What’s the scariest movie that you have ever seen?
Last night’s journey to the Century did not change my answer; but I did see a remake of the Omen with Hope and Andrew. I like scary movies. The Omen has some nice little moments, but the idea of it was just not as scary the second time around. Much like Psycho, Jaws, or the Exorcist, when a movie comes across a new idea, or an old idea in a fresh way, it is intriguing. In the case of scary movies, the ideas they present are much more frightening the first time around. The first slasher movies—Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween—were really great… the first time around. They all get formulaic after about the 3rd or 13th sequel.
The original Omen had some really creative and disturbing moments. Beyond the idea of having the Antichrist embodied in a small, hollow-eyed child, there were some really creepy moments in the original story. These moments are what made the story great.
I still enjoyed the movie last night, but for different reasons. Sure, there were the jolting surprise scares. Some of the best parts of this remake, however, were subtler. For example, I thought it was genius to have Mia Farrow play the role of the nanny. What better servant for the devil-child than the original devil-bearing mother, Rosemary. I’m sure the producers had a good time thinking up that casting decision. The other fun part of the movie for me was watching the film in a theatre filled with dozens of screaming teenage girls. Jump-out-at-you movie moments startle me, but high-pitched screams startle me more. I must say, that the audience’s non-scripted participation actually enhanced the movie’s effect for me.