I grew up in the RCC, moved over to Protestantism and engage with Messianic Judaism...all that is to say that of the two films I am with jkhom and Andy in preferring The Exorcist over The Omen. I always felt The Exorcist was more profound and disturbing in a more 'believable' way. The Omen is just a super creepy movie - I appreciate that about it but would rather watch The Exorcist.jkholm wrote: ↑Tue Oct 25, 2022 6:56 pm In the last few weeks, I've watched the first two Omen movies. Even though I'm sure I've seen them before, it felt like I was watching them for the first tome. I didn't even remember the decapitation scene!
Anyway, I'll offer a third opinion on The Omen vs. The Exorcist based on their religious appeal. I'm a Protestant and prefer The Exorcist which I find to be much more thoughtful and intelligent in its treatment of spiritual themes. It's been more than a year since I last watched it yet I m still thinking about it. The Omen movies, on the other hand, while entertaining as thrillers, seem like they were written by someone who never bothered reading the Bible before they wrote the script.
For one thing several characters who ought to know better call the last book of the New Testament "Revelations" plural instead of "Revelation" singular, its correct title. A pedantic point I grant you but it still bothered me. Or at least made me roll my eyes. And in the first movie, some of the verses they quote in order to prove that Damien is the Antichrist are completely made up! I went through a phase many years ago in which i read several books on the subject of biblical eschatology (the study of the end times.) While I agree with Eric that there is a bit of evangelical end-times thinking in The Omen, it's not presented very well.
And on a side note I too roll my eyes when people say 'Revelations.' Lol...the Greek word translated 'revelation' that opens up the book is in the singular (apokalypsis).