THE OMEN 666: What Happens When You Have a Date First...

Message

AndyDursin · #1 Post by **AndyDursin** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 8:36 pm

...and a movie second?

Fox's THE OMEN 666 is now in production for release on (when else?) 6/6/2006. According to USA Today, "casting is underway" and filming will begin shortly in Budapest.

Want some more good news?

John Moore (BEHIND ENEMY LINES, one of the most sickeningly-directed, schizo-edited films of recent years) is attached to direct!

Now, I'm not going into a rant about remaking a "classic." Quite honestly I've enjoyed THE OMEN all my life but I'm never going to say it's a classic film. Hell, there's even room for improvement should they decide to do a trilogy remake -- OMEN II and FINAL CONFLICT each failed to follow through on their promise. If it weren't for Goldsmith's scores, would people even be watching these films today?

But John Moore?? C'MON ALREADY!!!

Sounds like this is simply a fast-track, merchandizing deal -- "hey we've got 6/6/2006 coming, let's do a remake!" -- instead of any kind of even somewhat enlightened endeavor.

We shall see...

romanD · #2 Post by **romanD** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 3:51 am

at least we can look forward for a great score!

and some cool death scenes.. but well, Final Destination is kind of an update of the Omen thing anyway, isn't it? Can't wait for FD3, that looks like sick fun so far...

Carlson2005 · #3 Post by **Carlson2005** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 7:46 am

It could be worse. Tim Storey or Michael Bay could be directing.

romanD · #4 Post by **romanD** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 8:23 am

i loved the editing (and camerawork) on BEHIND ENEMY LINES btw...

Monterey Jack · #5 Post by **Monterey Jack** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 9:45 am

I really enjoyed Moore's smoothly-crafted remake of Flight Of The Phoenix, so I choose to be cautiously optimistic, at least until I can see a trailer.

The big question is, how do you top Jerry's unforgettable score?

AndyDursin · #6 Post by **AndyDursin** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 10:00 am

It could be worse. Tim Storey or Michael Bay could be directing.

I'd take Michael Bay in a second over this guy.

at least we can look forward for a great score!

So this will be a Beltrami special then? Oh great...so from Goldsmith to Beltrami....it's like having your filet mignon replaced by a frozen dinner...or possibly even school cafeteria food.

But at least you're happy Roman!

AndyDursin · #7 Post by **AndyDursin** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 10:03 am

The big question is, how do you top Jerry's unforgettable score?

I'd say the chances of an "unforgettable score" being written for this OMEN are about as high as Jerry himself coming back to score it!

Eric W. · #8 Post by **Eric W.** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 12:26 pm

And everyone wonders why I keep talking about how Hollywood has completely run out of good ideas?

Monterey Jack · #9 Post by **Monterey Jack** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 3:36 pm

AndyDursin wrote:I'd take Michael Bay in a second over this guy.

Bay has never made a movie even a fourth as good as Moore's Flight Of The Phoenix. Hell, Bay has never made a movie a fourth as good as an Ed Wood movie.

romanD · #10 Post by **romanD** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 4:19 pm

but doesnt get THE ISLAND great reviews?

well, after Bad Boys 2 I swore myslef never to watch a MB film again...

well, the trailer for ISLAND doesn't get me much...

and funny thing is this is exactly the same story I conceived a couple years ago at filmschool... it just wasnt action based, but I had completely the same ideas, really! I guess the ending will be different, though...

well, that probably just prives how unoriginal my work was...

AndyDursin · #11 Post by **AndyDursin** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 6:38 pm

Bay has never made a movie even a fourth as good as Moore's Flight Of The Phoenix.

Well Jack, I respect your opinion, but I have to part company with you here.

I'm not a big Bay fan whatsoever but a couple of his movies are far better than Ed Wood quality. PEARL HARBOR -- in spite of its flaws (and it had plenty) -- is a far, far better movie than the FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX remake. So are THE ROCK and BAD BOYS. (I'll agree ARMAGEDDON and BAD BOYS 2 are pieces of junk).

Not that I'd want to see any of them again in the near future (trust me, I wouldn't), but at least they're entertaining for the most part -- in spite of his often-obnoxious filmmaking/editing techniques -- and audiences have enjoyed them to the tune of big box-office receipts...which is a lot more than I can say for a filmmaker whose output is comprised of one competent but unremarkable remake and BEHIND ENEMY LINES, which basically speaks for itself.

