The reason for the remake was some one at the studio saw that the date June 6th 2006 was coming up and said “we should do a remake of The Omen for that date”. No other reason for the remake.
"Look at me, Damien! It's all for you." Fun Fact: David Warner kept his severed head for years, until his divorce, when his ex-wife obtained custody of it. Provocative Filmmaking Fact: Because Harvey Stephens was so young, Richard Donner found that the best way to direct him was to provoke genuine reactions before the camera. For example, when Damien is angry at being taken to church, Donner got his peeved facial expression by shouting insults to Stephens off camera. In the closing scene, Donner used reverse psychology on young Stephens telling him he shouldn't "dare laugh" or the director wouldn't be the actor's friend. So naturally, Stephens wanted to laugh, and he instead smiled directly into the camera. Music Enthusiast Fact: Richard Donner and Harvey Bernhard asked Alan Ladd Jr., then the head of Twentieth Century Fox, for extra money during the film's post-production period to hire composer Jerry Goldsmith. They strongly felt that his music was right for the movie, after seeing him perform a live concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles earlier that year. Ladd was finally talked into giving Donner and Bernhard around $25,000 to hire Goldsmith, who would deliver his first and only Academy Award win for his score in 1977. Donner credits the success of the film to Goldsmith's score, which increased the tension and fear of the movie.
My Sister and I snuck downstairs in 1984/5, when my parents fell asleep and we watched it. She was 8 and I was 11. Big mistake, I had nightmares for a while. The music got to me I think. Thank you girls 💕
I was 6 or 7 when they first aired them on TV where I live, they made a whole show of it as they were broadcasting all 3 movies on concurrent days, barely got thorugh the first 2, the last one was too much for me, to this day I haven't seen the 3rd film in its entierity.
Like The Exorcist, The Omen is a mature horror movie. They take their time to set up characters and the social climate and deliver solid writing and acting. There's a 70s thriller titled The Boys From Brazil starring Gregory Peck that I would recommend. On a personal note, I was too frightened to see The Omen in the theaters but I did buy the Jerry Goldsmith score. I believe it won an Oscar. My favorite cue is the dog attack at the cemetery as it builds wonderfully.
EDIT: SPOILER ALERT! DON'T READ THIS THREAD IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN DAMIEN: OMEN 2 Damien: Omen 2 is one of the best horror sequels in my opinion. Some people think it's even better than the original. You should definitely react to it!
yeah, I really liked it as well. The 3rd one just confused me and I'm a really big Sam Neill fan, I wanted that movie to be good so much. Hated the reboot..
Omen 2 is really great....it's formulaic but the actor makes it really work and it has some really great creepy stuff in it. The raven attacking the journalist is really unsettling. I have this thing about it though..... I wish they'd leaned more into Damien NOT wanting to be the Antichrist....that scene where he learns the truth and freaks out and runs down to the pier and yells "Why me?!". I kinda wish that they'd done that a little earlier in the film and spent some time with him trying to fight his destiny and eventually CHOOSING to be evil, rather than just going "Oh, im the Antichrist...right then, better be a complete psycho. I KNOW that Jonathan Scott-Taylor could have carried that off.
Agreed. What makes Damien: Omen 2 so cool IMO is that Damien actually struggles with his destiny and even fights back against it slightly. The only death that actually hurts him. Oh, and the deaths are FANTASTIC.
@13:07 "What is this thing with animals?" ... Many people believe that animals can sense evil, and you don't get much more evil than the Anti-Christ, so the poor animals were scared to death of Damian, and freaking out, either trying to get away from him, or trying to get rid of him (fight-or-flight instinct).
Killer movie, awesome reaction! Alot of urban legends surrounding this movie. Gregory Peck's son committed suicide shortly before filming began. There was also various incidents where lightning struck various planes carrying the cast and crew. When they brought the completed film back to America, the plane carrying these negatives was also struck by lightning. The animal trainer who was in charge of the baboons, was also mauled by a tiger. The film was haunted, but The Omen's success was able to fund a little unknown movie at the time called Star Wars, which would never have been made if it wasn't for the Omen.
@@Corn_Pone_Flicks I have never heard of anyone getting mauled by a tiger during the filming of a romantic comedy. I could be wrong, but I doubt anyone's child committed suicide before they started filming a romantic comedy. Maybe.
@@orangewarm1 ehh, he acted. Like telling a 5 year old to fight and throw a fit might not always turn out realistic, some kids laugh too much or aren’t good at displaying the rage. He did really well for his age
Skip Omen 4. It's terrible, and the remake was pointless. Only clever thing they did with the remake was release it on June 6, 2006 to get the 666 release.
@@alucard624Yes, Omen 4 is a farce. It totally contradicts the end of Omen 3, which is called The Final Conflict for a reason. The religious adviser for the Omen said Omen 4 was a classic case of Hollywood milking something - badly. On the other hand, it is also a made for TV movie, which the trilogy films are not. So I like to see it as something "separate".
@@alucard624 Omen IV: The Awakening WAS made-for-TV rubbish. However, the 2006 remake of the original, as far as I'm concerned, was a moribund copycat attempt that demonstrated no improvement whatsoever from the original.
Gregory Peck suffered a real life tragedy around this time which would've made this part especially hard for him. Spooky film with a lot of bizarre occurences that happened during it's production. Well worth looking into.
The fact Peck even took this role was kinda odd considering he was not known for doing horror and such. I do recommend watching The Boys From Brazil though where he plays Mengele. He was damn good in that part.
They originally were going to kill Damien, but Gregory Peck, whose son committed suicide not too long before, refused to film that ending so they changed it to Damien lives.
