The Omen’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan
October 31, 2023 · The Omen (1976) · Horror · Mystery · 1:20:06
Categories
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill SimmonsMultiple scenes: Damien's fifth birthday party with the nanny hanging, the visit from the red-eyed priest in Peck's office, and the mom arguing with the new nanny about going to church▶ 23:11
Chris RyanDiscusses the birthday party scene extensively, focusing on how unrealistic it would be to continue normal life after such an incident, and notes the church scene's cinematography▶ 23:54
Big Kahuna Burger Award
Bill SimmonsCouldn't think of anything specific, noted lack of eating scenes but mentioned Damien wanting to eat raw ground beef (comparing to Rosemary's Baby)▶ 47:17
Great Shot Gordo Award
Bill SimmonsThe shot right after they get away from the dogs in the cemetery - one last shot of the dogs behind the gate with the moon behind it▶ 48:01
Chris RyanThe tracking shots when Brennan is in the park before he gets to the church, with leaves blowing and the crane shot up into the trees looking down on him▶ 47:47
Butch's Girlfriend Award
Bill SimmonsThe nanny refusing to get rid of the dog and the household staff's incompetence - how the nanny won't remove the rottweiler despite orders and no one in the household follows through▶ 48:57
Chris RyanAgrees with the household staff issue but finds the ambiguous sequence with Mrs. Horton leaving and the main character's casual reaction to be strangely handled▶ 49:25
Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Bill SimmonsThe Omen is the greatest horror IP that nobody has properly leveraged - it should be a five-season TV series following Damien from age 5 through his rise to power, like The Crown but with the Antichrist▶ 56:10
Chris RyanDisagrees with the TV series approach, preferring movies because 50 hours would be too much before reaching the conclusion, and notes that modern productions lack the dark edge of 70s films▶ 57:04
Casting What-Ifs
Bill SimmonsCharlton Heston — Discussed Oliver Reed, William Holden, Charlton Heston (who was offered the role but turned it down), and Roy Scheider as alternate casting possibilities▶ 58:39
Chris RyanCharlton Heston — Discussed how actors like Charlton Heston and Gregory Peck would take on darker roles despite being associated with more moral characters, and compared this to Tom Hanks's more cautious role choices▶ 59:02
Half-Assed Internet Research
Bill SimmonsAgrees the cursed production is creepy, mentions Poltergeist was the top example of cursed productions, notes horror movies often have cursed productions with thematic connections▶ 1:04:35
Chris RyanCursed production facts including IRA bomb at Donner's hotel, crew missed a plane that crashed, Peck and screenwriter's plane hit by lightning, special effects director John Richardson died in car accident, Lee Remick died at 55 from kidney cancer▶ 1:03:32
Apex Mountain
Bill SimmonsLee Remick — Discusses Gregory Peck (no), Lee Remick (maybe due to Oscar nomination but this is her biggest movie), antichrist movies (still thinks Rosemary's Baby over The Omen), agrees on The Shining for creepy tricycle riding, agrees on The Hand That Rocks the Cradle for evil nannies▶ 1:04:58
Chris RyanThe Shining — Agrees on The Shining for creepy tricycle riding, discusses rottweilers (can't think of another rottweiler movie, mentions The Day of the Jackal but notes it's just a nickname)▶ 1:05:24
Picking Nits
Bill SimmonsWas Damien a common name in the 70s? What's so creepy about the name Damien? What was Baylock doing the first 40 years of her life?▶ 1:09:43
Chris RyanToo much information is conveyed in riddles, poems, and biblical scripture - Brennan should have just given a clear 10-point plan. Questions about whether Baylock was possessed and what she was doing before Damien.▶ 1:10:17
Sequel/Prequel/Limited Series/Remake
Bill SimmonsPrestige TV series with all-star cast including Wayne Jenkins, Daniel Trejo, Katherine Hahn, Steve Buscemi, Sam Jackson, JT Walsh, or Philip Baker Hall▶ 1:11:44
Chris RyanPrequel/prestige TV series about a coven of rebel priests creating religious and political discord, with the nanny character being part of this group working to create the right atmosphere for the antichrist▶ 1:11:04
Is This Movie Better With
Chris RyanImagined Wayne Jenkins taking Damien to the zoo, creating a chaotic and absurd scene.▶ 1:12:07
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill SimmonsWould a mother instinctively know their baby had been replaced; how does a jackal become pregnant with the antichrist; where do jackals come from; where did Mrs. Baylock come from; is this really a movie about abortion▶ 1:12:49
Chris RyanParents constantly evaluate who babies look like so they would notice; Spiletto is the original Picasso of the trade machine; agrees the movie has abortion themes with conservative and liberal attitudes represented▶ 1:13:07
Best Double Feature
Chris RyanDamien: Omen II — Agrees with The Omen II pairing, discusses its merits including the twist ending and teenage Damien being scary, but notes it basically redoes the first movie's premise▶ 1:15:37
Coach Finstock Life Lesson
Bill SimmonsIf your wife gives birth to a baby who dies, don't replace the baby with a different baby and don't tell her▶ 1:17:17
Who Won the Movie
Bill SimmonsEvil/Satan - agrees it's the first time they've given 'Who Won the Movie' to evil▶ 1:18:12
Chris RyanSatan himself/evil - initially wondered if evil could win a movie but settled on this pick▶ 1:17:32
Movies Referenced (33)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday the 13th (1980) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 9:45 |
| Halloween (1978) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 3:11 |
| The Exorcist (1973) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 3:19 |
| Nope (2022) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 30:33 |
| Rosemary's Baby (1968) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 3:32 |
| Alien (1979) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 8:53 |
| As Good as It Gets (1997) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 11:27 |
| Carrie (1976) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 14:52 |
| Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 18:50 |
| Planet of the Apes (2001) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 59:18 |
| Superman (2025) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 18:12 |
| The Shining (1980) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:05:24 |
Directors Referenced (2)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Donner | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | Lethal Weapon | ▶ 5:54 |
| Sean Penn | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Mystic River, 21 Grams, Dead Man Walking | ▶ 16:16 |
Actors Referenced (12)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gregory Peck | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | To Kill a Mockingbird, Roman Holiday | ▶ 2:32 |
| Lee Remick | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | The Omen, Anatomy of a Murder, Days of Wine and Roses | ▶ 2:34 |
| David Warner | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Titanic | ▶ 1:00:34 |
| William Holden | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Chris Ryan | Sunset Boulevard | ▶ 58:39 |
| Macaulay Culkin | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | Home Alone, The Good Son | ▶ 8:36 |
| Robert Downey Jr. | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan | Iron Man, Iron Man 3 | ▶ 2:21 |
| Angie Dickinson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | Dressed to Kill | ▶ 43:46 |
| Biden Hall | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 26:03 | |
| Caroline Bible | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 11:50 | |
| John Richardson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:04:12 | |
| Patricia Neal | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 43:41 | |
| Sam Neill | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Jurassic Park | ▶ 4:40 |
Writers Referenced (3)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 21:22 | |
| David Seltzer | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | The Omen | ▶ 1:02:19 |
| Stephen King | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 13:36 |
Cinematographers Referenced (2)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilbert Taylor | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, The Omen | ▶ 19:20 |
| Ivan Strasburg | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 17:39 |