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The Omen (1976)
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This big-budget horror blockbuster is given class by a distinguished cast and an unsettling atmosphere created by director Richard Donner. Gregory Peck plays the American diplomat who takes the fateful decision to substitute another child for his own stillborn infant. Lee Remick is terrific as his wife, unknowing of the deception yet deeply suspicious of her sinister son. Cleverly borrowing a prophecy from the Book of Revelation about the rise of the Antichrist, scriptwriter David Seltzer fashions a supernatural terror tale of religious-epic proportions. Three sequels and a remake (in 2006) were to follow, yet this is still the best episode because it sustains its suspenseful premise to the end and generates genuine unease, not least through a catalogue of imaginative ghastly deaths. AJ
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| Contains violence, swearing. |
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Tell us what you think
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Running time
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106min
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Country of origin
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US
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Genre
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Horror
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Alternate title
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Birthmark
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Original language
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English
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Screenplay
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David Seltzer
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Theatrical distributor
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Fox-Rank
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UK cinema certificate
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X
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| awards information |
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Award |
Category |
Name |
Nominee/Winner |
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| BAFTA 1976 |
Best Supporting Actress |
Billie Whitelaw |
Nominee |
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Film certification logos reproduced by kind permission of BBFC |
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