I saw "The Exorcist" in a theater when it came out. I was 13, but back then in the town I lived you could forge a note from your parents saying it's okay for you to see a rated "R" movie and they'd let you in. I wish I hadn't done that. That movie scared me more than I thought possible.
I doubt safari parks have changed that much since the 70s apart from health and safety for humans (animals cant afford decent lawyers). Windsor Safari Park is now Legoland Windsor and the next Omen remake, "Lego The Omen" sees the animals fall to pieces when Damien arrives. He doesnt fully escape though, receiving a huge circular bump on his head.
Richard Donner, the directed this movie. He also did the first SUPERMAN and the LETHAL WEAPON movies. Than sadly, he passed away. Great guy and a great director. R.I.P. Richard . You are missed 😢
Gregory Peck took this role to distract himself from his real-life losses - his son had just died (suicide), and Richard Donner came to him with this role thinking the content and performance would be cathartic for him. The production was fraught with many curiosities - Peck's plane was struck by lightning, and a crew member's wife died in a car crash near a mile marker for the city of Omman.
At age 18 I got home from work at about 12:30 am. I sat down and saw this movie was on. I had never seen it. HUGE MISTAKE. At that time of the morning alone in the dark, this was more disturbing to me than the exorcist!!
I think the dogs are the hounds of hell. Great movie and soundtrack movie score. I was 10 yrs ld in 1976. I do remember it. They were not so strict back then about ages to movies. The music scared the crap out of me and Mrs. Baylock and the dogs...
The singing/chanting in Latin still gives me the chills. I am thrilled that you two watched this. I'm not sure how scared you might have been but you were definitely shocked and it showed. That nanny haunted me when I was younger. Those eyes I am a fan of all three of the Omen movies. I won't give anything away so I really hope you watch the other 2. I have seen the remake and as much as I love this movie I really didn't give the new one a fair chance. As much as I have pushed for this I hope I'm to blame, lol, and I hope you have penciled in the other suggestions. Take care and enjoy the rest of your weekend!
The Omen was directed by my friend Dick Donner...who went on to direct the original Superman, The Goonies and all of the Lethal Weapon films along with a lot of other great films.. Such a great director and a great guy.
We still have safari parks like that in the UK! Not that one, I think it closed down in the 80s, but other ones. You can drive your car through enclosures with lions, tigers, bears, wolves and monkeys roaming around. I've had monkeys climbing on my car!
The actor William Holden was asked to play the Gregory Peck role before Peck, but he didn't want to do a horror film. After the success of this film, he was more then ready to accept being in The Omen 2...which he was
I want to thank you and congratulate you both for being the first to do a review on this classic movie ! I’ve been asking other people for years to do a review on the Omen but no one would ever listen to my request ! I definitely recommend that you follow up with the sequels to the original Omen . There are 3 sequels and one remake ! Also the director of the Omen was Richard Donner who also directed the Lethal Weapon movies with Mel Gibson !
There was no widespread cable tv at this time. The movie was aired on broadcast tv 2 years after it was in the theater. Only a slight edit to the decapitation scene. We saw it as a family. Oh crap. I was 8. The music was terrifying all by itself. Now add a strange, threatening idea. Yeah. That. KINDERTRAUMA!
Omen II covers Damien as an older child, and is my favourite, Omen III covers Damien as an adult, but is the weaker of the three, but still worth watching to close the story out.
Definitely check out 2. It is a worthy successor. Damien comes of age in a military school and finally understands and embraces his destiny. Just like Peck, they bring in a veteran actor (William Holden) who does an excellent job as a rich industrialist older brother to Thorn who adopts Damian.
For more intense thrills with Gregory Peck, may I recommend the original Cape Fear. Really creepy and atmospheric from the get-go. It's not quite perfect, but it's one of those "wtf, I didn't know Hollywood could go this hard in the early 60s" kind of experiences. The Martin Scorsese remake is also excellent, different enough to make both of them worth the watch.
I read the novel and it is much better explained. Girls, I saw that it was not clear to you about the graves, the jackal is literally Damian's mother, Thorn's son is the corpse next to the grave. In the novel, the priest who warns Thorn about Damian was a satanist and was the one who killed his son, but out of remorse and to save his soul, he warns Thorn everything and reveals everything about the antichrist and his followers except that he murdered his son, the reason the body is there is because of a ritual they did. Budenhaiden, the person who had the daggers, is a descendant of a group of people who managed to prevent the birth of the Antichrist on two occasions, however he failed on that occasion and out of fear he did not dare to leave the catacombs since he was safe there. influenza or evil powers of Satan
Favorite movie of all time. And part 2. Both arms sleeved out in these movies. I love when that dedicated nanny bossed herself out the window; loyalty is everything after all. Fyi, people died while making this movie, during and after. One guy got killed by a tiger at that zoo the day after the baboon scene, the guy who was in charge of the baboon scene itself lmao. I forget the details of all the weird things that took place during the making of this film......Gregory Peck cancelled a flight to get to filming and the people who took the same plane got on the plane the same day and died in a crash.....Peck had already had a plane get struck by lightning, as did the director I believe.
Great reaction! I definitely recommend watching the 1978 remake of "Invasion Of The Body Snatchers" starring Donald Sutherland, Veronica Cartwright ("Alien") and a young Jeff Goldblum in one of his first movies. This film is very intense, creepy and atmospheric and is an example of a remake done right.
Totally agree. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978 version) has the same creepy atmosphere and growing sense of dread as this one. And it unfolds as an intriguing mystery, just like The Omen. I think you two would love it!
