Horror Movie-A-Day-A-Thon-Apalooza-Fest: 9/28

The Flick: The Omen (1976)

Director: Richard Donner

Rating: 8 out of 10

Here we have another 70's genre classic with a competent director, a bonafide leading man, a creepy little asshole of a kid, and it's another homerun for the decade. I enjoyed this quite a bit, and oddly enough this was my first time seeing it. I particularly enjoyed the notion of perceived evil, as the parents of this little devil child begin to suspect there's something off about their offspring, but they don't want to believe it. And, as parents, how could they? No parent would easily accept that their child is the anti-Christ. So, really, there's no straightforward villain to root against, save for the demonic nanny sent to protect the son of the devil, because the real villain is the devil which bore this child to the earth to wreak havoc on humanity. It almost isn't a horror movie, save for a few horrific death scenes, as most of the movie is a slow building, tense mystery and race against time to stop the child before he has his way. The stakes are as high as they could possibly be by the end of the film: a father must choose to kill his child or the world will suffer at the child's hands. It's a perfect slow-boil that I enjoyed right to the end.

The music, setting, and tone of the film is overall, well, ominous. As soon as bad things start happening (public suicide of Damien's nanny) they keep coming, from animals fleeing his presence, to dog attacks, to wind and lightning storms. He's a bad kid, no doubt, and he's genuinely creepy when he wants to be. I think the movie is creepier because you know the parents love their child and don't want to believe anything is wrong, when in fact they're dealing with the ultimate evil and they don't stand a chance.

The movie actually won an Oscar for it's score, which adds so much to the feel of the film. Even director Richard Donner agreed, the film wasn't nearly as affecting without the musical score in place. I wish more directors would realize this. Music can make or break a horror film.

Another note, I really enjoyed Gregory Peck as the American Ambassador and step-father of the devilish child. He sells his struggle with the reality of the situation perfectly, even dismissing the ominous prophecies of one creepy as hell priest on several ocassions when everything going on around him is screaming at him to listen to the words of the priest.

I watched this film and The Exorcist in 2 days, so I've had my fair share of devilish children, for sure.

Next: The Exorcist