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Five movies and one devil to rule them all! The Omen Collection is finally available!
Joke all you want to about how Hellish it is to raise a kid, but Producer Harvey Bernhard was clearly on to something rich when he decided to double-down on The Exorcist’s successes and develop a franchise about ushering the devil into the world. The Omen became something more than just a moment thanks to his work here. Damien as a child, a boy, a young man, and then his descendants all works to create a mythology that is both interesting and international in its treatment of terror.
But, as it is, nothing beats the original film, not even the well-received remake which is also included here.
That statement is not much of a surprise. The original film – made when Horror films were gaining steam and becoming something more than drive-in affairs thanks to the successes of The Exorcist, It’s Alive, and Carrie – is a certified classic where everything comes together: the look, the music, the acting, the tone and it is damned unforgettable as a result. It is related in supernatural spirit to Rosemary’s Baby and it easily shows, except this film tackles what it’s like to actually raise Satan as a boy. Damien, played by Harvey Spencer Stephens, is a frightening force here. The nuclear family was, after all, getting a bit of beating in the 1970s and the movies reflected that. There’s a lot going on in the original . . . and, unfortunately, there isn’t quite so much going on in the others.
The sequel, Damien: Omen II, might not have director Richard Donner or screenwriter David Seltzer on board, but it has a lot of chilling scenes and some memorable death that makes it worthy of its namesake. And that’s thanks to the eerie tone established by director Don Taylor’s guidance. The elevator death sequence is damn good stuff and there are a number of other kill shots thanks to Damien’s glances which work. Adding to the horror is the international vibe this one throws out. Unfortunately, there are moments – like the scene when Damien realizes just who he is – that are more comical than anything else. {googleads}
Things don’t get much better in Omen III: The Final Conflict and Omen IV: The Awakening. It seems Bernhard just slapped things together to get the final films completed before people stopped caring. Perhaps they already had, though. The ticket sales definitely slowed down. Did this actually need to be anything but a couple of solid horror offerings? I see no reason for the last two films in this series to exist and don’t even get me started on the two ventures into television land. 
Regardless, The Omen Collection, now available thanks to Scream Factory, is a reminder of just how much of a masterful stroke the first film was and how poorly each sequel conceived in its wake were realized and received. The law of diminishing returns definitely applies here, which is unfortunate because something historic could have been established had this idea been better mapped out.
Featuring performances from Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, William Holden, Lee Grant, Rossano Brazzi, Lance Henriksen, Sam Neill, Mia Farrow, Liev Schreiber, this set should definitely please fans of the The Omen series, especially since this release marks the blu-ray debut of Omen IV: The Awakening, but all we really needed were the first two films.
Look at us, Damien. It was all for you!
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Blu-ray Details:
Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray - October 15, 2019
Screen Formats: 1.33:1, 1.85:1, 2.39:1
Subtitles: The Omen English SDH; Damien: Omen II English SDH; Omen IV: The Awakening English; The Omen English SDH
Audio: The Omen - English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; Damien: Omen II English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; Omen IV: The Awakening English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0; The Omen
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; Five disc set
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
Released in a new hardcover case and crammed with creepy hours of special features, this 5-disc set includes 1976’s The Omen, complete with a new 4K remaster of the film from the original negative by 20th Century-Fox, 1978’s Damien: Omen II, 1981’s The Final Conflict, 1991’s Omen IV: The Awakening (making its Blu-ray debut) and the 2006 remake of the original The Omen.
Video:
Overseen by Richard Donner, the new 4K transfer of The Omen is reason enough for this set to exist. While the other films look sharp and get a supreme makeover in HD, this transfer reigns supreme. This is the best this film (and the others) has ever looked. HDR really highlights Donner’s compositions, especially at the warmer end of the spectrum. The reds, so carefully chosen in each scene, pop off the screen. And the demon dog attacks really stand out, so too does the nanny's death scene. Grain is intact in this native 4K restoration without being intrusive, and adding more much definition and scale to the picture. Blacks are deep and detailed, effectively eliminating the crush problems from the Blu-ray. Skin tones are beautifully rendered. Make-up effects, every pore and strand of hair are captured like never before. This is a first rate transfer.
Audio:
Scream Factory gives audiences their choice of either a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track or, when available, the original mono track. Nothing much to complain about here; these are solid center-speaker affairs.
Supplements:
Commentary:
- See special features.
Special Features:
Hours upon hours of ultimate evil are included with this release. Fans of the devil’s shenanigans will get a kick out of the supplemental material loaded here, including new commentaries and new interviews with the cast and crew of the individual films.
DISC ONE: THE OMEN (1976)
- 4K Transfer From The Original Negative, Approved By Director Richard Donner
- NEW The Devil’s Word – An Interview With Screenwriter David Seltzer
- NEW It’s All For You – An Interview With Actress Holly Palance
- NEW The Devil’s Music – An Interview With Composer Christopher Young Talking About Jerry Goldsmith’s Legendary Score
- NEW Audio Commentary With Special Project Consultant Scott Michael Bosco
- Audio Commentary With Director Richard Donner And Editor Stuart Baird
- Audio Commentary With Director Richard Donner And Filmmaker Brian Helgeland
- Audio Commentary With Film Historians Lem Dobbs, Nick Redman, And Jeff Bond
- Isolated Score Track
- Richard Donner On The Omen
- The Omen Revelations
- Curse Of Coincidence?
- 666: The Omen Revealed
- Screenwriter’s Notebook – An Interview With Writer David Seltzer
- Introduction With Director Richard Donner (2006)
- Deleted Scene With Commentary
- An Appreciation – Wes Craven On The Omen
- Jerry Goldsmith Discusses The Omen Score
- Trailers From Hell Featuring Commentary By Filmmaker Larry Cohen
- Theatrical Trailer
- TV Spots
- Radio Spots
- Still Galleries – Behind The Scenes, Movie Stills, Posters, And Lobby Cards
DISC TWO: DAMIEN: OMEN II (1978)
- NEW Damien’s Guardian – An Interview With Actress Lee Grant
- NEW The Devil’s CEO – An Interview With Actor Robert Foxworth
- NEW The Harbinger – An Interview With Actress Elizabeth Shepard
- NEW Elizabeth Shepherd’s Scrapbook – A Look At Her Behind The Scenes Photos With Commentary By Elizabeth Shepherd
- NEW Audio Commentary With Special Project Consultant Scott Michael Bosco
- Audio Commentary With Producer Harvey Bernhard
- Vintage Featurette – Power And The Devil: The Making of Damien: Omen II
- Theatrical Trailer
- TV Spot
- Radio Spot
- Still Gallery
DISC THREE: OMEN III: THE FINAL CONFLICT (1981)
- NEW The Devil In The Detail – An Interview With Director Graham Baker
- NEW Resurrecting The Devil – An Interview With Screenwriter/Associate Producer Andrew Birkin
- NEW Interview With Production Assistant Jeanne Ferber
- NEW Audio Commentary With Special Project Consultant Scott Michael Bosco
- Audio Commentary With Director Graham Baker
- Theatrical Trailer
- TV Spots
- Still Gallery
DISC FOUR: OMEN IV: THE AWAKENING (1991)
- NEW The Book Of Evil – An Interview With Screenwriter Brian Taggert
- Theatrical Trailer
- Still Gallery
- The Omen Legacy – A Documentary On The Omen films
DISC FIVE: THE OMEN (2006)
- Audio Commentary With Director John Moore, Producer Glenn Williamson, And Editor Dan Zimmermann
- Unrated Extended Scenes And Extended Ending
- Omenisms – Behind The Scenes Of The Omen (2006)
- Abbey Road Recording Sessions Featurette
- Revelation 666: Behind The Scenes
- Theatrical Trailers
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