The Omen (Widescreen Edition)
As typically happens with horror films, the unrated extended scenes and extended ending ofThe Omenare an opportunistic excuse to show more gore than the theatrical release. In this case, the unrated extended scenes are "The Impaling" of the priest played by Pete Postlethwaite (showing that character's grisly fate in longer shots and different angles, so we see his face sliced up by shards of fallen glass); and "The Beheading" (of the photographer played by David Thewlis) includes a few insert shots of splattering blood and the severed head rolling down a flight of stairs. In the extended ending, Liev Schrieber's character is shot multiple times by the police (instead of just once, as shown in the theatrical version), and the camera lingers on his death. "Omenisms" is an excellent and candidly revealing behind-the-scenes documentary that emphasizes the difficulties (or curses?) encountered during production, and it's one of the few "making of" featurettes to show the director (John Moore) actually losing his temper over unforeseen delays like a full day's shooting lost to damaged negative or an important night scene delayed by faulty dolly track. Lighter moments are also included, giving the viewer an excellent idea of what it's like to actually be on a movie set. The "Abbey Road Sessions" featurette offers an in-depth look at composer Marco Beltrami as his superb score forThe Omenis recorded in the legendary London studio. "Revelations 666" is a 22-minute program produced for British TV that explores our social fascination with good and evil, and the historical significance of the number "666," with interviews from a variety of "experts" including Christian author Tim LaHaye and Brian Moore, a warlock from the Church of Satan; it's a bit silly and sensational, but otherwise enjoyable and informative. The feature-length commentary by director John Moore, producer Glenn Williamson and editor Dan Zimmerman is a mixed bag of casual observations, but dedicatedOmenfans should give it a listen for a few interesting comments about set design, editing, visual technique, and other filmmaking details. Also included are the film's theatrical teaser, two theatrical trailers, and a trailer for the 1976OmenCollector's Edition DVD.--Jeff Shannon