“Experience the ultimate in horror with The Omen Collection, featuring all four original films as well as the 2006 remake that kept audiences glued to the screen with white-knuckled terror. Packed with hours of chilling special features, this five-disc set includes 1976’s The Omen (new 4K remaster); Damien: Omen II, in which Damien discovers his destiny; The Final Conflict, in which he realizes his full power; and Omen IV: The Awakening, in which a demonic force returns in the form of a wicked young girl. The haunting legacy comes full circle with the riveting 2006 version. Including stirring performances from Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, William Holden, Lee Grant, Rossano Brazzi, Sam Neill, Mia Farrow, Liev Schreiber and more, The Omen Collection presents the height of sheer terror. Get ready for hours of the ultimate evil.”

The Omen

“When Kathy Thorn (Lee Remick) gives birth to a stillborn baby, her husband Robert (Gregory Peck) shields her from the devastating truth and substitutes an orphaned infant for their own – unaware of the child’s satanic origins. The horror begins on Damien’s fifth birthday when his nanny stages a dramatic suicide. Soon after, a priest who tries to warn Damien’s father is killed in a freakish accident. As the death toll mounts, Robert realizes his don is the Antichrist and decides he must kill the boy to prevent him from fulfilling a cataclysmic prophecy. Briskly paced and breathtakingly evil, The Omen is the first film in the classic legacy of terror.”

The Omen is a classic horror film, one of the quintessential ‘evil kid’ and religious films about the antichrist. With Richard Donner helming the first, and Gregory Peck finding renewed fame for his portrayal of Richard Thorn, which went on to become the most lucrative film in his career, The Omen has stood the test of time and holds up to this day as an amazingly effective horror film.

Each film in the main trilogy is quite different, focusing on different aspects of Damien’s life and from different perspectives. In this film, Gregory Peck has to come to terms with what his son truly is, resisting what needs to be done, even up until the very end. In a way, it’s a psychological struggle to believe what people are telling him and murder his son on faith, a horrific act no matter who he may be.

Filled with instantly memorable scenes, such as the nanny suicide, The Omen ranks as the best of the series thanks to some phenomenal acting from Gregory Peck and David Warner. Damien (Harvey Stephens), honestly doesn’t have a lot to do in this film besides look creepy and scream when he’s taken near a church. Despite this, the scariest part of the film is how many people have flocked to his side in order to see to it the child is protected.

Video

The Omen is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 2.35:1 featuring a new 4k remaster of the film from the original negative. Being the only film in the set to receive this great treatment, the transfer looks phenomenal, free of scratches and blemishes and is clear and detailed. There is a bit of softness to some of the sequences, but overall this film looks exceptional, the best feature of the set by far.

Audio

The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. The track sounds great as well, with this mix doing a good job of balancing the surrounds and center channel. The most impressive portion of the audio is by far the Jerry Goldsmith score for which he won his only Oscar, haunting even to this day.

Special Features

Tons of extras on this first film, a great addition to Scream Factory’s new set. These include:

• 4K Transfer From The Original Negative, Approved By Director Richard Donner
• NEWThe 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 OmenScore
• 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

Damien: Omen II

“Since the sudden and suspicious deaths of his parents, young Damien (Jonathan Scott-Taylor) has been in the charge of his wealth uncle (William Holden) and aunt (Lee Grant) and enrolled in a military school. Widely feared to be the Antichrist, Damien relentlessly plots to seize control of his uncle’s business empire – and the world. Anyone attempting to unravel the secrets of Damien’s sinister past or fiendish future meets with a swift and cruel demise.”

Damien: Omen II shifts the story point of view from the guardian of Damien to Damien himself. Where in the first film, you couldn’t tell Damien’s intentions, if he was creating this evil force or if it just surrounded him. In this film Damien struggles to figure out himself what is happening to him, why he can stare at people and cause them to do things, why he has basically infinite knowledge of the history of man-kind, and can’t be harmed by poisonous gas. It’s this struggle to understand himself that is the most interesting part of the film, and looks as though Damien is resistant to what he is to become at first. But, as those closest to him are warned the only way to rid the world of true evil is to kill him, he accepts his destiny with the help of people sworn to protect him.

A very solid sequel to the first, a bit more supernatural in nature as Damien’s abilities manifest. The ending still manages to surprise me every time!

Video

Damien: Omen II is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 2.35:1. Despite the lack of a new transfer for this set, it actually looks very good. There are no real issues with the source print, balance is good, grain kept at a manageable level. The picture is clear and detailed, save for a few instances of softness just like the first.

Audio

The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. This track sounds great as well, a nice mix of balance between the surrounds and center channel, with no issues of note. The Jerry Goldsmith score sounds just as good, providing that haunting music the film is known for.

Special Features

Some great new extras on the disc, which include:

• 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

The Final Conflict

“Damien Thorn (Sam Neill) is now 32, a coldly calculating being whose creed is evil, whose ambition is world domination and whose only loyalties are to himself and the father he serves. To attain his ends, he will kill anyone in his way, be it friend, enemy, disciple or lover.

