Blu-ray Review: The Omen Collection

Release Date: October 7th, 2008
Running Time: 436 minutes

The Films

There are a handful of horror films that have carved a timeless legacy for themselves. Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween–these franchises have all become beloved over the years. Despite a weak remake, The Omen can certainly hold its own with them all. For the first time fans can pick up every film in the four-disc Blu-ray set The Omen Collection. It’s great to have all the films in one place, but the lack of new supplementary material may prevent some fans from upgrading their current DVDs.

For those unfamiliar, The Omen stars Gregory Peck as Robert Thorn. On the 6th day of the 6th month on the 6th hour Robert’s son is born dead. Rather than breaking the news to his wife Katherine (Lee Remick), a priest convinces Robert to adopt a newborn that lost his mother. Robert agrees and decides to keep Katherine in the dark. As the boy, named Damien, grows older, strange and violent things begin to happen. It only gets worse when they hire a new nanny named Mrs. Blaylock. The mystery continues and events unfold that suggest their adopted son may be the child of the devil.

The idea of the film may not be Oscar worthy, but it has an innate level of creepiness associated with it. What sets The Omen apart from other horror films is the pure classiness of it all. This was made before the aforementioned franchises and is approached as a genuine film as opposed to horror camp. It’s atmospheric and relies on setting and drama to frighten us, never relying on cheap scare tactics. Oh, and it has one of the most memorable beheadings ever set to celluloid.

Damien: Omen II picks up with Damien (Jonathan Scott-Taylor) now 12 years old. Since the tragic death of his parents, Damien has been living with his well off aunt and uncle, and attends the same school as their child, Mark. Damien’s uncle runs a very successful business that is on the verge of expanding to Third World agriculture. Meanwhile, Damien becomes torn when he learns the truth of his existence. He finds himself the centerpiece of a battle for power. There are those that would do anything to help him fulfill his legacy, including destroying anyone who uncovers his dark secret.

Omen III: The Final Conflict finds Damien (Sam Neill) all grown up, and fully aware of his destiny. He is appointed Ambassador to the Court of St. James, the very same position his father held in the first film. An astrological event brings about the prophesized return of Christ, something that Damien cannot abide. Using his newfound power, he unleashes a slew of events aimed at destroying his counterpart, and ensuring that no one interferes with his destiny.

The Omen (666) is the 2006 remake of the original. It stars Live Schreiber and Julia Stiles as the Thorns. It is almost an exact remake, but has one fundamental flaw: they chose to cast a creepy looking kid as Damien ( Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick). This is all well and good, considering it is the child of the devil, however much of the terror from the original film revolved around the blatant innocence of the child actor. He looked exactly like a normal, healthy kid. That is lost in favor of a kid who lacks any emotion, and constantly shoots a killer stare at the screen. Increased production values may be nice on the eyes, but it lacks the intangibles that made the original film so memorable.

Like most horror franchises, The Omen Collection is a bit inconsistent. The original film is by and far the best entry. However, seeing Damien at different stages in his life is very intriguing, and creates a saga feel to the entire story. I could care less if the remake was included here or not; I consider it a bonus. If you haven’t spent gobs of money on the DVD versions of the films, this is a solid option.

The Discs

The original trilogy is offered in 2.35:1, 1080p High Definition transfers. The remake is offered in 1.85:1. All of the audio options are: English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Lossless audio, and English/Spanish/French Dolby Digital Mono with Spanish/Mandarin/Cantonese/Korean subtitles.

The Omen shows its age, but has a definite improved level of detail, both in the close ups and landscapes. Colors and flesh tones are accurate, but don’t contain the contrast and vibrancy of newer films. Black levels are muddied, and can crush out fine detail. The print itself is clean, and the transfer is free of glaring compression errors.

The audio is an example of a dated soundtrack. While everything is balanced and crisp, the source material just isn’t up to snuff. The dynamic range is limited. The front channels get the most activity, while the rears are reserved for the score and ambience. Dialogue is crisp, and avoids that muffled sound associated with mono. The clarity is the best that has been offered, but the mix doesn’t have the immersive feel of modern soundtracks.

Damien: Omen II is very similar to the original film in terms of colors, flesh tones, and black levels. Likewise, compression errors are not an issue. The detail appeared a notch worse than the original film, likely due to a stylistic filter choice that hurts the focus of some scenes. The audio is again similar to the original, but feels slightly more energetic and open.

