the Omen (1976) is the scariest movie EVER

It’s not the scariest ever but it’s good for what it is. That shit remake pisses me off.

I share your opinion, OP. It's not even the gore and "scared out of your seat" moments, it's the atmosphere, soundtrack, the permeating sense of evil, everything. "Martyrs" was the only other movie that made me so uneasy for days on end.

I'll never forget going with my family to see it in the theater when it came out. Right in the middle of a really scary scene, all the power went out in the theater and everything was pitch black. Several people started screaming. We all sat there in the dark for about 10 minutes before the power came back on and the movie continued. It had an extra layer of creepiness to the movie.

Lee Remick falling to her death and crashing through the hood of the ambulance traumatized me as a kid.

This movie scared the shit out of me as a kid and had me wanting to check my scalp in the mirror to see if I had 666 on my head.

Mrs. Baylock, Damian’s nanny and protector, was super creepy. Also, the photographer’s decapitation freaked me out. I was 11 and saw this on cable television, which was new at the time and played only a few movies again and again. This was one of the first I remember,

R6 Oh, God. Seeing David Warner's head sliced off by the flying glass totally freaked me out.

That scene is listed in Collider's list of best performances of David Warner.

It’s the soundtrack that makes it scary. “Tubular Bells” can’t compete with microtonal Satan invoking chanting.

Great movie but agree to disagree. Exorcist is far scarier.

That kid was creepy and ugly. I never understood why they didn’t just throw him out on the lawn and forget about him.

Another vote here for the Exorcist being scarier.

For my money, the most suspenseful and frightening movie is Wait Until Dark. You have to watch it without commercial interruption so you build to the climactic confrontation and thrill.

Jaws, is the scariest.

R12 That jump scare when Alan Arkin springs out of the darkness and grabs Audrey Hepburn made *me* jump a mile the first time I saw it.

Ok some of you are way way way off topic.

It's strange they chose a thin-lipped Karen dressed as a military cadet to play the older Damian in the sequel.

AKA: Donald John Trump’s childhood?

What a good movie. I agree, OP, it was scarier than the exorcist (to me, at least).

Children should be neither seen nor heard.

Unless they’re performing.

As a wee gayling, I thought Lee Remick as the mom was so lovely and elegantly put together. Her hair was a precursor to that smooth, Jaclyn Smith, bountiful waves look.

Except for Sam Neal, none of the other actors that played the part had much in the way of acting careers.

As a child, I was fascinated by the idea of the photographs predicting the deaths and to this day, found footage and “media haunting” movies are still my favorite (Paranormal Activity, for example).

Also: silver fox Gregory Peck

Lee Remick was stunning.

It's right up there with The Exorcist. And like The Exorcist, a lot of bad shit happened on the set of that movie.

I highly recommend the Shudder series Cursed Films. They cover both movies, and others.

I don’t know if this Spotify link will work, but there’s a funny movie discussion podcast called I SAW WHAT YOU DID. They discus “The Omen” in the episode ‘Signs Your Child Might Be The Antichrist’

[italic] This week, Danielle and Millie discuss THE OMEN (1976) and PET SEMATARY (1989), Millie’s new book, Italians’ weird problems with dogs, and the necessity for microchipping babies.

^^ It’s at the [bold]37:00 mark

The Exoricst was a story about the mystery and power of faith. The outcome was ultimately positive for the protagonists

There is no such outcome in The Omen. It leaves the viewer with a lingering feeling of unease and dread, modeled after the second coming of Christ - and a demonic mockery of same. The ending is far more bleak and therefore in many ways far more terrifying.

No comparison. The Exorcist is the scarier movie by far.

The Omen is a good creepy movie, but the classic horror of The Exorcist scared me shitless as an 11yo gayling, it's all that occupied my head space for weeks on end, I couldn't even sleep...

They're both good movies.

I was jealous of Damian. I wanted to be the Antichrist.

