WASHINGTON 鈥� Three years ago, A&E revived Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” (1960) for an聽Emmy-nominated TV horror-drama聽with聽“Bates Motel” (2013).
Now, the network聽is at聽it again with its new series “Damien” (2016), arriving聽just in time for the 40th anniversary of Richard Donner’s “The Omen” (1976), which聽joined Roman Polanski’s “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968)聽and聽William Friedkin’s “The Exoricst” (1973) as an unholy trinity of Biblical thrillers.
This isn’t聽the franchise’s first resurrection.聽The聽1976聽film聽starring Gregory Peck and Lee Remick was such a hit that William Holden and Lee Grant came on board for “Damien: Omen II” (1978), followed by聽Sam Neill in “The Final Conflict” (1981), a forgettable fourth chapter “Omen IV: The Awakening” (1991) and a lackluster remake with Liev Schreiber and Julia Stiles in “The Omen” (2006).
Monday night, the trend continues with Episode 2 of “Damien,” created by Glen Mazzara, former show runner of AMC’s “The Walking Dead.”聽We聽catch up聽with Damien Thorn (Bradley James) years after his Harvey Stephens childhood and Jonathan Scott-Taylor聽adolescence, but just before Neill’s Armageddon adult.聽It’s now his 30th birthday 鈥� the same age Christ reportedly began his ministry.
Ignorant of聽his divine identity, Damien serves as a war photographer in Damascus, Syria. But during a security crackdown, he comes face-to-face with a mysterious Old Woman who jars his memory, recalling聽horrific childhood images as he gradually learns that he may in fact be the Antichrist.
The pilot episode聽features plenty of nostalgia for “Omen” fans with聽the return of all聽your old creepy favorites: the watchful ravens, the guardian Rottweilers, the crucifix knives, photographs capturing the supernatural, a prot茅g茅 of Bugenhagen from the town of聽Megiddo and a perfectly cast聽Barbara Hershey (“Black Swan”) as Damien’s protector Ann Rutledge, just like the terrifying Billie Whitelaw.
Music composer Bear McCreary (“Walking Dead”) samples the chilling piano notes and demonic choir of Jerry Goldsmith’s Oscar-winning score, while Indian director聽Shekhar Kapur (“Elizabeth”) provides聽numerous flashbacks聽to聽the 1976 original, from the nanny’s shocking suicide at Damien’s birthday party to the climax of an ill-fated Gregory Peck dragging Harvey Stephens to the alter.
The pilot’s opening and closing bookends are powerful, as Adult Damien 鈥� resembling a spiky-haired Jesse Pinkman 鈥� enters a聽sanctuary beneath an extreme high angle looking down from the heavens. As the church doors open, he appears bathed in blurry backlight,聽intentionally out of focus, before approaching the alter,聽kneeling before the聽crucifix and confronting his divine adversary.
As the episode continues, Kapur takes a page from Friedkin’s “Exorcist” by taking us to the cradle of civilization 鈥� perfect for demonic awakenings of Biblical proportions 鈥� introducing聽a Middle Eastern cityscape where old women in shawls stare聽holes through聽our protagonist, much like they did Max Von Sydow.聽Even as Damien returns to New York City, a voyeuristic camera聽watches him 鈥� and his love interest 鈥� from afar, suggesting an聽eerie omniscience that escalates the dreadful mood.
But despite these effective techniques,聽there are already several red flags that cause concern for the series’ pacing going forward. At times, the show feels more like聽the “Omen” sequels with a rapidly increasing聽death count becoming more important than slow-burn suspense. I get the聽temptation, but certainly the show would be better off if it didn’t kill off characters right as they are introduced.
The first episode alone features two violent deaths when one would have sufficed. We聽won’t say which characters die, but the聽first victim is a fitting demise by a聽familiar foe, while the second victim suffers an over-the-top death聽that could become a tonal sinkhole.聽The original film had just four deaths before its climax. The new show already has聽half that amount 鈥� after just one episode.
Here’s hoping future episodes take heed from the ominous build-up that defined the 1976 original. Not every shock needs to result聽in death — Damien’s freak out driving up to the聽church, the baboon attack at the zoo, the tricycle injuring Remick on the balcony, and聽the barking dogs at the cemetery. That way, when the fatal moments聽诲辞听happen聽(i.e. the decapitation), we are shocked all the more.
Donner gradually built up to one of cinema’s聽most聽chilling climaxes 鈥� a textbook example of suspense 鈥� as Peck outsmarts a panting hell hound,聽tiptoes up the stairs into Damien’s room and quietly snips his hair to reveal the “666” truth, all while his nanny protector sleeps in the adjoining bedroom.
The ensuing resolution is perfection, complete with British cop sirens and a child’s plea of “daddy no” as a religious dagger threatens to spill his blood at the alter. Slow-motion gunfire then triggers a final聽burial scene with arguably聽the greatest closing image of any horror movie, as Stephens flashes a聽knowing smile right at the camera, triggering the “Ave Satani” theme and superimposed Bible verse.
If you haven’t seen the film, you’ll definitely want to watch it before diving into A&E’s “Damien,” as the pilot episode relies so heavily on flashbacks. It’s聽impossible to separate my own “Omen” memories, but I’d be curious to see how someone who hasn’t seen the movie reacts to the TV show. I suspect that聽much of the opening episode might not resonate as much聽without prior film viewing.
Which is the ultimate irony of聽A&E’s recent slogan “Be Original.” There is simply no topping the 1976 horror聽masterpiece, but if it’s even half as compelling as “Bates Motel,” it will have been worth it. Just as Vera Farmiga’s Norma Bates has聽inspired a new generation to discover Hitchcock’s “Psycho,” perhaps “Damien” will renew聽interest in聽“The Omen.” This mindset is the best way to stave off the depressing thought of our remake culture.聽Tell yourself it’s bringing new exposure to genre classics.
Or, to quote the movie, when it comes to Hollywood history, it’s all for you.
