An old film from the 1970s that has had great influence on my life was THE OMEN, directed by Richard Donner. Richard Donner directed this little horror film on a very 'matter of fact' basis, allowing doubt to rule with the main characters, who do not know what is happening to them when all these weird things are happening around their (adopted) son.
THE OMEN was fortunate to have stars like Gregory Peck and Lee Remick in it. These big name stars made it possible to believe in this little story, that was written by David Seltzer. It might also be due to the music by JERRY GOLDSMITH (who won his only Oscar for this film score) that the film even now manages to scare you half to death.
Gregory Peck was at his peak of his career with this film. Even though he plays an ambassador, Robert Thorn, he makes you believe he is just a normal man, like you and me, to whom strange things are happening. Thorn's apparent lack of religion also had him doubt his own efficiency and influenced his behavior that he does not know which action would be best to take.
Lee Remick, Kathy Thorn, who did not know that Damien is not her true son, was even more the victim of the story as she was attacked by manic apes in the zoo, pushed off a balcony from her home and finally killed in the hospital by Ms. Baylock, Damien's nanny.
David Warner played Keith Jennings, a photographer who was the first person to encounter strange things happening around the Thorns. He persuaded Robert Thorn to join him in his research but finally lost his life in a spectacular beheading in Jerusalem.
Harvey Stephens played the young Damien. Interestingly enough, he seems never to have acted again in other productions. He was selected by Richard Donner even though he was originally a blonde boy. But his hair was quickly enough died black.
A very interesting secondary poster design that seems to have been forgotten. THE OMEN was produced by Harvey Bernhard and Mace Neufeld and as soon as it was clear that THE OMEN was a box office hit, they immediately continued with a sequel : DAMIEN OMEN II.
DAMIEN OMEN II was originally to be directed by Mike Hodges but Hodges and Neufeld and Bernhard did not see eye to eye and so he was fired before he had directed anything at all. Don Taylor took over and directed the film with a lot less imagination. In this film, Damien, played by a young teenager Jonathan Scott Taylor, was to find out at age 13 that he was the son of the devil. Having lived with his aunt and uncle (Lee Grant and William Holden) all this time, things again start to act up weirdly when Damien finds out who he is supposed to become while on military academy. He was supported by a loyal group of acolytes and teachers, who helped him thru difficult transitions but in all, DAMIEN OMEN II was not the film its predecessor was,
William Holden played the brother of the late Robert Thorn and had taken in Damien as his own. He and his wife (Lee Grant) had raised Damien with their own son Marc as their own. But also Holden and Grant's characters ultimately found out there is more to Damien than meets the eye.
Jonathan Scott Taylor as the teenaged Damien, studying at the military academy where Sergeant Daniel Neff taught him about what there would be in store for him later.
Daniel Neff was played by a young Lance Henriksen, who would later go on to play Bishop in James Cameron's ALIENS. (Also interestingly, Jonathan Scott Taylor has not been heard from since.) If it were not for the excellent music by JERRY GOLDSMITH, who upgraded and updated his original OMEN themes to a new level of terror, DAMIEN OMEN II would easily be forgotten, but then the third film THE FINAL CONFLICT, directed by Robin Graham Baker in 1981, is a small masterpiece again.
In THE FINAL CONFLICT, Damien Thorn was 30 years old and had come to the top of THORN INDUSTRIES. If he played his game well, he might well go for the US Presidency but there were still those who would thwart him. When a spectacular astronomical alignment of stars took place, the prophecies spoke of the second coming of Christ, which disturbed Damien greatly.
It was ultimately the personal interest of Damien in a female reporter that would lead to his undoing. But his appeal was unmistakable as he had a great influence over many, many younger people. Including the reporter's son, Peter, who would have followed Damien everywhere if not for his mother. The poor lad was a sacrificial lamb, just before Damien was killed.
Sam Neill, a young New Zealand actor who would later be famous for REILLY, played Damien with gusto and appeal. He made Damien as an evil force look sexy and cool. THE FINAL CONFLICT had a better story than the second film and JERRY GOLDSMITH again scored it, this time however with very impressive newly scored thematic material.
Mace Neufeld however did not know when enough was enough and produced one more OMEN film, which was ultimately only shown as a television movie: OMEN IV: THE AWAKENING, in which the female reporter would ultimately have Damien's daughter, with whom the cycle would again continue. But the less said about this disastrous movie, the better.
Several attempts have been made to bring us another version of the franchise but so far to no success or merit. Just for the record, Sam Neill went on to have a very good career. From REILLY, he auditioned for James Bond but did not get that part. He did go on to JURASSIC PARK with Steven Spielberg and IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS with John Carpenter, THE PIANO, EVENT HORIZON, JURASSIC PARK III, as well as lots of interesting television work.