David Warner, who plays the photographer, passed away last year. He is also in Time After Time, about HG Wells following Jack the Ripper to 1970s San Francisco. I HIGHLY recommend it
One of my favourite horror films. The Omen trilogy as a whole is very good. Avoid the tv movie Omen 4 as it is absolutely terrible, but nothing to do with the first three films.
Omen 2 is great in my opinion. It follows this story. Omen 3 follows after 2 but isn't quite as good but if you enjoy the first two the sense of completion is nice.
Damien: Omen II is a remarkable follow-up to this film, that only three reactors I know of have ever reacted to. It follows Damien's awakening, to who he is, and his learning to cope with the idea as an adolescent just reaching puberty. I think you would be missing out on something if you didn't react to it. Omen III: The Final Conflict, while boasting a fine performance from Sam Neill in an early role, is somewhat disappointing as a climax to the trilogy - I have rarely rewatched that. Entirely forgettable, since I have forgotten everything but a few images in the time since I've seen it, is the 2006 remake. I'd definitely not recommend that.
Just to let you know how far back I go.., when I first saw this movie with my family back in '76, it was in a "drive-in" theater. I was very little too (why my parents thought that was an appropriate "family" movie is beyond me, LOL), and I still remembered being terrified, lol. That drive-in theater soon after became Sunrise Multiplex Theaters off the sunrise highway in NY (which I I'm not sure even exists anymore today; I haven't lived in NYC for many years now).
My older cousins put me to watch this movie when I was about 2 to 3 years old. I was born in 1975. Then Alien. I remember this movie so well. I think I still have mental health issues because of it, especially because of the nanny killing herself, and jumping like that. I was of the age of those kids.
Omen 2 is worth your time. I was really young when I watched this. I was at my grandmother's old house. I watched with a bunch of adults. They didn't care. As an only child, my experience was different. You kind of wanted a dog that would protect you at all cost and as creepy as the nanny was, I kind of understood where she was coming from: people will try to kill this kid as he is too different, so she was going to protect him until her death. Was I scared of Damien? sure. Of the vibes of the movie and death scenes? Yeah. But I kind of saw the other side, you know? It's not like he chose to be different, it's not like he chose to be the heir to the prince of darkness.
Fun fact: Cerveteri is actually a real place about 50 kilometers northwest of Rome with an Etruscan necropolis. If you look at recent pictures of the place it resembles the movie setting very well.
This was the first time I (and a lot of others) had seen a Rottweiler. I remember thinking, "My God, what kind of dog is that?!?" Rottweilers were not a greatly-known breed in 1976. One of the most effectively-scary soundtracks ever.
I watched these films on VHS in the early 80's. I would have been a young teenager. I also read the books then, as I went through a phase of reading occult books, including the Exorcist. Definitely watch the 2 sequels, I did watch the remake, and it didn't leave me feeling the same as the original. There's a scene in Damien The Omen 2, that has stayed with me throughout my life, my worst fear, I've seen it in other films since and while it's horrible, none of them left me as disturbed as the Omen 2 scene.
I don't really blame the kid...that's about how I feel about churches. Me and my wife watched this back-to-back with The Exorcist a few Easters ago...we should make it a yearly thing. Incidentally, the photographer has it backwards-the word "Armageddon" comes from the name Megiddo, not vice-versa.
Trust me girls : you must go for the secuel ; and if you still feel interested, then you have the last one "The final conflict". The remake won't give you anything.
Richard Donner directed this movie. He was one of the greatest film makers of all time! Just go threw his all films. Everyone knows "Superman", "The Goonies" & "Lethal Weapon,1,2,3,4". A favorite of mine I know you Two would like is "Ladyhawke"(1985). A cool Medieval, Sword & Magic movie with a very one of a kind love story.
There were articles talking about how people were fainting during the screening of this and the Exorcist. I was too young to see it, so watched a midnight screening years later. Trying to remake this movie well today would, I think, be impossible. Much in the vein of the Psycho, they tried, but it was a failure.
As a kid in the 70's we lived less than 5 miles from 'Lion Country Safari'. They had to close it down because of lawsuits. A bunch of people were maimed or killed by the animals. I saw this film as a kid and it probably scared me more than Texas Chainsaw Massacre which I saw a couple years earlier as a very young kid.
The movies are Ths Omen (1976) Damien: Omen II (1978) Omen III: Final Conflict (1981) *This one actually stars Sam Neill as an adult Damien* Omen IV: The Awakening (1991)
Just stopped by to say thx for enjoying The Omen 1976. It’s nice to see the younger generation appreciate a classic film. We were there in theaters.. It’s a great film, sold as a suspense film, not horror ( which is way the great actor Gregory Peck took the role). Thx for the respect.
Watching you guys react was fun. FYI, I saw an uncut version before release that was terrifying. This film was so successful the director was hired to direct "Superman" with Chris Reeve. Jerry Goldsmith, my favorite composer, won his only Oscar for The Omen's music. Forget about seeing the remake, they used the exact same script, but they did include a scene cut out of the original concerning the nanny's death. Love this movie.
I recommend watching "The Changeling" from 1980, a captivating blend of mystery, thriller, and ghostly elements starring George C. Scott. Prepare yourself for an incredibly chilling scene featuring a bouncing ball that will leave you terrified
Loved your commentary, especially your sympathy for the mother :-) I had forgotten David Warner played the photographer. He's in a great sci-fi/thriller/fantasy Time After Time (1979) also stars Malcolm McDowell and Mary Steenburgen. Well worth a watch for a 70s thriller with a twist!
the mother's turmoil is very underrated in this movie- it's a huge deal to the psychological nature. the first time i saw this, I remember focusing on her and feeling that same despair.