Only a determined priest (Rossano Brazzi), whose mission is to destroy the Antichrist and who has at his command the Seven Sacred Daggers of Megiddo, and a dedicated reporter (Lisa Harrow) stands between Damien and his desire to bring the world to the brink of global chaos.”

The Final Conflict may not be the best in the set, but it’s by far my favorite, mainly because of the perfect casting of Sam Neill as Damien, now an adult who has fully embraced his antichrist evilness. This story is told from the perspective of Damien this time around, who has put himself in a position of great power to influence people of all ages fulfilling the prophecy of using the Thorn fortune to propel himself into the political world.

Sam Neill is definitely what makes the film. His portrayal of Damien embracing his destiny creates so many great sequences that make the other two films look like movies for children in comparison, including a campaign to wipe out all babies born on a certain day. The film has a great cast, great production value, very grandiose in its execution as Damien puts his power to use. The Final Conflict is a perfect conclusion to a great trilogy.

Video

The Final Conflict is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 2.35:1. The transfer on this looks good, free of any noticeable defects or blemishes. Grain is kept at a manageable level, with a good balance in color, detail and clarity. No new remaster for this disc, but the one they used looks to be in very good shape.

Audio

The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. I love Jerry Goldsmith’s expanded score here, much bigger than before, perfect for those moments where Damien is using his presence to command his followers. The track itself has a great balance between the surrounds and center channel, with no defects of note.

Special Features

Some more new features on this disc. I wish they could have gotten Sam Neill to discuss his role as Damien, but for now we’ll have to settle with these other new ones:

• 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

Omen IV: The Awakening

“Damien Thorn is dead, but his prophecy is reborn in a mysterious girl named Delia, who is adopted by two attorneys, Gene and Karen York. When Karen realizes her baby was born under suspicious circumstances, she hires a private investigator to find Delia’s real parents. A series of bizarre accidents occur, and Karen begins to suspect everyone of conspiring against her as she unravels the truth about her child.”

What excited me most about this Omen boxset by Scream Factory was the inclusion of this film, which I hadn’t seen, not included in the boxset by Fox. That’s where my excitement ended, unfortunately, as I finished the film and discovered just how bad it was.

Given only a television release, this film follows the a young girl named Delia who is another version of the antichrist, taking place sometime after the events of The Final Conflict. What made the original so creepy was the expressionless face of Damien each time some evil event took place. Delia smirks her way through the film, knowing full well she’s related to the Devil and enjoys every bit of it.

Omen IV: The Awakening lacks in almost every way: production value, story, characters, resulting in a sub-par film that effectively killed the franchise. There are a couple of decent sequences, like the Psychic fair that was enjoyable, but for the most part it drags on without showing anything new or interesting. The completist in me is thrilled to have it included in this boxset nonetheless, but know what you’re getting into before viewing.

Video

Omen IV: The Awakening is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 1.85:1. This transfer is probably the worst out of the set. Not that anything looks particularly bad in any one area, it’s just not been as cleaned up as the others have been. Dust, debris and blemishes can be seen throughout, but overall it looks decent on Blu-Ray from the television debut where it was originally seen in the U.S.

Audio

The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo. Again, this track is the worst one on the set, not remixed in any way. It sounds fine for what it is, complete with some haunting music that still manages to be effective, including the caroler sequence that was particularly good.

Special Features

• NEW The Book Of Evil – An Interview With Screenwriter Brian Taggert
• Theatrical Trailer
• Still Gallery
• The Omen Legacy – A Documentary On The Omen films

The Omen (2006)

”In this chilling remake of The Omen, man’s darkest fears are manifested as an unspeakable terror is unleashed on the world! U.S. diplomat Robert Thorn (Live Schreiber, Ray Donavan) substitutes an orphan for his stillborn baby in order to spare his unknowing wife, Katherine (Julia Stiles). But after a series of grotesque murders and dire warnings, the Thorns come to the horrifying realization that their child is the son of Satan!”

I believe this remake exists solely for the fact that the release date was going to be 6/6/06. There wasn’t any need for a remake, or anyone asking for this to happen. The original was such a classic film that remaking it would be a hard thing to pull off for fans to accept. This was exactly what the case was, a film that tries to emulate the tone and effectiveness of the original but doesn’t come anywhere near close of accomplishing that fact, as it’s almost verbatim a shot for shot remake. It’s interesting to see the story told in a modern day setting, but that’s about it. It’s still nice to have this in the set if nothing else to compare the two and find an even greater appreciation for the original and how well it’s stood the test of time.

Video

The Omen is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 1.85:1. This transfer looks exceptional, with this being a new film, you can expect no blemishes or defects of note. Color balance specifically is quite nice, with those darks and reds standing out.

Audio

The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. This is a great track, balance between the surrounds and center channel have no issues. It’s going to be a more impressive and boastful track being a newer film.

Special Features

• 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

The Omen Collection from Scream Factory is one of my favorite releases they’ve done in a long time. With beautiful packaging and artwork, which was a major issue with the previous set released by Fox, this set will be sought after by any fans of the series and worth every penny.