Jeri Jacquin
Currently in an amazing box set from Scream Factory is the return of the child terror brought on by THE OMEN.
In 1976, theatre goers were introduced to someone they had never seen brought to the screen before. A little boy named Damien Thorn (Harvey Stephens) and that name strikes terror in more than one film. Director Richard Donner brought the story to life as US Ambassador Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck) and his wife Katherine (Lee Remick) have a good life. Wanting a child after a tragedy while in Italy, a priest gives them a healthy baby boy who lost his mother.
Tragedy seems to follow the couple as their nanny suddenly dies and Mrs. Baylock (Billie Whitelaw) arrives to take care of young Damien. As more mysterious events occur, Thorn is approached by Father Brennan (Patrick Troughton) who tries to explain that Damien is something inhuman. By now Katherine has become suspicious of her son and discovering she is pregnant, fears for them all.
Photographer Keith Jennings (David Warner) also tells Thorn that something is amiss in their family. Going to Rome to discover the boy's parentage, the mystery intensifies as the men discover that the records burned in a fire and hurt a priest. As the story becomes clearer and clearer, life at home is becoming more and more dangerous. It is when a man name Bugenhagen (Leo McKern) tells Thorn everything and how to make it stop, does a father decide what he is able to do to and for his son.
The Special Features of the Bluray include 4K Remaster of the Film from the Original Negative, New Interviews with Author David Seltzer and Actress Holly Palance and more, Audio Commentary with Director Richard Donner and Editor Stuart Baird, Audio Commentary with Richard Donner and Filmmaker Brian Helgeland, Audio Commentary with Film Historians Lem Dobbs, Nick Redman and Jeff Bond, Isolated Score, Introduction by Richard Donner, Theatrical Trailer, TV Spot, Radio Spots, Still Gallery and more!
In DAMIEN OMEN II (1978) directed by Don Taylor and Mike Hodges, Damien (Jonathan Scott-Taylor) is now thirteen and living with his uncle Richard Thorn (William Holden), aunt Ann (Lee Grant) and cousin Mark (Lucas Donat). It is also a time that Damien begins to feel as if there is something he isn't being told. At school Sgt. Neff (Lance Henriksen) starts to guide Damien and at Thorn Industries, Paul Buher (Robert Foxworth) leans towards the best interests of Damien.
Someone who is keeping an eye on the boy is Charles Warren (Nicholas Pryor). When he discovers information about Damien, he tries desperately to reach out to Richard to prove that Damien is behind all the mysterious things that continue to happen. Seeing for himself, Richard now knows that his own family is in danger. He also understands what really happened to his brother Robert all those years ago.
The problem is that Damien now understands who he is and how much power he has to wield and that means everyone is in danger!
The Special Features of this Bluray include New Interviews with Actors Lee Grant, Robert Foxworth and Elizabeth Shepherd, New Audio Commentary with Special Project Consultant Scott Michael Bosco, Audio Commentary with Producer Harvey Bernhard, Theatrical Trailer, TV Spot, Radio Spot and Still Gallery.
THE OMEN III: The Final Conflict (1981) is the third film directed by Graham Baker and looks at Damien (Sam O'Neill) as an adult now running Thorn Industries. In this film, Damien has an agenda but so does a group of monks led by Father DeCarlo who know who he is and using the Seven Daggers of Megiddo to stop him. He also has learned that the Christ-child has been born again and he puts in motion a horrific plan to stop him from seeing adulthood.
Kate Reynolds (Lisa Harrow) is a Mom to son Peter (Barnaby Holm) and journalist who begins an affair with Damien. He is charming to both of them but there is something that isn't quite right and she is determined to find out what it is not knowing the danger she is in. Peter has become enthralled with Damien and becomes his informant to make sure everyone is being loyal to him.
It all comes to a final confrontation but one is stronger than the other!
OMEN IV: The Awakening (1991) directed by Jorge Montesi and Dominique Othenin-Girard if the final film of the series. Congressman Gene York (Michael Woods) and wife Karen (Faye Grant) go to an orphanage to adopt a child they so desperately want. Naming her Delia, one sister is particularly upset when the child leaves.
At home it is almost immediate that mysterious things begins to happen but the couple is trying not to let it interfere with their happiness at having a child. Years later a dog named Ryder befriends and becomes protective of young Delia (Asia Vieira) and the two become inseparable. It is also about the time that things begin to happen that Delia's doctor blame on her going through puberty.
Karen isn't exactly happy with Delia's rude and rough behavior towards almost everyone. The school and other parents constantly come to the parents with problems and are met with Delia's tearful explanation that the accusations aren't true. Exhausted all the time, Karen hires Jo (Ann Hearn) and the young woman wants to be a friend to Delia but is met with resistance. Giving Delia a gift of healing stones, Jo is shocked to see that every one of them turns black!
As the happenings become darker and more dangerous, Karen discovers she is pregnant and something tells her that Delia isn't going to let the child be born. Husband Gene doesn't understand how she could ever believe that but puts it all on the stress of his wife's pregnancy. Karen takes it a step further by hiring a private investigator to discover who Delia's parents are. Detective Knight (Michael Lerner) finds the upset nun Sister Yvonne (Meghan Leicht) but horror breaks out leaving him to discover newspaper clippings that are shocking.
The birth of the York's son Alexander brings more intensity for Karen but when she finally puts the pieces together, what she discovers is horrifying.
The Special Features of this Bluray include New Interview with Writer Brian Taggert, 666: The Omen Revealed Documentary and Still Gallery.
THE OMEN rebooted in 2006 directed by David Seltzer with Liv Schreiber as Robert Thorn, Julia Stiles as Katherine Thorn, Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick as Damien and Mia Farrow as Mrs. Baylock. Although an updated cast, the story remains reminiscent of the original 1976 film but with political implications at the end of who is holding little Damien's hand.
The Special Features of this Bluray include Audio Commentary with Director John Moore, Producer Glenn Williamson and Editor Dan Zimmerman, "Abbey Road Sessions" Featurette, "Revelations 666" Featurette, Unrated Extended Scenes and Extended Ending.
SHOUT! Factory has grown into a tremendous multi-platform media company. Releasing new animated features such as the exquisite Long Way North, and the epic fantasy Beauty And The Beast. Also their own original horror film, Fender Bender gives fans a good scare. For more of what SHOUT Factor has to offer please visit www.shoutfactory.com.
This is an awesome collection of films beginning with the original THE OMEN. The films brought about a healthy fear of a little kid and continued it all the way to adulthood and beyond. Damien Thorn begins as a child who has a look that scared everybody to a teenager who tests his abilities on anyone he wants to and an adult who seems to have no conscience. Changing things up with THE OMEN: Awakenings brings even more twists letting us all know that the fear didn't die!
Each film picks up with the powers of Damien and those who try to get in his way. This is the ultimate good versus evil collection of films with each racing against forces they cannot see but still driving themselves forward to finish what Thorn started in 1976. THE OMEN was so well done that even when I saw them in the 70's the question became 'when will the next film come with answers?' The funny thing about that is we didn't get all the answers we wanted but sure went on the ride none the less.
Now, Scream Factory brings together all of THE OMEN films so that a late night, lights off, popcorn full and couches comfy kind of binging that is worth every minute. It was fun for me to revisit the films and I'm thinking it's going to be a yearly spooky marathon. It is a box set worthy of its own place in anyone's home entertainment library.
In the end - we have been warned time and time again!
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