Damien - Omen II

This wasn't as good as Richard Donner's superb original, but it's a solid sequel. It lacks the unique sense of despair and menace of one's own child perhaps being the Antichrist, and the suspense is neither as taut nor as skillfully handled, but there are some great death scene set-pieces here, and it's not as bad as horror fans would let you think it is. I have a special place in my heart for the religious thriller, so perhaps I'm a tad more lenient than I should be in my grading, but I could very well say that the devil made me do it, or at the very least, his spawn. Jerry Goldsmith does another fine soundtrack, albeit not with the two Oscar nominations and one win this time around, while William Holden and Lee Grant do a credible job of replacing stars Gregory Peck and Lee Remick, whom Damien had no qualms dispensing with in the first film. The original is essential viewing for anyone, while the first two sequels are fine fare for any contemporary cinematic (by that, I mean of films since 1970) horror or religious thriller aficionado.

Following from the really enjoyable "Omen" from three years earlier, our eponymous antichrist (Jonathan Scott-Taylor) is now in his teens, and together with his cousin "Mark" (Lucas Donat) attends a military academy whilst under the care of his uncle "Richard" (William Holden) and aunt "Ann" (Lee Grant). I think the problem with this follow up is that having already been exposed to the style of horror this offers: the sharp violin music, tight facial close ups, and the use of an animal (in this case it is a crow) as his implement of choice, there is very little by way of a shock factor. Holden is way past his best as an actor, the dialogue adds little to the rather lacklustre sense of menace and the ending is completely devoid of any real jeopardy. It's enjoyable enough, but sadly not patch on the original.