This month, I’ve been taking part in the Letterboxd Hooptober challenge. The goal is to watch 31 horror films in October, including films that meet specific criteria such as “directed by Wes Craven” or starring a black woman.
I’m posting my thoughts on each of the movies here, as and when I get time. If you want to follow along in real time, my Hooptober list is available here.
One of the requirements for the challenge is to watch “ALL of the films from a horror franchise with at least 4 entries.”
There are lots of series that we enjoy, (Hellraiser being a good example), but most of them have a lot of entries. And the later films are almost always terrible (Hellraiser being a good example).
After poking around the streaming services, we decided to revisit an old classic, The Omen. There are four films in the original series, we’d only seen the first three. Even then it’s been decades since we watched the second or third films.
So, it was a good candidate to hit the series criteria within our limited timeline.
The Omen
You Have Been Warned
Immediately after their miscarriage, the US diplomat Robert Thorn adopts the newborn Damien without the knowledge of his wife. Yet what he doesn’t know is that their new son is the son of the devil.
Let’s face it. The Omen is a classic. Yes, it’s got the 70s vibe, and its a bit melodramatic at times, but it’s got a stellar cast and buckets of atmosphere. And it still holds up. The deaths were less disturbing than I remember, but I was significantly younger and less jaded when I first watched a grainy recording of a late night TV showing.
Damien: The Omen II
The first time was only a warning
Since the sudden and suspicious deaths of his parents, young Damien has been in the charge of his wealthy aunt and uncle and enrolled in a military school. Widely feared to be the Antichrist, he relentlessly plots to seize control of his uncle’s business empire — and the world.
The Omen II has one scene that has always stuck with me – the ice skating – but other than that, I didn’t remember most of this one. And… it was kind of dull. Despite a decent cast, it’s very much the saggy middle of the trilogy, and just moves from death to death with very little actual story.
Omen III: The Final Conflict
The power of evil is no longer in the hands of a child
Damien Thorn has helped rescue the world from a recession, appearing to be a benign corporate benefactor. When he then becomes U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Damien fulfills a terrifying biblical prophecy. He also faces his own potential demise as an astronomical event brings about the second coming of Christ.
Even Evil Sam Neill couldn’t save this one. Again, I barely remembered it, and I certainly didn’t remember the cheesy ending. Marginally better than the second film, but really only because it actually moves the story along.
Omen IV: The Awakening
Damien’s prophecy is reborn!
Damien Thorn is dead, but his prophecy is reborn in a mysterious girl named Delia, who is adopted by two attorneys.
I’m fairly confident I hadn’t seen this one before. And oh, boy. It’s not good. In fact, I’m going to say it… it’s bad. TV movie “horror” at its worst.
Painful though it was, The Omen series knocked off the most difficult Hooptober requirement.
[Hooptober 11 – The Omen I-IV by Philip Harris first appeared on Solitary Mindset on 27th October 2024]