AWESOME Academy Award winning Jerry Goldsmith composed score. Orchestrated by Arthur Morton. Conducted by Lionel Newman. Performed by The National Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus.
Glad you enjoyed The Omen guys. Definitely watch The Omen II and if you fancy trying something a tad different give The Wicker Man (1973) a go (but never never go near the Nicholas Cage remake) 🥰
the second one is creepy as well ( the omen 2 , 1978) . I like the 3d one less but the movie itself is creepy asf. all these movies are worth a watch . i heard the remakes are just carbon copies but since i haven't watched them i can't say for myself .
The music makes this movie period and it totally earned it's Oscar win. =) The decapitation scene was one of the first on screen decaps on the big screen. They slowed it down so that audiences who covered their eyes would see the head still horrifically flying when they opened them back up. This apparently worked! XD
fun fact: a year after production wrapped, the production designer in charge of the David Warner decapitation scene, had a car crash in Holland. His girlfriend went through the windscreen. She was decapitated. The designer was also thrown from the car and hit a road sign: he was 66km...from Omen, Holland.
I've been watching various first-time viewings of this movie and I must say that I enjoyed your reactions of shock, astonishment, and horror. I'm guessing you were both very young when the 2006 remake was released. I was 9 years old when this movie hit the theatres and I first saw it on television four years later. However, I did come across a copy of the book before that. I was intrigued by the stills from the movie. It looked like an intriguing suspense thriller type of story, but when I saw the movie for the first time, I got a lot more than I bargained for! The scene of the nanny giving Damien her own unique 'birthday present' to him just blew me away. That was the moment I knew this movie meant business! Now approaching fifty years after its release, The Omen continues to demonstrate solid shock value. I am pleased that, upon viewing The Omen, that you appreciate the fact that good movies do not require the flexing of special effects muscles, or a stream of filthy language in order for a movie to be worth watching. All you need to do is give the viewer the ingredients of a truly good movie: a good, well-paced story, a solid cast, credible performances and an intriguing plot. One of you touches on a couple of key points. One, I still don't believe there has never been a more potent soundtrack in the history of cinema than Jerry Goldsmith's brilliancy for this movie and two, yes, it so happens Gregory Peck turned 60 the same year the movie was released.
One thing i love about this is it's entirely possible to watch it from the perspective of it all just being a bunch of coincidences and everyone except Damien is mad and none of it is real.
Can never watch this film too many times:have seen many times on TV and on reactions on TH-cam (for once I didn't see on original release as only 7 when it came out)🎩
The score was composed by the late great Jerry Goldsmith and won the Oscar for it that year... great reaction!
The reason for the remake was some one at the studio saw that the date June 6th 2006 was coming up and said “we should do a remake of The Omen for that date”. No other reason for the remake.
"Look at me, Damien! It's all for you."
Fun Fact: David Warner kept his severed head for years, until his divorce, when his ex-wife obtained custody of it.
Provocative Filmmaking Fact: Because Harvey Stephens was so young, Richard Donner found that the best way to direct him was to provoke genuine reactions before the camera. For example, when Damien is angry at being taken to church, Donner got his peeved facial expression by shouting insults to Stephens off camera. In the closing scene, Donner used reverse psychology on young Stephens telling him he shouldn't "dare laugh" or the director wouldn't be the actor's friend. So naturally, Stephens wanted to laugh, and he instead smiled directly into the camera.
Music Enthusiast Fact: Richard Donner and Harvey Bernhard asked Alan Ladd Jr., then the head of Twentieth Century Fox, for extra money during the film's post-production period to hire composer Jerry Goldsmith. They strongly felt that his music was right for the movie, after seeing him perform a live concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles earlier that year. Ladd was finally talked into giving Donner and Bernhard around $25,000 to hire Goldsmith, who would deliver his first and only Academy Award win for his score in 1977. Donner credits the success of the film to Goldsmith's score, which increased the tension and fear of the movie.
Not everyone gets this, but damien's mother was a jackal. You can hear the priest say it in Thorne's office early in the movie
Well if anyone's gonna engage in bestiality, I guess it would be Satan.
I thought it’s a dog.
I really dont get how barely anyone catches that. the skeleton made it clear once i connected it with the dogs.
The music won an Oscar for this film. The Gregorian Chants really helped make this movie what it is.
@@AT-st5dr Jerry Goldsmith didn't miss a beat when he composed the soundtrack for this movie.
"Have no fear little one. I am here to protect Thee!"
Great line.
My Sister and I snuck downstairs in 1984/5, when my parents fell asleep and we watched it. She was 8 and I was 11. Big mistake, I had nightmares for a while. The music got to me I think. Thank you girls 💕
I was 6 or 7 when they first aired them on TV where I live, they made a whole show of it as they were broadcasting all 3 movies on concurrent days, barely got thorugh the first 2, the last one was too much for me, to this day I haven't seen the 3rd film in its entierity.
Don’t bother watching 3, I didn’t like it.
@@sheeps1495 3 sucked. Not even Sam Neill could save it, and he tries big time.
Pathetic
The music got to you. Did it? Not a big surprise. I have often said that the real star of this movie WAS the soundtrack!
Like The Exorcist, The Omen is a mature horror movie. They take their time to set up characters and the social climate and deliver solid writing and acting. There's a 70s thriller titled The Boys From Brazil starring Gregory Peck that I would recommend. On a personal note, I was too frightened to see The Omen in the theaters but I did buy the Jerry Goldsmith score. I believe it won an Oscar. My favorite cue is the dog attack at the cemetery as it builds wonderfully.
If only Sam and Dean were around to help!
