The Exorcist vs the Omen
- Thread starter upsidedownwalrus
- Start date
The reason the omen scared me when i watched it aged around 17 was this.
I was watching it at my mates house, and after it finished, my mate had fallen asleep (great advert for the film there), so i shook him and said "i'm going to head home now", to which he replied talking in his sleep "You can't go home, you will die".
It was the scariest walk home ever
I was watching it at my mates house, and after it finished, my mate had fallen asleep (great advert for the film there), so i shook him and said "i'm going to head home now", to which he replied talking in his sleep "You can't go home, you will die".
It was the scariest walk home ever
Orang Utan
Psychick Worrier Ov Geyoor
Only Catholics seem to be scared by The Exorcist - everyone else thinks it's hilarious.
El Sueno
Dabbler
I love The Exorcist, yeah it was a little over the top but everything was in 1973, as recent hit tv drama 'Life on Mars' neatly demonstrates. There were absolutely tons of seminal films and records released in 1973, and for that fact alone I plumbed for The Exorcist in the poll.
Reno said:
We do see the baby. The last scene - "He has his fathers eyes!" and we see a very unhuman creature.
Between the three I prefer 'The Omen' as it scared the bejayzus out of me when I was young - it quite disturbed me. 'The Exorcist' I saw a copy of when I was about 14 and was watching with friends in a jokey way, so it didn't affect me at all. I've seen it since and it does have more of an affect on me. 'Rosemarys Baby' is a great film I think because you feel the deterioration in Farrow's characters mindset, her alienation and paranoia. I think it's the cleverest of the three.
'The Omen' takes it for me though, especially given it's open ending hence follow-ups. Hell, I even enjoyed the made for tv Omen 4 (which starred the 'Julie' character from 'V').
Reno
The In Kraut
Jambooboo said:
No we don't, but it's a mistake that's easily made. It's not the baby we see but a flashback to the rape/dream sequence. After Ruth Gordon's witch explains that the child has his fathers eyes to a horrified Rosemary, there is a brief close up of Satan's eyes from her point of view as she remembers getting raped.
stereotypical
hospitality king
Omen all the way, Ive never really liked the exorcist. Im mean its ok and all and i tend to watch it when its on TV or whatever.
But the Omen.....
But the Omen.....
This is the scene mimicked in the Astronaut's Wife only it is done in a farcical way, the astronaut's face is meant to look threatening but in fact looks contorted and rather ridiculous seen from below (from the woman's perspective, he is supposed to transform into someone she doesn't recognise).Reno said:
ginger_syn
Her Insanity laughs under pressure...👾
The Omen was loads better than the Exorcist, which is probably the most boring film I've ever seen except for 2001,the Omen was scary though I have issue's with the soundtrack, and the bad image it gave to rottweilers was unfair
DarthSydodyas
rusting
Both films are the dogs bollox.
I think the Omen probably edges it for best film. However, I have always, even when I was younger, had real trouble being scared by horror flicks, and therefore was scared by neither the Omen or the Exorcist. That being said, the only time I can remember being genuinely disturbed by such a film was during the otherwise shite third Exorcist film, the part where there's a lingering shot of a hospital corridor and a nurse doing her rounds and suddenly this cloaked figure suddenly comes into view.
Reno
The In Kraut
cymrukid said:
It's a great scene. I don't think the film is that bad actually. Originally it was shot under the title Legion, which was William Peter Blatty's literary follow up to his novel of The Exorcist focusing on two minor characters from the book. Then the studio decided it would be more profitable to call it Exorcist III and after that they decided that the film now needed an exorcism (the original novel and script had absolutely nothing to do with exorcism) and shoot and inserted the hokey subplot about the priest who follows a calling to eventually perform the title task, which close to ruins the film. Parts of it are still quite powerful and as with you, at the time it was one of the few horror films I'd seen that genuinely scared me. I wished they gave Blatty a chance to restore the original version of his film, which apparently he's desperate to do.
RubberBuccaneer
Hedd Wyn
Reno said:
Yep, Legion is a great book. Well worth a read.
The film doesn't do it justice.
Donna Ferentes
jubliado
I've not seen it but can it be more ridiculous than the "sex in armour" scene from Excalibur?Leica said:
Speaking of sex scenes, I'm sure I've mentioned this here before: I used to know someone who'd been to film school in the eighties and he said the scene that was singled out as prime example of how not to do it was in a film called Bolero. I've seen this film and the scene in question is indeed quite funny, complete with bed detaching itself from the ground and revolving around the room to the score of Bo Derek's ecstatic sounds.Donna Ferentes said:
Donna Ferentes
jubliado
Talking of Bolero, do any of the film buffs here know anything about a cartoon I saw years ago, in which life evolves on a planet from a discarded Coke bottle while Ravel plays in the background?
Reno
The In Kraut
Donna Ferentes said:
That's from Allegro non troppo. Fantastic Italian animation feature which was a parody of Disney's Fantasia.
http://imdb.com/title/tt0074121/
Donna Ferentes
jubliado
Christ, thanks, that's been killing me for years.
When I next forget it I'll remember to ask you again.
When I next forget it I'll remember to ask you again.
El Sueno
Dabbler
Anyone seen Polanski's The Ninth Gate with Johnny Depp? That's pretty good, that. Book dealer goes on wild adventure on behalf of mysterious collector to try and determine which of three develish books is the original. Turns out they all are, and it's the three books together which unlock the key to the other world. Typical Polanski really, lots of atmosphere and a subtle twist at the end.
Badger Decoy
The Musical Dictator
In the end The Omen has to be more scary because it doesnt feature a spinning puppet's head spewing pea soup at the camera. And the music's way better.
DaveCinzano
WATCH OUT, GEORGE, HE'S GOT A SCREWDRIVER!
Sea Star
have you ever explored your dark side?
The Omen used to frighten me as a kid but I was 45 before I could bring myself to watch the Exorcist all the way through without having someone sitting there watching it with me. 
especially where she crab walks down the stairs. I know everyone else says its silly but I still find it genuinely terrifying.
especially where she crab walks down the stairs. I know everyone else says its silly but I still find it genuinely terrifying.
Lurdan
old wave
Had you seen the film when it was first released this scene wouldn't have been a problem. Friedkin added it back in for one of the (two? three? I've lost count) re-edits he's supervised over the years.
Saw them both when they were first released. Loved The Omen (the sequels not so much), left a bit unmoved by The Exorcist. Mileage does indeed vary.
clicker
nanook rubs it....
They are staging the Exorcist from this October at either the Playhouse or Phoenix Theatre in London... can't remember which. Will get tickets as a festive treat . I love the bit inbetween christmas and new year in London and always try and cram in a live show of some sort or another . No doubt will scare myself senseless , but I want to get up close and personal to the green pea soup.
eta yes the crab walk IS scary
eta yes the crab walk IS scary
Sea Star
have you ever explored your dark side?
Yeah I was aware. Have seen a few versions including the original, over the years. Found them all scary.
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