Product Description

Since the sudden and highly-suspicious death of his parents, 12 year-old Damien has been in the charge of his billionaire uncle Richard Thorne (William Holden) Widely feared to be the Antichrist, Damien relentlessly plots to seize control of his uncle's multi-national food conglomerate- and the world. Meanwhile, anyone attempting to unravel the secrets of Damien's sinister past or fiendish future meets with a swift and cruel demise.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #35591 in DVD
• Brand: Twentieth Century Fox
• Released on: 2000-09-05
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 107 minutes

Amazon.com
Several years after the mysterious events that claimed the life of the U.S. Ambassador and his wife, the now teenaged and militarily enrolled Damien Thorne is slowly being made aware of his unholy heritage and horrific destiny. Woe is he (including anyone in Damien's adoptive family and his classmates) who suspects the truth or gets in his way. While not as unrelentingly frightening as its blockbuster predecessor, this more-than-competent sequel to The Omen raises some interesting questions about the nature of free will (can the antichrist deny his birthright?) before falling into a gory series of increasingly outlandish deaths, the best of which is a terrifyingly protracted scene beneath the ice of a frozen lake. Jerry Goldsmith (who won an Oscar for his work on the first film in the series) contributes another marvelously foreboding score. --Andrew Wright

Customer Reviews

THE RETURN OF DAMIEN...A LITTLE OLDER...A LITTLE WISER
This sequel, released two years after the blockbuster success of "The Omen", is itself a stylish thriller. Featuring an excellent cast, it attempts to continue the momentum of the original. While having some shortcomings, the film, nonetheless, manages to entertain and shock. This is due in large part to its excellent cast and another chilling musical score by Jerry Goldsmith that is used to great effect.

This film continues the story begun in "The Omen". The Antichrist, Damien (Jonathan Scott Taylor), is here on earth and is now twelve, His parents, Katherine and Robert Thorn, now dead, and Damien is being raised by his uncle, Richard Thorn (William Holden) and his second wife, Ann (Lee Grant). He lives with them and Richard Thorn's son by his first wife, Mark (Lucas Donat). Damien is disliked by his Aunt Marion (Sylvia Sidney), who counsels the Thorns to separate Mark from Damien with whom he is close.

Damien attends a militairy boarding school with his cousin Mark. There, Damien's interests are looked after by Sgt. Neff (Lance Hendricksen), a sort of earthly sentinel. There, Damien begins to flex his satanic muscles, much to the chagrin of a school bully. Meanwhile, Damien's interests in the Thorn family's multi-million dollar empire are being watched over by his uncle's highly placed executive employee, Paul Buher (Robert Foxworth), unbeknownst to his uncle. This is a man about whom Thorn's chief executive, Bill Atherton (Lew Ayres) has some serious misgivings. When several of the people who stand in the way of Damien securing control of the family fortune meet unusual deaths, the viewer knows that Damien's true nature has been unleashed.

William Holden and Lee Grant are terrific. With straightforward, sincere portrayals, they are the linchpins of this movie. Jonathan Scott Taylor is good as Damien but not particularly charismatic. Well nuanced performances are given by Richard Foxworth and Lance Hendriksen, Damien's earthly sentinels. Old timer Lew Ayres is wonderful as the ethical business man, and Sylvia Sidney is terrific as the aunt who knows that there is something wrong with Damien. Lucas Donat is excellent as Damien's cousin Mark.

There is a surprising twist at the end of this film, that is sure to catch the viewer unawares. Still, that is not enough to make this sequel comparable to the original. It lacks the subtlety and deft direction of "The Omen". While the director, Don Taylor, does a competent job of directing this sequel, some of the scenes are heavy handed, giving in to special effects that detract from the film, rather than enhance it.

The opening scene is a prime example of gratuitous excess. Here, the archaeologist, Bugenhagen, played by Leo McKern, reprising his original role in "The Omen", is trapped in a ruin with a friend of his, while showing him a fresco of an Antichrist that looks remarkably like Damien. As the walls come tumbling down about them, the special effects are so hokey as to be laughable. This was unnecessary, as the actors themselves were strong enough to carry the scene, had it been shot with more subtlety. Less is sometimes more, a mechanism that the original director, Richard Donner, employed to great effect.

The DVD has some bonus features, such as a commentary by the producer, but is not a loaded DVD. It has clarity of picture and sound. The DVD is well worth having, however, if one is a fan of the original film upon which this sequel was predicated.

"Please Come with Me, Mark"
Over-the-top but highly effective sequel to the 1976 horror classic "the Omen." Seven years after the mysterious death of his "parents," Daniem Thorne, the Devil's son, is now twelve and living in Chicago with his adopted aunt and uncle. It is during this time when Damien learns his true identity while attending military academy. Meanwhile, folks are coming out of the woodwork to warn Richard Thorne (William Holden) that he and his wife are in danger, but anyone who so much as hints that Damien is the son of Satan gets offed--quickly and nastily. Some scenes are truly creepy; there's one scene that looks like an outtake of "the Birds," only this time it's more gory. But by far the most intense scene is the "confrontation" between Damian and his cousin Mark, who finds out who he really is. The picture is really good, although the Dolby Surround sound is really little more than glorified mono. Nevertheless, this film is flawed but well done and a must-have for fans of the horror genre.

"Damien Omen II" continues the demonic spell
Now going on thirteen, Damien Thorn (Jonathan Scott-Taylor) is living in Chicago with his uncle Richard (William Holden) and his second wife Ann (Lee Grant). Damien is enrolled in a military academy and leads a charmed life, as Richard is president of Thorn Industries, a multi-national food conglomerate.

The remains of Bugenhagen - and the daggers - are located during an archaeological dig, as well as a box which contains a letter addressed to Richard, warning him about his nephew. Richard initially refuses to believe "the rantings of a senile old man" but reconsiders when those around them start falling victim to "accidents."

Meanwhile, at the urging of his drill sergeant Daniel Neff (Lance Henrikson) Damien reads the Bible - and discovers who he is. Richard's paranoia is heightened when following a small explosion at his plant, everyone is affected by noxious gas - except Damien. After his young son is suddenly stricken by a stroke (while alone with Damien) and he witnesses the horrific death of a friend, Richard retrieves the daggers and declares, "That boy has got to die."

This is an entertaining and competent sequel which continues the story, but it's more of an involving story than a frightening one. Jerry Goldsmith contributes another chilling score. Well done, and it does justice to the original.