Omen III: The Final Conflict looks the best out of the original films. Much more detail is present on all accounts, most specifically in lower lit scenes. The black levels are deeper as well. Like the sequel, the audio here makes another marginal step forward in terms of creating a complete sound stage.

The Omen (666) is easily the best looking and sounding disc on the set. The colors have bold contrast, from the deep, rich reds, to the vibrant greens of the outdoors. Fine detail is abundant in every layer of the image, creating an excellent depth of field. Black levels are inky without crushing out detail.

The audio has a vastly improved dynamic range, including low bass rumbles, as well as piercing, but clear, highs. Far more surround effects pan across all of the channels, and the atmosphere that comes from the rear channels is more intricate and realistic than the other films. Just compare the intensity of the zoo scene between the original and the remake to see the vast level of improvement.

The Extras

The Omen

A few Blu-ray exclusive special features are offered on the first film. Commentary is available with Film historians Lem Dobbs, Nick Redman, and Jeff Bond, as well as an Isolated Music Score track.

“Richard Donner on The Omen” is a brand new, HD, 14 minute interview with the director.

The last exclusive is a Picture in Picture trivia track. The remainders of the special features are carried over from the previous DVD.

Commentary is available with Director Richard Donner and Editor Stuart Baird. This is a standard commentary with plenty of information regarding the various stages of production. It’s informative, but a bit dry.

A second commentary features Donner and Screenwriter Brian Helgeland (who had nothing to do with the film) is also offered. Helgeland acts as a mediator for Donner and keeps the discussion fresh. This is the livelier of the two commentaries and more suited for the casual fan.

A gigantic, 100-minute documentary called “The Omen Legacy” runs over 100 minutes. Originally released as a separate AMC product, it is thankfully included here. So much is involved here, including: a healthy amount on the production of the first film, discussion of the accidents on set, the pop culture of the series, and the sequels.

The 46-minute documentary “666: The Omen Revealed” doesn’t over the same scope as the documentary above. It follows a standard format that discusses the entire gamut production phases. It may be by the books, but there’s plenty to learn here if you can’t make it through “The Omen Legacy.”

The 6-minute “Curse or Coincidence” is an excellent little piece that discusses all of the strange occurrences and accidents that plagued the production. It is rather convincing and superstitious types should get a kick out of it.

“An Appreciation: Wes Craven on The Omen” has the legendary horror director discussing his first viewing of the film. It’s mostly a giant plug for the movie, but it’s still cool to see a horror mastermind passionate about someone else’s project.

“Jerry Goldsmith Discusses The Omen Score” is a collection of talks about the four major musical pieces from the film that have become classic through the years. I don’t usually enjoy featurettes on film scores but this one was rather enjoyable.

“The Screenwriter’s Notebook” interviews Screenwriter David Seltzer who talks quite candidly about the project and the research he did to write it.

The Deleted “Dog Attack” scene is again presented here with optional commentary from Donner.

Lastly, a number of Still Photo Galleries are available, as well as a Video Introduction from Donner and the Theatrical Trailer.

Damien: The Omen II and Omen III: The Final Conflict are both shallow in the special features department. Producer Harvey Bernard has a commentary track for II, and Director Graham Baker provides on for III. Since they are far from the quality of the original, it is doubtful many people will sit through these track. The Theatrical Trailers round off these two discs.

The Omen (666) has a disappointing, bland selection of special features, perhaps due to the negative critical reception and average box office earnings.

Commentary is offered by Director John Moore, Producer Glenn Williamson, and Editor Dan Zimmerman. It is a weak track that barely scratches the surface.

A “Devil’s footnote” pop-up factoid track is offered as well.

“Abbey Road Sessions” is a 10-minute piece on Marco Beltrami’s film score.

“Revelations 666” is a 22-minute featurette that looks at the significance of the number 666 in history, religion, and popular culture.

Finally, two Extended scenes run 4 minutes: Impaling and Beheading.

Final Thoughts

The Omen Collection, despite some very flimsy and shoddy packaging, has all the spawn of Satan films you could hope for. While it is not abundant with Blu-ray exclusive material, or mind-blowing HD transfers, for now it remains the best way to grab the entire franchise in one set.