The Omen

I finally saw this very old and very famous horror movie and wasn’t disappointed.

As everyone probably knows, it’s the story of a couple whose son might not be the sweet little boy everyone imagines him to be.  Little by little, his father begins to understand that something is not quite right, prodded by a priest who’s trying his best to warn him of the impeding disaster looming over his family.

Gregory Peck in the role of the father is very good, as is Lee Remick as his wife.  The kid is played very eerily by Harvey Stephens, whose only other acting credit in a movie is for a cameo in the recent remake of The Omen itself.

This is a very good movie that reminds you that there was a time when producers and studios were more concerned for the movie in question than for what it could spawn in terms of sequels,  prequels, or merchandising.  In fact, I was quite shocked and incredulous when the end of the movie set up what we nowadays would immediately think of as the sequel (coming soon to a theater near you) even though that never happened.  It was simply the very effective and appropriate end for that film.

How revolutionarily refreshing!!

Grade: 8