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THE FIRST OMEN – Mark Korven
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
A movie that nobody asked for, but which in my opinion ended up being the second-best film in the series, The First Omen is a prequel chronicling the events leading up to the birth of the antichrist Damien as shown in the original 1976 Richard Donner Omen film, which adds a great deal of depth and intrigue to the backstory of David Seltzer’s characters. The film is set in 1971 and stars Nell Tiger Free as Margaret, an American novitiate nun who arrives in Rome to take up a position at a convent orphanage overseen by the kindly Cardinal Lawrence (Bill Nighy). However, Margaret soon discovers that all is not right at the orphanage; a young girl named Carlita is plagued by terrible visions, a fellow novitiate appears to want Margaret to experience sexual vices before taking her vows, and – worst of all – she is visited by an agitated Irish priest who is convinced that the orphanage is a front for a cult intent on bringing about the birth of the child of Satan. The film is directed by Arkasha Stevenson, and has a supporting cast that includes Alice Braga, Ralph Ineson, and Maria Caballero. Read more…
THE OMEN – Jerry Goldsmith
GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Original Review by Craig Lysy
Bob Munger, a friend of Producer Harvey Bernhard of 20th Century Fox, suggested that he consider making a supernatural horror drama based on the anti-christ of the apocalypse. Bernhard was intrigued by the idea, and hired screenwriter David Seltzer to come up with a story, who exceeded Bernhard’s expectations and delivered a classic story. Richard Donner was hired to direct and he assembled a stellar cast, which included Gregory Peck as Ambassador Robert Thorn, Lee Remick as his wife Katherine, David Warner as photographer Keith Jennings, Billie Whitelaw as the sinister Mrs. Baylock, Patrick Troughton as Father Brennan, and young Harvey Stephens as Damien Thorn, the young boy at the center of the narrative. Read more…
THE OMEN – Marco Beltrami
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
When Marco Beltrami was asked to score director John Moore’s remake of The Omen, it’s difficult to know whether he jumped for joy, or groaned in dismay. Jerry Goldsmith won his one and only Academy Award for his score for the original Omen in 1976, and in doing so added a new dimension to the way horror movies are scored: the ‘Latin Chant’ has become so-over used these days that it’s almost a cliché, but back in the day when Goldsmith first used them, they were groundbreaking. Beltrami is, of course, a former student of Goldsmith’s at USC, and so stepping into his great teacher shoes must have been a daunting prospect indeed. The wonderful news is that, ultimately, Beltrami has produced a wonderful modern horror score which is original to Beltrami’s musical sensibility, but can also stand as a loving homage to his mentor. Read more…
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