Damien: Omen II (1978)

Damien the Antichrist, now thirteen years old, finally learns of his destiny under the guidance of an unholy disciple of Satan. Meanwhile dark forces begin to eliminate all those who suspect the child's true identity.

Directors:

Don Taylor, Mike Hodges (uncredited)

Writers:

Harvey Bernhard (story), David Seltzer (based on characters created by)

Stars:

William Holden, Lee Grant, Jonathan Scott-Taylor

3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Holden	...	Richard Thorn
Lee Grant	...	Ann Thorn
Jonathan Scott-Taylor	...	Damien Thorn
Robert Foxworth	...	Paul Buher
Nicholas Pryor	...	Charles Warren
Lew Ayres	...	Bill Atherton
Sylvia Sidney	...	Aunt Marion
Lance Henriksen	...	Sergeant Neff
Elizabeth Shepherd	...	Joan Hart
Lucas Donat	...	Mark Thorn
Allan Arbus	...	Pasarian (as Alan Arbus)
Fritz Ford	...	Murray
Meshach Taylor	...	Dr. Kane
John J. Newcombe	...	Teddy
John Charles Burns	...	Butler

Storyline

Seven years later, 13-year-old Damien is just discovering who he really is, and what he is destined to do. Now living with his Aunt, Uncle, and cousin in a wealthy suburb of Chicago, Damien is anxious to inherit everything. Can Richard Thorn finish the job that Damien's father (Ambassador Thorn) started?

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Plot Keywords:

antichrist | boy | female stockinged feet | female stockinged legs | suntan pantyhose | 

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Taglines:

The first time was only a warning.

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 June 1978 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Omen II

Filming Locations:

James W. Jardine Water Purification Plant, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,800,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,880,880, 11 June 1978, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$26,518,355, 31 December 1978

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox, Harvey Bernhard Productions, Mace Neufeld Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Allan Arbus, who plays one of the Thorn Industry employees who gets asphyxiated by fumes at the plant, was also the recurring character Sidney Friedman on MASH when this film was released ( 1978).

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Goofs

When the cadets are outside meeting Sergeant Neff for the first time, there is a closeup of Mark's face. He clearly has 2 pimples on his chin. Moments later, he is shown again and his face is smooth.

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Quotes

Murray: [the boys have been discussing Aunt Marion] Now, boys, just because Aunt Marion is getting on...
Mark Thorn: On our nerves!

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Crazy Credits

An abridged 6 second version of the Alfred Newman Fox fanfare is heard

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Connections

Referenced in A Night at the Movies: The Horrors of Stephen King (2011)

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Soundtracks

Happy Birthday to You
(uncredited)
Written by Mildred J. Hill and Patty S. Hill

User Reviews

Nowhere near as good as the original but surprisingly entertaining

I'm an avid fan of the original "Omen". I think it was everything that "The Exorcist" is made out to be by fans and critics all over the world: thrilling, intriguing and incredibly creepy. With it's apocalyptic open ending a second part could only take away from the original's ending.

The truth is, "Damien: Omen II" is by no means as bad as it could have been. Sure, the excitement and the perfect structure of the original aren't there. Basically, this plays out like an early ancestor of the "Final Destination"-franchise. Characters become aware of who Damien is and from this point on we know they're doomed and anticipate their gruesome death. Most of all the movie is muddled with bad character development. Lance Henriksen's character, for instance, is never elaborated on. It doesn't make him any more mysterious, it just feels incomplete.

A good portion of the movie is spent with nothing much going on except for a few people dying around Damien while he just keeps on living a completely normal life unaware of who he his. Then, all of a sudden everything happens way too quickly. Damien finds out about his destiny and immediately accepts it. The same goes for his father, who is infuriated at first when someone suggests that his son might be Satan's spawn, only to accept that fact shortly afterwards. The final climax and ending arrive just as quickly leaving you wondering why the whole thing was so unbalanced.

Still, as long as it's running "Damien: Omen II" doesn't fail to entertain. Like every "Omen"-movie up to and including "The Final Conflict" this one has this nice 70's UK-flair that you can get lost in for a few hours on homey evenings in front of the television. It may not be enough to make the series go down in history as one of the best, but these movies are all very watchable in one sitting, making this one of the most coherent franchises of the horror genre.