AndyDursin · #12 Post by **AndyDursin** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 6:39 pm

but doesnt get THE ISLAND great reviews?

Actually Roman the mainstream reviews that came out today were mostly mixed to negative. Ditto on the BAD NEWS BEARS remake, which got slammed from a lot of folks (with a few positives mixed in as well).

Monterey Jack · #13 Post by **Monterey Jack** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 10:29 pm

AndyDursin wrote:Well Jack, I respect your opinion, but I have to part company with you here.

I'm not a big Bay fan whatsoever but a couple of his movies are far better than Ed Wood quality. PEARL HARBOR -- in spite of its flaws (and it had plenty) -- is a far, far better movie than the FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX remake. So are THE ROCK and BAD BOYS. (I'll agree ARMAGEDDON and BAD BOYS 2 are pieces of junk).

Pearl Harbor was the single worst movie of 2001, Bad Boys was terrible, and The Rock was terrible and unbelievably sadistic (the kind of movie where it's not enough to just throw the bad guy out a window; you have to hit him with a rocket that throws him out a window that causes him to plunge hundreds of feet and get impaled on a rusty piece of machinery. Wheeeee, what fun!!!). Granted, I haven't seen Behind Enemy Lines, but Moore's Phoenix remake was surprisingly entertaining. I was leery about it due to it's truly awful and misleading trailers and TV spots (an advertising blunder that even made the bizarro ad campaign for Charlie And The Chocolate Factory seem like a work of genius), but was highly entertained nevertheless. As good as the 1965 original? Hardly, yet still a sturdy piece of survivalist entertainment, and sleekly directed, to boot (although I could have done without some of the pop song montages). As far as a new version of The Omen, the original, despite some excellent setpieces (and, of course, Jerry's music), was just horror schlock, albeit entertaining schlock, so I'm willing to at least give this new version a shot.

AndyDursin · #14 Post by **AndyDursin** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 2:04 am

Pearl Harbor was the single worst movie of 2001,

Oh come now -- there were plenty of movies that were far worse that were also released in 2001. Maybe not as many overhyped and overanalyzed blockbusters such as Bay and Bruckheimer's film, I'll grant you that, but nevertheless, I'd rather sit through PEARL HARBOR anytime than A.I. again...or ALONG CAME A SPIDER, or EVOLUTION, or TOMB RAIDER, or SERENDIPITY, or (at the very least) Mariah Carey's GLITTER.

As far as a new version of The Omen, the original, despite some excellent setpieces (and, of course, Jerry's music), was just horror schlock, albeit entertaining schlock, so I'm willing to at least give this new version a shot.

I agree with you on the old OMEN. I grew up with those movies on VHS back in the '80s and though I'm fond of them, they have plenty of problems (in spite of Goldsmith's music, which is effective in the first two and downright glorious in THE FINAL CONFLICT, surpassing both of his previous scores...it's one of his all-time best).

One thing, though: '70s shlock horror is a lot more fun than the schlock horror of today (BUTTERFLY EFFECT, JEEPERS CREEPERS, or the multitude of SCREAM rip-offs included). This movie may be equally trashy but it won't have the class the old movie had...but I will give it a fair shake just the same.

I just hope they retain the "epic" feel the old Omen trilogy had. You really felt like you were watching three connected films spread across several decades with different characters. Even though they really dropped the ball in DAMIEN OMEN II and FINAL CONFLICT, it's still one of the only big. epic "Horror Series" you can think of that actually had a continuing story and came to a resolution (more so than the Halloween and Friday the 13th series, which basically were remakes of each preceding film).

Monterey Jack · #15 Post by **Monterey Jack** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 9:40 am

AndyDursin wrote:Oh come now -- there were plenty of movies that were far worse that were also released in 2001. Maybe not as many overhyped and overanalyzed blockbusters such as Bay and Bruckheimer's film, I'll grant you that, but nevertheless, I'd rather sit through PEARL HARBOR anytime than A.I. again...or ALONG CAME A SPIDER, or EVOLUTION, or TOMB RAIDER, or SERENDIPITY, or (at the very least) Mariah Carey's GLITTER.

At least Mariah Carey's Glitter had Mariah Carey.

Honestly, Pearl Harbor better than A.I.? At least Spielberg's film, despite some flaws, had some ambition and gorgeous visuals and fine performances, while Bay's film reduced one of the most pivotal moments in 20th century American history to the level of an Archie comic book. Shameful.