Review for

The Omen
http://www.ram.org/ramblings/movies/the_omen.html

/The Omen/ series of books was one of the first ones I ever read, when I was a young kid. I remember the books were quite frightening, even more so than /The Exorcist/. The films don't disappoint in this regard.

/The Omen/ starts when a baby is born of a jackal, the isolated one, who replaces the real child of Robert (Gregory Peck) and Katherine (Lee Remick) Thorn. Christened Damien (Harvey Stephens), he grows up into a relatively cute kid watched over a ferocious dog who ensures that he is protected. His first "killing" occurs when his nurse needs to be replaced by an agent of evil, Mrs. Baylock (Billie Whitelaw). Later, his adopted mother who suspects the truth about his birth, is killed by his caretaker. Finally it's up to Robert Thorn to rectify the situation; the question is whether he can do it effectively. He is aided by an intrepid photographer, Keith Jennings (David Warner), who knows that he is high on Damien's enemies list .

In a way, the /The Omen/ predated the clever slash-and-gore flicks. The primary difference is that instead of a psychopathic human killer, or even a made-up monster, we have evil incarnate, Satan himself. He is reborn in human form, dispatching those who get in his way, one by one, in novel and innovative ways.

The acting by Peck is classy and everyone else, including the child actor, Harvey Stephens, do a good job. The cinematography, the score, and the pacing is excellent, resulting in a heightened sense of suspense. /The Omen/ is definitely a classic horror film that is worth a rental anytime.

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