The Omen: Review By Vamp

This is possibly one of the most creepy, and intense movies that I have ever witnessed in my entire life. It still, to this day, gives me the chills. It's also one of my favorite movies ever.

The director of this film and master visionist is Richard Donner. Richard Donner has given us so many good movies throughout the years, but it is my solid opinion that this is by far the most complex, and the most notorious films of his. Possibly even his best one. He works together with writer David Seltzer, they bring the most terrifying movie of all time since The Exorcist.

The visuals in this movie are some that I find to be incredibly stunning for a movie of it's age and released in such a time. The angles used for the different scenes, and the filters, really add that eerie and spooky feel to the movie, and that's what makes it all the more creepy. Plus, the scene where the car is hoarded on by baboons is one that is incredibly realistic as well as when Mr. Thorn is attacked by the rabbid dogs. It all makes the movie that much more spooky.

The storyline of this movie is one that is incredibly original, and that also makes it spookier for some reason. It's a very gripping, fast-paced, and terrifying movie. When things start to quiet down again, you begin to think, "What will happen next?" Then it happens, and you must calm yourself down. It's just so gripping it makes you want to grab a bible. It's one that definitely had me going, and all jumpy when I first watched it. It really is a masterpiece.

Gregory Peck stars in this movie as Robert Thorn, the American ambassador to Italy. He has wealth, power, and seemingly everything he'd need. Him and his wife, Katherine, are pretty much on top of the world. When the movie begins you're in a hospital, and you find out that Robert and Katherine have lost the one thing that they did not have, and that they wanted most, a child. However, a mysterious priest gives them an offer. A child was born whose mother died in child birth, and who had no other family. They would switch the records and then the Thorn child would not have died. Robert accepts this offer, and decides it's best to act like everything is normal and he keeps it from his wife. As Damien grows weird things happen around him. A nanny hangs herself at Damien's birthday party claiming to do it all for him. Soon though, Robert Thorn has second thoughts, and digging farther into mysteries, being confronted by a strange priest, he begins to believe that his son is the literal antichrist, and he must now find the legends out and figure out how to stop the madness. Gregory Peck does a magnificent job in this movie, and he does excellent at portraying the struggles that his character goes through as he begins to realize the truth. His performance surely adds greatly to the intensity of the movie.

Lee Remick stars in this movie as Katherine Thorn, the wife of Robert Thorn. Katherine is a woman who has wealth and power and a child, and that is all she's ever wanted in the world. Damien is her life and she loves him to death. However, she does not know his secret, the secret that Robert keeps from her. Soon strange and bizzare things start to happen, and it all seems to happen because of Damien. His nanny hangs herself at his birthday all for him, she says, and this scares Katherine like none other. Soon at a trip to The Zoo, the car is attacked by furious baboons, and she begins to realize that Damien has something to do with this. She starts to estrange herself from him, especially after an attempted trip to church, where Damien throws a fit and scratches her badly. Then while watering plants around Damien, she falls from the second story and injures herself terribly. This is her last straw, and she will have nothing more to do with Damien. Lee Remick does excellent in this movie. Her strongsuit is the way she makes the changes in emotion and feelings that her character goes through. She does it exceptionally and was definitely a great choice for this movie.

Billie Whitelaw plays the mysterious nanny replacement Mrs. Baylock. Mrs. Baylock shows up almost immediately after the nanny hangs herself. She has everything in order, and seems to be a generally responsible and nice nanny. The only thing weird is that she did not call ahead and schedule an appointment. She also doesn't wait for an answer of acceptance for the job. She immediately scopes out Damien, and they seem to get along just fine. She seems to be the perfect nanny. She does everything that is asked of her and more. Except, like Damien, strange things begin to happen around her. A mysterious dog shows up, and when she is ordered to have it taken away, she argues, and when she cannot win, she accepts, but ignores the request. Also, when Katherine tells her that she won't be needed, and that she is taking Damien to church, Mrs. Baylock argues. She is a very mysterious woman with many secrets indeed. Billie Whitelaw does an excellent job in this movie. She does incredibly well at playing a creepy and strange lady, and it really adds more to the intesity of this movie. She was a great choice for the cast.

Harvey Stephens, who hasn't done many movies at all, stars in this movie as young Damien. The center of everything in the movie. He seems like an innocent child. He seems to be the perfect child, but he just has that creepiness to him, and it's what makes the movie so creepy, to believe that this child, this innocent boy, is the cause of so much trouble, and the source of so much evil. Harvey Stephens does an excellent job in this movie, even if he doesn't have a single line. It's all in the facial expressions, and he does it exceptionally, he was another great cast choice as well.

All in all this is one of the greatest movies of our time, and if you haven't seen it yet, then you have absolutely no idea what you are missing. It's definitely a must buy movie, and it's full of thrills and chills. It's definitely one to add to your collection!!!!!