EDIT: SPOILER ALERT! DON'T READ THIS THREAD IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN DAMIEN: OMEN 2 Damien: Omen 2 is one of the best horror sequels in my opinion. Some people think it's even better than the original. You should definitely react to it!
yeah, I really liked it as well. The 3rd one just confused me and I'm a really big Sam Neill fan, I wanted that movie to be good so much. Hated the reboot..
Yeah after watching it I wasn't keen on using lifts for a while and preferred the stairs.
Nuh. It was crap
Omen 2 is really great....it's formulaic but the actor makes it really work and it has some really great creepy stuff in it. The raven attacking the journalist is really unsettling.
I have this thing about it though.....
I wish they'd leaned more into Damien NOT wanting to be the Antichrist....that scene where he learns the truth and freaks out and runs down to the pier and yells "Why me?!". I kinda wish that they'd done that a little earlier in the film and spent some time with him trying to fight his destiny and eventually CHOOSING to be evil, rather than just going "Oh, im the Antichrist...right then, better be a complete psycho.
I KNOW that Jonathan Scott-Taylor could have carried that off.
Agreed. What makes Damien: Omen 2 so cool IMO is that Damien actually struggles with his destiny and even fights back against it slightly. The only death that actually hurts him. Oh, and the deaths are FANTASTIC.
At the end of the movie the Kid wasnt suppose to smile at the camera but he couldn't help himself.
When they filmed the baboon scene, the kid actor who played Damion was genuinely scared of the baboons-- don't blame him!
They went and put a baby baboon inside of the car with them and the rest of the baboons went absolutely crazy!
@13:07 "What is this thing with animals?" ... Many people believe that animals can sense evil, and you don't get much more evil than the Anti-Christ, so the poor animals were scared to death of Damian, and freaking out, either trying to get away from him, or trying to get rid of him (fight-or-flight instinct).
Interesting fact, Father Brennan was played by Patrick Troughton who was also the second Doctor Who.
I love how when Damien is riding the bike, they are playing the haunting music, and then the only sound you hear is the squeak of the bike tires.
Very creepy, adds more atmosphere to the movie...
It was all scored, though, but the dialed the music out after the door opens.
Killer movie, awesome reaction! Alot of urban legends surrounding this movie. Gregory Peck's son committed suicide shortly before filming began. There was also various incidents where lightning struck various planes carrying the cast and crew. When they brought the completed film back to America, the plane carrying these negatives was also struck by lightning. The animal trainer who was in charge of the baboons, was also mauled by a tiger. The film was haunted, but The Omen's success was able to fund a little unknown movie at the time called Star Wars, which would never have been made if it wasn't for the Omen.
There is no such thing as a haunted movie. Bad things happen sometimes. When someone gets hurt making a romantic comedy, no one notices.
@@Corn_Pone_Flicks I have never heard of anyone getting mauled by a tiger during the filming of a romantic comedy. I could be wrong, but I doubt anyone's child committed suicide before they started filming a romantic comedy. Maybe.
@@richardheinz 👍 Thanx
@@richardheinzand I heard those Rotties found a way to bit through the stuntman protective gear injuring he seriously.
Still, I love Rottweilers..
That child did such a good job at being creepy!
The fact that this kid had an adorable face yet was so genuinely creepy is unsettling and amazing at the same time 😅
He hardly had to act. Its the camera and music that make him creepy. All he did was smile.
@@orangewarm1 ehh, he acted. Like telling a 5 year old to fight and throw a fit might not always turn out realistic, some kids laugh too much or aren’t good at displaying the rage. He did really well for his age
Nothing scarier than that fucking nany, bitch used to give me nightmares 😢
As I recall Richard Donner told the kid to come at him with everything he had and he kicked him in the balls, prompting Donner to cast him.
Definitely watch the trilogy. The Omen II Damien is a teen & the Omen III Damien is an adult & it wraps up the story line.
Skip Omen 4. It's terrible, and the remake was pointless. Only clever thing they did with the remake was release it on June 6, 2006 to get the 666 release.
@@alucard624Yes, Omen 4 is a farce. It totally contradicts the end of Omen 3, which is called The Final Conflict for a reason.
The religious adviser for the Omen said Omen 4 was a classic case of Hollywood milking something - badly.
On the other hand, it is also a made for TV movie, which the trilogy films are not. So I like to see it as something "separate".
@@alucard624 Omen IV: The Awakening WAS made-for-TV rubbish. However, the 2006 remake of the original, as far as I'm concerned, was a moribund copycat attempt that demonstrated no improvement whatsoever from the original.
Gregory Peck suffered a real life tragedy around this time which would've made this part especially hard for him. Spooky film with a lot of bizarre occurences that happened during it's production. Well worth looking into.
The fact Peck even took this role was kinda odd considering he was not known for doing horror and such. I do recommend watching The Boys From Brazil though where he plays Mengele. He was damn good in that part.
The priest is Patrick Troughton ( the second Dr Who )
They originally were going to kill Damien, but Gregory Peck, whose son committed suicide not too long before, refused to film that ending so they changed it to Damien lives.
I saw "The Exorcist" in a theater when it came out. I was 13, but back then in the town I lived you could forge a note from your parents saying it's okay for you to see a rated "R" movie and they'd let you in. I wish I hadn't done that. That movie scared me more than I thought possible.
Big shout out to the great Billie Whitelaw as Mrs Baylock, superb actress. Loved the reaction.
The terrifying "Ave Satani" music by Goldsmith won the Oscar that year.
I doubt safari parks have changed that much since the 70s apart from health and safety for humans (animals cant afford decent lawyers). Windsor Safari Park is now Legoland Windsor and the next Omen remake, "Lego The Omen" sees the animals fall to pieces when Damien arrives. He doesnt fully escape though, receiving a huge circular bump on his head.
