhanced widescreen transfer of the film benefits from a nice remastering job that effectively re-creates the film's glossy look while also adding a new level of color and detail that was missing in previous video editions. The audio is also quite good, utilizing a new stereo remix that makes excellent use of Jerry Goldsmith's thunderous score and adds a new level of punch to the film's many shocks. In terms of extras, fans will find themselves treated to a variety of informative documentaries: "The Omen Revealed" is a 46-minute program that chronicles the film's origins with a series of interviews with the filmmakers; a second segment offers composer Jerry Goldsmith's analysis of four themes he created for it; and "Curse or Coincidence?" is a six-minute short that speculates about the occult nature of a bizarre series of incidents that plagued the film's production. There is also a commentary track featuring director Richard Donner and editor Stuart Baird; it accidentally recycles some of the material revealed in the documentaries, but Baird and Donner have an appealing sense of camaraderie and the track offers enough insight into the production (especially the realization of the film's classic shock scenes) to make it worthwhile. An original theatrical trailer for The Omen rounds the extras out nicely. All in all, Fox's DVD of The Omen delivers the film in high style and also functions as a fairly definitive chronicle of its history. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide