Dom Robinson reviews

Distributed by
Encore Entertainment

Cat.no: EE 1139

Cert: 18

Running time: 102 minutes

Sides: 2 (CLV)

Year: 1978

Pressing: 1998

Chapters: 20 (11/8+1)

Sound: Mono

Widescreen: 2.35:1 (Panavision)

Price: £14.99

Extras : Original Theatrical Trailer

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Director:

Don Taylor (Tom Sawyer)

Producers:

Harvey Bernhard

Screenplay:

Stanley Mann & Michael Hodges

Music:

Jerry Goldsmith

Cast:

Richard Thorn: William Holden (Born Yesterday, The Bridge On The River Kwai, Casino Royale, Sabrina Fair, The Wild Bunch)
Ann Thorn: Lee Grant (Airport '77, Citizen Cohn, Defending Your Life, Fatal Love, In The Heat Of The Night)
Damien Thorn: Jonathan Scott-Taylor
Paul Buher: Robert Foxworth (Airport '77, With Savage Intent)
Charles Warren: Nicholas Pryor (Less Than Zero)
Bill Atherton: Lew Ayres
Aunt Marion: Sylvia Sidney (Beetlejuice, Dead End, Sabotage)
Sergeant Neff: Lance Henriksen (Aliens, Dead Man, Hard Target, Jennifer 8, No Escape, Piranha II: Flying Killers, The Quick And The Dead, TV: "Millenium")
Joan Hart: Elizabeth Shepherd
Mark Thorn: Lucas Donat
Bugenhagen: Leo McKern (The Blue Lagoon, The French Lieutenant's Woman, A Man For All Seasons, TV: "Rumpole Of The Bailey", "Space 1999")

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As Damien and his powers grow, he is watched over by shadowy disciples of evil and anyone who tries to warn Thorn about Damien's true satanic nature meets a grisly end. But time is running short - will Damien be destroyed by the forces of light, or will he survive and flourish as the embodiment of evil on Earth?

The performances of all actors in the film, apart from the chilling face of Damien, are all outshadowed by the fates dealt out to the cast members who have a date with the Grim Reaper, most notably 'Death by lift-shaft' !

It's also worth noting that the eerie goings-on in the film echo the sentiments of reality, since during pre-production on the first film, an IRA bomb rocked the hotel where the producer and director were staying. A violent storm swept through Rome during a location survey and a bolt of lightning struck Hadrian's Gate, a landmark near producer Harvey Bernhard's hotel.

The jinx continued with Damien: Omen II as filming schedules went awry, equipment was lost, a stunt-girl was almost killed, Bernhard's Los Angeles apartment was destroyed by an inexplicable fire and his car shed a wheel on the freeway shortly afterwards.

The picture quality is mostly very good. Yes, the print is twenty years old but looks better than expected so, presumably, it comes from the same digitally remastered master for which the 1996 video re-releases were struck from. It is also presented in its correct widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1 - unlike the video releases which were pan-and-scan. The cover artwork remains the same. The only drawback on the quality is the presence of flecks on the original print from time to time.

The sound quality is mono, but comes across very clear.

The laserdisc could use some more chapters, given that there are just 19 spread throughout the 102 minutes of the film. The package is rounded off with the original theatrical trailer.

In the summer of 1996, Fox Video dropped a clanger when they re-released the trilogy on 6.6.96 on video, but only in pan-and-scan versions. Gladly, Encore are redressing the balance, having already released the first film in widescreen and now the sequel, just as Fox have got round to putting the first one out in widescreen format.

Overall, the Omen trilogy (forget about the TV movie Omen IV: The Awakening) is one of the best suspense trilogies of all time. With the first two discs already out and the final part on the way, you owe it to yourself to buy this one now, especially at it's brilliant low price.

FILM	 		: ***½
PICTURE QUALITY		: ****
SOUND QUALITY		: ***
EXTRAS			: *
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OVERALL			: ***

Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 1998.