There have been a lot of horror movies over the years that have been labeled as “cursed” for a variety of reasons. The Exorcist, Poltergeist, and Rosemary’s Baby are just some that had eerie things happen to the cast and crew either whilst in the midst of filming, or shortly after cameras finished rolling. However, no other movie has been deemed as cursed as a 70s classic that’s now streaming for free this Halloween.
Hitting theaters on June 25, 1976, The Omen is believed by many to be the most cursed horror movie in existence. Directed by the late Richard Donner, it’s said that the film’s subject matter of a young Antichrist and biblical prophecy angered the forces of evil so much that they did their darnedest to prevent the movie from being made. After all, the greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing the world he didn’t exist, and The Omen brought his presence to light in such a way that it made Lucifer hard to ignore. More on that in a moment.
A commercial success, The Omen wasn’t exactly a big hit with critics at the time, but in retrospect, it’s been deemed a horror classic today. Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with an 86% rating, it’s been called everything from a “taut and well paced thriller with plenty of dread” to a movie that’s “rich with forbidding details and impressive scare tactics.” It stars the likes of Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner, Harvey Spencer Stephens, and Billie Whitelaw, who all deliver commanding performances in The Omen, which is now streaming for free on Tubi. Check out the synopsis below:
“American diplomat Robert (Peck) adopts Damien (Stephens) when his wife, Katherine (Remick), delivers a stillborn child. After Damien’s first nanny hangs herself, Father Brennan (Troughton) warns Robert that Damien will kill Katherine’s unborn child. Shortly thereafter, Brennan dies and Katherine miscarries when Damien pushes her off a balcony. As more people around Damien die, Robert investigates Damien’s background and realizes his adopted son may be the Antichrist.”
Why Do People Believe ‘The Omen’ Is Cursed?
As mentioned, people believe Satan was none too happy about The Omen being made, as it exposed his existence to the world and spoke directly of the biblical prophecy that foretells his rise to power. They attributed all the eerie events surrounding the movie directly to him and his followers, leading to The Omen being called the most cursed horror movie ever made.
Just what were those events? There are almost too many to name, but a few of the more notable ones include the airplanes of Peck, screenwriter David Seltzer, and producer Mace Neufeld all separately being struck by lightning. Another incident involving a plane featured an aircraft that had originally been chartered by the cast and crew (who later canceled their plans) crashing shortly after takeoff, killing everyone on board. Even more disturbing is that it’s said the plane crashed into a vehicle at the end of the runway which was carrying the pilot’s family, killing them as well.
Another chilling event happened involving special effects artist John Richardson, who was responsible for the scene in The Omen that features the decapitation of Warner’s character, Keith Jennings. Richardson was in a car accident after filming the movie, which saw the passenger in his vehicle decapitated in similar fashion. There was also a plethora of animal attacks, a bomb explosion, and one person escaping death after a falling lightning rod almost impaled them the same way it impaled Father Brennan in the movie.
Could all these events just be coincidences? Of course, but it’s more fun to attribute them to the devil than it is happenstance. That’s part of the fun of horror movies, as the classics tend to take on a life of their own years later, becoming the stuff of legend. If you want to check out the most cursed horror movie ever made, The Omen is now streaming for free on Tubi.
- Release Date
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June 25, 1976
- Runtime
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111 minutes
- Writers
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David Seltzer