The unholy love-child of “Rosemary’s Baby” and “The Exorcist,” “The Omen” (1976) proved to be the fulfillment of a prophecy that big-studio mainstream demonic horror was here to stay.
But is the movie particularly scary?
Sure, it’s got atmosphere to burn, with a creepy nanny and a Jerry Goldsmith score replete with mumbo jumbo Latin chorus. But it’s more of a Hitchcock film (perhaps by way of Brian DePalma) than anything that’s going to make you sleep with the light on or haunt your consciousness.
Granted, the big set-pieces are pretty unforgettable. But how many of them make any sense? “The Omen” is puzzlingly devoid of psychological, mythic, or even biblical resonance, despite the characters’ repetition of a passage from the Book of Revelation.
What it did have was enormous success at the box office, which allowed director Richard Donner to make “Superman,” and for that, at least, we are blessed. For 20th Century Fox, this son of a jackal proved to be a lucrative cash cow. Of course, Fox is now a subsidiary of Walt Disney. To contemplate that Disney is now in a position to crank out more “Omen” films is scarier than anything in the movie.
Anyway, it ain’t “The Exorcist,” but the power of friendship compels me… to show up for our discussion of “The Omen.” Unleash your Satanic rottweilers in the comments section. I’ll be feeling every one of the 666 minutes of the next Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner, this Friday evening at 7:30 EDT.
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