31 Days of Halloween: Day 1 – The Omen (1976)

For the next 31 days we will count down an entire month of Halloween inspired film. From old school horror to modern day slasher flicks we will bring you our picks of the best of the genre. We kick off our first day with the original The Omen from 1976. Enjoy!

A classic horror film, The Omen delivers chills with its poignant cinematography and dark narrative. When an American ambassador and his wife adopt a child, they soon discover Damien is quite literally the Antichrist. What I love about this movie is that it tells a fairly straightforward story, but give it a suspenseful feel. From early on in the film, it is apparent that Damien is Satan-incarnate, but it doesn’t kill the thrill the movie continually builds up to the very end. Hollywood legend Gregory Peck stars as Robert Thorn, and does a great job playing a man who has difficulty grasping the true nature of Damien. Check out the trailer below.

The two scenes that stand out to me the most is the scene where the nanny hangs herself in front of Damien’s birthday party, and at the funeral at the end, when the child playing Damien stares at the camera. Great direction from Richard Donner, who later went on to direct Superman shortly after The Omen. It has a bit of dated dialogue, but I still get creeped out by it. Good Halloween flick to get you into the mood.