R6

The evil nanny (not the one who died “I did it for you, Damian!) was played by Billie Whitelaw, who much later played Joyce Cooper, the Hot Fuzz innkeeper.

The Exorcist didn't scare me. It just grossed me out. The Omen scared me a little, but it was more creepy than scary. The movie that really scared me was the ending of The Sentinel.

The Exorcist is scarier because it's based on my life story

The Exorcist scared the living shit out of me. I had to sleep with a light on in my room for months. I love both movies , but the Exorcist by far frightened me the most.

Same

I disobeyed my parents ans watched it on the sly in the basement (we're talking mid 80s). I was 12. My probably psychopathic 11 YO cousin laughed throughout as though it was a comedy.

My mother later asked me if I regretted it. I told that I did, and that I wish I never saw it as I was afraid it scarred me for life. It kind of did; I still can't watch it alone.

I read many years later that Ellen Burstyn had an identical story concerning her son. He kept pestering her and she finally relented and allowed him to watch it when he was 15. He also expressed regret at watching it.

The Exorcist is also number one for me and superlative. Even the music gives me the chills.

The Omen while scary was pretty campy.

Shitty. And not scary. Campy.

Alien is the scariest movie ever.

The decapitation scene in The Omen made me giggle

I saw The Omen for the first time since seeing the original in the theater. Wasn't scary then, wasn't scary the 2nd time. Maybe a bit creepy, but that's about it.

The Shining scared me the most. I first saw it probably 40 years ago and I'm still creeped out by Jack Nicholson.

The scariest thing in the whole movie for me was the suicide of Damien's first nanny (who was played by someone famous's daughter... was it Jack Palance) when she appears on the roof with the noose around her neck and ecstatically cries, "This is all for you, Damien!" before she jumps off to her death.

It seemed like a quality production, not just a drive-in creeper of the week. Though when big stars do Horror it's usually considered a step down. It opened in June, and was a huge success ($60 million from a $3 million budget).

"Despite Bernhard's claim, there were other actors considered for the role because studios were reluctant to cast Peck as a child killer. Warner Bros. Pictures thought the role would be ideal for Oliver Reed. William Holden turned it down, claiming he didn't want to star in a film about the devil. Holden would later portray Thorn's brother, Richard, in the sequel, Damien: Omen II (1978). A firm offer was made to Charlton Heston on July 19, 1975. He turned down the part on July 27, not wanting to spend an entire winter alone in Europe and also concerned that the film might have an exploitative feel if not handled carefully. Roy Scheider, Dick Van Dyke, and Charles Bronson were also considered for the role of Robert Thorn."

If you have 8 1/2 hrs. to spare..

Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore would have been an interesting choice.

I’m a horror fan and I love The Omen. I think I prefer the sequel though a little more because Damien has a much bigger role because the actor is a teenager. His cousin Mark, also a teen, is a good contrast to Damien. Mark is played by Lucas Donat who is Michael Learned’s (The Waltons) son.

The trailer for the original is much better, however.

Damien running his Mom over with a tricycle is hilarious

R48 I prefer The 1978 Omen Ii as well for so very many reasons. It was more scary, and I love Lee Grant.

Interestingly enough, my best mate's parents were on set, and were able to meet William Holden. Harvey Bernhard was my best mate's father's cousin. Funny that.

The atmosphere, the atmosphere is chilling

The Exorcist terrified me when I watched the TV version at 11 years old. I slept with a bible and rosary beads for a month afterwards. And we were not Catholic!

Billie Whitelaw also played Madame Defarge in a tv miniseries of “A Tale of Two Cities”, which I had to watch for school. It aired around the same time I first watched “The Omen”, so she made quite an impression on me. She had such an interesting, iconic face.

Billie Whitelaw, Samuel Beckett's actress of choice.

Jaws. Alien. Scariest.

After Gregory Peck got killed, It just pissed me off. I wanted to make Damien my own personal Christina Crawford. But I do like the film.

Not a movie but scariest for me was Salem's Lot miniseries circa 1979

For me, it's Don't Look Now (1973)