The Omen

“He’s killed once, he’ll kill again. He’ll kill until everything that’s yours is his”

• Title: The Omen
• Director: Richard Donner
• Release date: 6th June 1976

If this cult classic taught me anything, it’s that I am never going to name my future son Damien!

Named as the 6^th highest-grossing film of 1976, this classic horror tells the tale of US ambassador Robert Thorn (played by Gregory Peck, best known for his role as Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird) as he and his wife (Lee Anne Remick), unbeknown to them, begin to raise the prophesied antichrist.

Claimed by some to be inferior to classics of the time such as The Exorcist, to me The Omen stands strong amongst the horror movie classics as a must-watch for any lover of the genre.

One key message in the film was that Father Brennan (Patrick Troughton) said the prophesied antichrist would arise through a political background. It makes you wonder whether we are seeing this plot come to pass in the modern-day, because I could definitely name a few politicians that fit the bill!

As one of my favourite horror films, for anyone who has not seen The Omen, I suggest you get the popcorn out and turn the TV on imminently. Filled with gory deaths and a storyline cold enough to give you shivers The Omen will forever be a favourite of mine.

Directed by Richard Donner, known for his creations such as The Goonies, Scrooged and Superman: The Movie, he went to extreme lengths to make this film seems as authentic as possible.

This is shown through the production of the famous “safari scene”. The night before filming the baboons were not fed to make them more aggressive. Additionally, when the scene was shot a zookeeper sat in the car with two baby baboons in the hopes that it would encourage the adult baboons to lash out at the vehicle as they were separated from their youth.

This technique certainly added to the scene as even as a viewer, I was frightened! Turns out so too was Lee Anne Remick, as her real screams of fear were included in the final cut. She definitely had a right to be afraid as days later the handler of the baboons was mauled to death whilst working in the tiger cage.

Another strange coincidence was that the crew hired a plane to take some aerial shots but had to switch due to a clash on their schedule. The same plane ended up crashing, killing every passenger…

After watching the film, it makes you wonder, was the antichrist at work in making the plot play out during production?

So, if you too are a horror film fanatic and you have not seen The Omen, I suggest you do so before we have a serious problem on our hands…