I’m so glad they’re watching this
Richard Donner, the directed this movie. He also did the first SUPERMAN and the LETHAL WEAPON movies. Than sadly, he passed away. Great guy and a great director. R.I.P. Richard . You are missed 😢
I haven't seen the remake, but I do recommend you continue with the sequel, Damien: Omen II.
Remake sucks compared to this one..
Gregory Peck took this role to distract himself from his real-life losses - his son had just died (suicide), and Richard Donner came to him with this role thinking the content and performance would be cathartic for him. The production was fraught with many curiosities - Peck's plane was struck by lightning, and a crew member's wife died in a car crash near a mile marker for the city of Omman.
Father Brennan is played by Patrick Troughton, the actor who played the Second Doctor in Doctor Who.
The Seventh Sign (1988) is a great heaven/hell mystery film with a great cast.
At age 18 I got home from work at about 12:30 am. I sat down and saw this movie was on. I had never seen it. HUGE MISTAKE. At that time of the morning alone in the dark, this was more disturbing to me than the exorcist!!
The dog is a hound from hell! He won't hurt Damian. He's there to also keep Damian safe!
It is the skeleton of the Jackal, an animal.
I think the dogs are the hounds of hell. Great movie and soundtrack movie score. I was 10 yrs ld in 1976. I do remember it. They were not so strict back then about ages to movies. The music scared the crap out of me and Mrs. Baylock and the dogs...
That nanny gave me so many childhood nightmares.
The singing/chanting in Latin still gives me the chills.
I am thrilled that you two watched this. I'm not sure how scared you might have been but you were definitely shocked and it showed.
That nanny haunted me when I was younger. Those eyes
I am a fan of all three of the Omen movies. I won't give anything away so I really hope you watch the other 2. I have seen the remake and as much as I love this movie I really didn't give the new one a fair chance.
As much as I have pushed for this I hope I'm to blame, lol, and I hope you have penciled in the other suggestions.
Take care and enjoy the rest of your weekend!
You have to watch 'Damien: Omen II' as it is fantastic and picks up the story a week after Roberts death here.
Just imagine these Horror Films on a 25 foot by 45 foot Theater Screen... with Hundreds of Others... In the Dark...
The Omen was directed by my friend Dick Donner...who went on to direct the original Superman, The Goonies and all of the Lethal Weapon films along with a lot of other great films.. Such a great director and a great guy.
He was your friend? For real? I love his Superman movies! I'm still completely head over heels in love with Christopher Reeve 😍🫠
He directed a lot of television too, including the Twilight Zone. Great director.
THE OMEN TRILOGY.....absolute great movies and the music so good (great composer Jerry Goldsmith)
Fun fact: Billie Whitelaw (Mrs Baylock) was also in that film ‘Hot Fuzz’ as Joyce Cooper.
We still have safari parks like that in the UK! Not that one, I think it closed down in the 80s, but other ones. You can drive your car through enclosures with lions, tigers, bears, wolves and monkeys roaming around. I've had monkeys climbing on my car!
The actor William Holden was asked to play the Gregory Peck role before Peck, but he didn't want to do a horror film. After the success of this film, he was more then ready to accept being in The Omen 2...which he was
I want to thank you and congratulate you both for being the first to do a review on this classic movie ! I’ve been asking other people for years to do a review on the Omen but no one would ever listen to my request ! I definitely recommend that you follow up with the sequels to the original Omen . There are 3 sequels and one remake ! Also the director of the Omen was Richard Donner who also directed the Lethal Weapon movies with Mel Gibson !
There was no widespread cable tv at this time. The movie was aired on broadcast tv 2 years after it was in the theater. Only a slight edit to the decapitation scene. We saw it as a family. Oh crap. I was 8. The music was terrifying all by itself. Now add a strange, threatening idea. Yeah. That. KINDERTRAUMA!
Jerry Goldsmith's wonderful score won an Academy Award .
The music score won an oscar btw
The sequels are quite good, Omen 2 and Final Conflict each have their positives.
That skewered priest also stars is one of the doctors. You know Doctor Who
Omen II covers Damien as an older child, and is my favourite, Omen III covers Damien as an adult, but is the weaker of the three, but still worth watching to close the story out.
I've been waiting for this one girls. This one is a classic!
Definitely check out 2. It is a worthy successor. Damien comes of age in a military school and finally understands and embraces his destiny. Just like Peck, they bring in a veteran actor (William Holden) who does an excellent job as a rich industrialist older brother to Thorn who adopts Damian.
For more intense thrills with Gregory Peck, may I recommend the original Cape Fear. Really creepy and atmospheric from the get-go. It's not quite perfect, but it's one of those "wtf, I didn't know Hollywood could go this hard in the early 60s" kind of experiences. The Martin Scorsese remake is also excellent, different enough to make both of them worth the watch.
I read the novel and it is much better explained. Girls, I saw that it was not clear to you about the graves, the jackal is literally Damian's mother, Thorn's son is the corpse next to the grave. In the novel, the priest who warns Thorn about Damian was a satanist and was the one who killed his son, but out of remorse and to save his soul, he warns Thorn everything and reveals everything about the antichrist and his followers except that he murdered his son, the reason the body is there is because of a ritual they did. Budenhaiden, the person who had the daggers, is a descendant of a group of people who managed to prevent the birth of the Antichrist on two occasions, however he failed on that occasion and out of fear he did not dare to leave the catacombs since he was safe there. influenza or evil powers of Satan
I love the Steley duo, their reactions together are amazing.
