Skip to main content

Halloween Day by Day: "Damien: The Omen II" (1978)

 

Last week, I reviewed the 1976 release of "The Omen," and it's 2006 remake.  This week, I bring you my thoughts on "Damien: The Omen II".

Seven years after the deaths of his parents, Damien Thorn is staying with his uncle and aunt.  He lives a safe, happy life until people start dying.  Soon, Damien learns the truth: that he'll play a major role in the battle between good and evil

The storyline is pretty good in this movie.  It was fairly easy to follow, with enough side stories to provide depth to the main plot.  The pacing of the story in this movie is also a little faster than in "The Omen," so I wasn't bored with it.  There is a serious flaw though with the storyline, and that's the fact that it relies on people having watched the first movie to understand a bit more about the plot.  On it's own, the story isn't as effective.

The story was certainly strong enough to allow for decent development of the characters.  Even though the movie is mostly about Damien, the supporting characters were equally interesting.  I really liked how they weren't just stereotypical characters too.  Each character was unique with a distinct personality.  I also really liked how the evil in the "bad guys" was subtle, rather than in your face and obvious.  Even though I suspected a couple of them, their characters were human enough to surprise me a bit.  The relationships between the characters really added to the intrest factor of the story.  The relationship between Damien and his cousin Mark is a good example of an interesting relationship that sets up certain events nicely.  The interactions between Richard Thorn and Dr. Charles Warren is another good one that really helped to propel the story forward.

"Damien: Omen II" had a great cast.  William Holden as Richard Thorn was fantastic, bringing a reality and humanity to his character.  I also really enjoyed Jonathan Scott-Tayler in the role as Damien Thorn.  He looked great in the role- bringing a sense of charm and sinister potential to his performance.  The tone of his voice added an extra layer of personality to Damien as well.  It was a joy to watch Sylvia Sidney bring Aunt Marion to life as well- I've always enjoyed her acting.  The only actor I had a problem with was Lee Grant as Ann Thorn.  She looked good, but her acting was a little too stage theatre for me.

There is also some really good camera work in this movie- simple but effective.  There's energy and motion and artistry to the sequences and shots.  You could take quite a few of the shots from the movie, and compile a decent comic version from the stills.

As I said before, the requirement of having some knowledge of  "The Omen," weakens the strength of this movie as a stand alone experience.  Because of this, "Damien: Omen II" is best watched as part of an "Omen" movie marathon, and is being placed in "The Bad".

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

#CocktailHour: Slushtail

  Summer approaches, inspiring thoughts of sunshine, backyard parties, and having a tip and sip with friends.  With that in mind, I bring you this week sunny beverage. To make a slushtail, mix a can of frozen orange juice, a can of frozen lemonade (or limeade), a can of pineapple juice, a couple cups of black tea (or English Breakfast), and two cups of bourbon- such as Southern Comfort, in a pitcher.  When it's all nicely mixed, put it in the freezer until it's a nice slushy consistency. Scoop the slush into a cocktail glass, and pour in some Sprite or 7-Up.  Add a little umbrella for some frivolous fun, and a straw. Voila!  Ready to enjoy. This is a very refreshing drink.  The fruit juices, Sprite, and bourbon- when chilled makes for a great punch-like drink.  The bourbon doesn't overwhelm juices.   In fact, they are all nicely balanced in terms of flavors.  The sourness of the citrus fruits contrasts well with the slightly sweeter Southern Comfort.  It was refreshing enou
Post a Comment
Read more

Unlock your fate with The Puzzle

When my dad wasn't working, building stuff or being my dad, he was making puzzles. It was a guaranteed way for him to unwind. So it was with great interest that I sat down to watch Italian filmmaker Davide Melini's award-winning short The Puzzle. You see, the mother in the five-minute film likes to relax with puzzles just like my dad. Unfortunately, her good-for-nothing son keeps harassing her for money. Losing herself in her favourite passtime, the mother soon discovers that completing this puzzle might unlock a nightmare. The Puzzle has been an official selection at more European film festivals than you can shake a stick at, and was voted Third Best Italian Film at the Rome International Film Festival in 2008. Having watched it, I'm not surprised. It's a tight little film that hits you hard in the final few seconds. You can tell Melini cut his teeth as an assistant director for legendary Italian filmmaker Dario Argento. But enough chit chat on my part. See if yo
Post a Comment
Read more

The Animated Addict: "The Adventures of Tintin" (2011)

If you're a 40 + white dude, like myself, you may remember a comic series called " The Adventures of Tintin ".  I know I remember them.  This series, dating back to 1929, got turned into a animated feature film by Steven Spielberg in 2011. After buying a model of ship called The Unicorn, teenaged journalist Tintin finds himself on adventure that will take him from the high seas, to the low deserts, and from the distant past to the present.  With his trusty dog, Snowy, by his side, Tintin uncovers a story connecting two men across the centuries.. . The story is really quite good.  It's well crafted, and high paced- with just enough slow moments to build and develop the world and the characters.  This is the sort of adventure story you'd find in the old serials of the 1930's and '40's.  In fact, it felt like it was the sort of tale that you'd find Indiana Jones undertaking.  I found myself swept up, and swept along as our hero swung from one e
Post a Comment
Read more