IMDb > The Omen (1976)
The Omen
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The Omen (1976) -- An American ambassador learns to his horror that his son is actually the literal Antichrist.
The Omen (1976) -- Father Brennan implores Mr. Thorn to accept Christ as his personal savior.
The Omen (1976) -- An American ambassador learns to his horror that his son is actually the literal Antichrist.
The Omen (1976) -- MattTrailer.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   26,318 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Down 40% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Richard Donner

Writer:

David Seltzer (written by)

Contact:

View company contact information for The Omen on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

25 June 1976 (USA) more

Tagline:

OUR FINAL WARNING. more

Plot:

An American ambassador learns to his horror that his son is actually the literal Antichrist. full summary | full synopsis

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 8 nominations more

NewsDesk:
(25 articles)

Pat Seals of Flyleaf Shares His Top Ten Horror Films
 (From Dread Central. 9 November 2009, 10:24 PM, PST)

Tortured Overtures: Horror Film Score Themes of the 1970s
 (From SoundOnSight. 3 November 2009, 12:12 PM, PST)

User Comments:

A great supernatural thriller, undeservedly bashed over the years more (247 total)


Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:

Omen I (reissue title)
Omen I: The Antichrist (reissue title)
Omen I: The Birthmark (reissue title)
The Antichrist (USA) (working title)
The Birthmark (USA) (working title)
more

Runtime:

111 min | Germany:107 min (cut version)

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | Latin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

New Zealand:(Banned) (video release, 1989-1991) | New Zealand:R16 (1992 re-rating) | New Zealand:R18 (original rating) | Iceland:16 | UK:X (original rating) | UK:15 (DVD rating) | UK:15 (re-rating) (2006) | Sweden:15 | Spain:18 | South Korea:15 | Canada:R (video rating) | Portugal:M/16 | UK:18 (tv rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Brazil:16 | Australia:MA (25th anniversary special edition) | Australia:R (original rating) | Canada:R | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Norway:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | USA:R (certificate #24560) | West Germany:16


Fun Stuff

Trivia:

In the closing scene, Richard Donner used reverse psychology on young Harvey Stephens telling him, "Don't you dare laugh. If you laugh, I won't be your friend." Naturally, Stephens wanted to laugh, and he instead smiled directly into the camera. more

Goofs:

Continuity: When the young nanny hangs herself, the window is seen breaking in three consecutive shots (outside long, inside, outside medium); it breaks in a different way in each shot (top half, bottom half, bottom 3/4). more

Quotes:

[first lines]
Father Spiletto: [voiceover] The child is dead. He breathed for a moment. Then he breathed no more. The child is dead. Dead. The child is dead.
more

Movie Connections:

Referenced in End of Days (1999) more

Soundtrack:

The Piper Dreams more


FAQ

How many people die in "The Omen"?
Why would Fr Brennan, who was in on the switch from the beginning, suddenly try to warn Robert Thorn?
What really happened to the Thorns' real son?
more
41 out of 66 people found the following comment useful.
A great supernatural thriller, undeservedly bashed over the years, 11 January 2005
10/10
Author: MovieAddict2009 from UK

"The Omen" was included in a recent book I read of THE 1000 MOVIES YOU MUST SEE BEFORE YOU DIE! - ironic since fellow IMDb user Theo Robertson claims it was included as an entry in a similar book titled THE 50 WORST FILMS OF ALL TIME.

I've always really liked "The Omen" and, like Theo, think it is superior to "The Exorcist." It's more chilling and freaky and subtle. There isn't any fake pea soup here, either. Which isn't to say that "The Exorcist" isn't any good - but it hasn't fared as well over the years.

"The Omen" is just really good. It was released the same year as Exorcist if I'm not mistaken and Gregory Peck gives a fine performance. The part where a character's head is lopped off and rolls across a street in slow-motion, and then director Richard Donner cuts to a whole new sequence, is really chilling and bizarre.

It's that sort of eerie unexplained stuff that makes this, in my opinion, superior to a lot of the other stuff out there - i.e. many other trashy supernatural flicks that don't hold anything against this.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (247 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Omen (1976)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Remake better than original. eternalsea
Mrs. Baylock. LedZep712
The first nanny... am_buglet_82
Dog Gamer-FV
So is Damien really Satan himself, or just his child? davies_chloe
This could never happen in today's world supersonic3974
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