Favorite movie of all time. And part 2. Both arms sleeved out in these movies. I love when that dedicated nanny bossed herself out the window; loyalty is everything after all. Fyi, people died while making this movie, during and after. One guy got killed by a tiger at that zoo the day after the baboon scene, the guy who was in charge of the baboon scene itself lmao. I forget the details of all the weird things that took place during the making of this film......Gregory Peck cancelled a flight to get to filming and the people who took the same plane got on the plane the same day and died in a crash.....Peck had already had a plane get struck by lightning, as did the director I believe.
Great reaction! I definitely recommend watching the 1978 remake of "Invasion Of The Body Snatchers" starring Donald Sutherland, Veronica Cartwright ("Alien") and a young Jeff Goldblum in one of his first movies. This film is very intense, creepy and atmospheric and is an example of a remake done right.
Totally agree. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978 version) has the same creepy atmosphere and growing sense of dread as this one. And it unfolds as an intriguing mystery, just like The Omen. I think you two would love it!
The original was also very good.
no, no, the original first and then, if you want, the remake
I think the 1978 version is far superior to the original (which seems kind of corny today). But that's just my opinion.
David Warner, who plays the photographer, passed away last year. He is also in Time After Time, about HG Wells following Jack the Ripper to 1970s San Francisco. I HIGHLY recommend it
It was on tonight on the Turner Movie Channel.
I love that Bugenhagen is also Rumpole of the Bailey!
One of my favourite horror films. The Omen trilogy as a whole is very good. Avoid the tv movie Omen 4 as it is absolutely terrible, but nothing to do with the first three films.
I like the 3rd one because it introduced us to Sam Neill.
I agree the trilogy is all solid. My favorite is the second.
The Omen 4 it's not Damien it's his daughter
Omen 2 is great in my opinion. It follows this story. Omen 3 follows after 2 but isn't quite as good but if you enjoy the first two the sense of completion is nice.
Damien: Omen II is a remarkable follow-up to this film, that only three reactors I know of have ever reacted to. It follows Damien's awakening, to who he is, and his learning to cope with the idea as an adolescent just reaching puberty. I think you would be missing out on something if you didn't react to it. Omen III: The Final Conflict, while boasting a fine performance from Sam Neill in an early role, is somewhat disappointing as a climax to the trilogy - I have rarely rewatched that.
Entirely forgettable, since I have forgotten everything but a few images in the time since I've seen it, is the 2006 remake. I'd definitely not recommend that.
Just to let you know how far back I go.., when I first saw this movie with my family back in '76, it was in a "drive-in" theater. I was very little too (why my parents thought that was an appropriate "family" movie is beyond me, LOL), and I still remembered being terrified, lol. That drive-in theater soon after became Sunrise Multiplex Theaters off the sunrise highway in NY (which I I'm not sure even exists anymore today; I haven't lived in NYC for many years now).
This film so great. 🎶ava🎵. The devil dogs. That scene with the nanny in Damiens room. If Gregory Peck is afraid, then you should be as well
My older cousins put me to watch this movie when I was about 2 to 3 years old. I was born in 1975. Then Alien. I remember this movie so well. I think I still have mental health issues because of it, especially because of the nanny killing herself, and jumping like that. I was of the age of those kids.
Omen 2 is worth your time. I was really young when I watched this. I was at my grandmother's old house. I watched with a bunch of adults. They didn't care. As an only child, my experience was different. You kind of wanted a dog that would protect you at all cost and as creepy as the nanny was, I kind of understood where she was coming from: people will try to kill this kid as he is too different, so she was going to protect him until her death. Was I scared of Damien? sure. Of the vibes of the movie and death scenes? Yeah. But I kind of saw the other side, you know? It's not like he chose to be different, it's not like he chose to be the heir to the prince of darkness.
Fun fact: Cerveteri is actually a real place about 50 kilometers northwest of Rome with an Etruscan necropolis. If you look at recent pictures of the place it resembles the movie setting very well.
This was the first time I (and a lot of others) had seen a Rottweiler. I remember thinking, "My God, what kind of dog is that?!?" Rottweilers were not a greatly-known breed in 1976. One of the most effectively-scary soundtracks ever.
I did this reaction for you Damien 😂..excellent reaction to a Classic...all of the original sequels are very good 😎
I watched these films on VHS in the early 80's. I would have been a young teenager. I also read the books then, as I went through a phase of reading occult books, including the Exorcist. Definitely watch the 2 sequels, I did watch the remake, and it didn't leave me feeling the same as the original. There's a scene in Damien The Omen 2, that has stayed with me throughout my life, my worst fear, I've seen it in other films since and while it's horrible, none of them left me as disturbed as the Omen 2 scene.
I don't really blame the kid...that's about how I feel about churches.
Me and my wife watched this back-to-back with The Exorcist a few Easters ago...we should make it a yearly thing. Incidentally, the photographer has it backwards-the word "Armageddon" comes from the name Megiddo, not vice-versa.
Trust me girls : you must go for the secuel ; and if you still feel interested, then you have the last one "The final conflict".
The remake won't give you anything.
Richard Donner directed this movie. He was one of the greatest film makers of all time! Just go threw his all films. Everyone knows "Superman", "The Goonies" & "Lethal Weapon,1,2,3,4". A favorite of mine I know you Two would like is "Ladyhawke"(1985). A cool Medieval, Sword & Magic movie with a very one of a kind love story.
LOVE this film, and I really enjoyed you both as reactors and your commentary. Why should they guys have all the fun. Yes, see Omen 2!
I love how Stella was vibing with the music at times. The music in the 2nd movie is even more fuego...
You two are a wonderful addition to the reaction channel! 💕💕 keep up the great work!
