Back in 1976, as the wave of apocolyptic fervor struck movie goers and readers throughout America, some creative folks decided to conjur a tale of a young Anti-Christ. They came up with The Omen.
In swift and smart bit of marketing David Seltzer’s The Omen was in effect a serialization of the 1976 movie. As it was released before the major theatrical release, it followed the screenplay very closely, while adding layers and different details not seen in the film.
The Omen follows the birth of the Anti-Christ and his clandestine placement into the bossom of a rising American political family, the Thornes. Photogenic, rich and powerful Jeremy and Katherine Thorne find happiness with their well behaved, but oddly growing young son.
We know who he is, no spoilers here, Damian is the Anti-Christ and you wait and watch he and his minions rise to power. Their goal, corruption and defilement of humanity.
Like the movie, The Omen has those odd and prophetic deaths, with some punchy grotesque images. No long exposition, just brief gross moments which vividly portray this abomination on Earth.
One of the B3 crew cannot watch or read religio-horror, finding it deeply disturbing and yes, horrific. God versus the Devil, Satan manipulating man, the profound, millenia spanning evils is enough Judeo-Christian back story to make any story too much to take.
This is a minimalist book, a pre-adaption of a screenplay, so do not expect deep emotional exploration of Thorn, his wife or even the legion of Satanists dancing in the shadows. The Omen was written to pave the way for one of moviedoms scariest movies, so you know that even if it matches the script word for word, it’s one hell of a scary story.
Simple. Straight forward. Creepy.
The Omen by David Seltzer was purchased for review by the Boston Book Bums
I could barely handle the movie; doubt I could handle the book!