The Omen received countless accolades upon its release in 1976 and for good reason: it is one of the best antichrist (and creepy kid) movies of all time. There are superb performances by Gregory Peck, a young Harvey Stephens (as Damien), and Billie Whitelaw (whose portrayal of Ms. Baylock earned her a BAFTA nomination). The film garnered praise for its technical achievements including the Academy Award for its impressive score. It also gained a deal of notoriety for its gruesome imagery, including a scene in which a nanny hangs herself at a childrens birthday party as well as a visceral decapitation. With all of that in mind, one might suspect that Richard Donner was a horror man through and through but a quick perusal of his imdb page refutes that idea entirely. Donner is best known for his superhero movies (Superman), action comedies (all four Lethal Weapons!), and coming-of-age kids movies (The Goonies!). He worked in television for nearly two decades before The Omen made him a star, and he also had a sprinkling of cult favorites after (Scrooged, Ladyhawke). Thats a lot of range for one guy, but his eclectic choices did nothing to diminish the brilliance of each entry and his one foray into horror stands up with the best of them.
Joe Sippy grew up in Chicago and now resides in Los Angeles. He enjoys corn dogs, rap music, and horror movies. On weekends you can find him in the ocean, surfing very poorly.