There were articles talking about how people were fainting during the screening of this and the Exorcist. I was too young to see it, so watched a midnight screening years later. Trying to remake this movie well today would, I think, be impossible. Much in the vein of the Psycho, they tried, but it was a failure.
As a kid in the 70's we lived less than 5 miles from 'Lion Country Safari'. They had to close it down because of lawsuits. A bunch of people were maimed or killed by the animals. I saw this film as a kid and it probably scared me more than Texas Chainsaw Massacre which I saw a couple years earlier as a very young kid.
18:12 - Now that's how snooker SHOULD be played!
The movies are
Ths Omen (1976)
Damien: Omen II (1978)
Omen III: Final Conflict (1981)
*This one actually stars Sam Neill as an adult Damien*
Omen IV: The Awakening (1991)
Another great horror movie of the ‘70s is The Sentinel with Christina Rains in the lead. Well developed characters and a real creepy feel!
Just stopped by to say thx for enjoying The Omen 1976.
It’s nice to see the younger generation appreciate a classic film.
We were there in theaters..
It’s a great film, sold as a suspense film, not horror ( which is way the great actor Gregory Peck took the role). Thx for the respect.
Watching you guys react was fun. FYI, I saw an uncut version before release that was terrifying. This film was so successful the director was hired to direct "Superman" with Chris Reeve. Jerry Goldsmith, my favorite composer, won his only Oscar for The Omen's music. Forget about seeing the remake, they used the exact same script, but they did include a scene cut out of the original concerning the nanny's death. Love this movie.
This was a lot of fun thanks!
I recommend watching "The Changeling" from 1980, a captivating blend of mystery, thriller, and ghostly elements starring George C. Scott. Prepare yourself for an incredibly chilling scene featuring a bouncing ball that will leave you terrified
Incredible movie! Excellent recommendation
Love these girls reactions and how they sit wide eyed and open mouthed at the shock parts. Brilliant😮.
Loved your commentary, especially your sympathy for the mother :-) I had forgotten David Warner played the photographer. He's in a great sci-fi/thriller/fantasy Time After Time (1979) also stars Malcolm McDowell and Mary Steenburgen. Well worth a watch for a 70s thriller with a twist!
the mother's turmoil is very underrated in this movie- it's a huge deal to the psychological nature. the first time i saw this, I remember focusing on her and feeling that same despair.
AWESOME Academy Award winning Jerry Goldsmith composed score. Orchestrated by Arthur Morton. Conducted by Lionel Newman. Performed by The National Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus.
Glad you enjoyed The Omen guys. Definitely watch The Omen II and if you fancy trying something a tad different give The Wicker Man (1973) a go (but never never go near the Nicholas Cage remake) 🥰
The trilogy is pretty solid overall
The kid's name is Damien -> Demon, was born at 6:AM, on 6th June 😅 and the church didn't notice that at all.
the second one is creepy as well ( the omen 2 , 1978) .
I like the 3d one less but the movie itself is creepy asf.
all these movies are worth a watch . i heard the remakes are just carbon copies but since i haven't watched them i can't say for myself .
The music makes this movie period and it totally earned it's Oscar win. =)
The decapitation scene was one of the first on screen decaps on the big screen. They slowed it down so that audiences who covered their eyes would see the head still horrifically flying when they opened them back up. This apparently worked! XD
My favorite out of all of these “Omen” movies is “Good Omen” 🤣 it’s just different you know 🤣 it’s the same story but different and also fun 🤣
Ah the good old days when you could keep 6 antique daggers in your lap on a flight from Rome to London with no questions asked.
Well to be fair it is a private plane and people carry a lot worse things on those, especially in the 70's!
When Damien was lost for a minute at the beginning, “ Did you lose your kid?” “Come on guys” Spoken like people who are not parents 😂😂😂
Ooof lol
I’ve seen this movie dozens of times (it ran almost non-stop on HBO after it’s initial release) and I still get stressed every time I watch it
fun fact: a year after production wrapped, the production designer in charge of the David Warner decapitation scene, had a car crash in Holland. His girlfriend went through the windscreen. She was decapitated. The designer was also thrown from the car and hit a road sign: he was 66km...from Omen, Holland.
I've been watching various first-time viewings of this movie and I must say that I enjoyed your reactions of shock, astonishment, and horror. I'm guessing you were both very young when the 2006 remake was released.
I was 9 years old when this movie hit the theatres and I first saw it on television four years later. However, I did come across a copy of the book before that. I was intrigued by the stills from the movie. It looked like an intriguing suspense thriller type of story, but when I saw the movie for the first time, I got a lot more than I bargained for! The scene of the nanny giving Damien her own unique 'birthday present' to him just blew me away. That was the moment I knew this movie meant business! Now approaching fifty years after its release, The Omen continues to demonstrate solid shock value.
I am pleased that, upon viewing The Omen, that you appreciate the fact that good movies do not require the flexing of special effects muscles, or a stream of filthy language in order for a movie to be worth watching. All you need to do is give the viewer the ingredients of a truly good movie: a good, well-paced story, a solid cast, credible performances and an intriguing plot.
One of you touches on a couple of key points. One, I still don't believe there has never been a more potent soundtrack in the history of cinema than Jerry Goldsmith's brilliancy for this movie and two, yes, it so happens Gregory Peck turned 60 the same year the movie was released.
One thing i love about this is it's entirely possible to watch it from the perspective of it all just being a bunch of coincidences and everyone except Damien is mad and none of it is real.
Can never watch this film too many times:have seen many times on TV and on reactions on TH-cam (for once I didn't see on original release as only 7 when it came out)🎩