rpurdy

This movie was a disappointment. My wife and I had seen the original when it was released and enjoyed it very much - great atmosphere and very well acted. This remake was pale and uninspired. The actors were simply unconvincing in their roles. When you come to realize that you're raising Satan's son, you're likely to be horrified and terrified but the actors playing the parents didn't convey this convincingly. The child playing Damien wasn't particularly scary although he did a lot of glaring and scowling. Mia Farrow was quite good but we didn't see enough of her. Save your money and rent the original with Gregory Peck and Lee Remick - you won't be sorry.

This film, which I recently viewed on DVD, is a top notch retelling of Homer's story. Unlike so many others who have made films based on the Greek myths, such as 2004's "Troy", the director resisted, for the most part, the temptation to change the story line. Why change a story that has been popular for almost 3000 years? That's really standing the test of time! Yes, there were some omissions, as others here have noted, such as the episode with the sirens, but the basic story runs true to the original. The casting was excellent. Armand Assante is a very convincing Odysseus and Greta Scacchi portrays the long-suffering Penelope as well as anyone could. Care was taken in the sets and costumes, which are both great. The special effects are better than average, even though this is not a big budget production. This film shows that the myths can be successfully made into movies. I think the lack of a lot of "big names" in the cast can be a help. I give this one a strong recommendation for those who love the Greek myths or those who love great adventure stories.

but, nonetheless, this is a great horror film. I liked everything about it - the acting, script, sets and photography. Vincent Price is terrific as the tortured Don Nicholas Medina who morphs into the character of his insane father, a notorious member of the Inquisition. The rest of the cast are convincing in their roles. The mood of the film, with good pacing and suitably eerie music, got to me long before the climactic ending arrived. Even the opening credits were creepy! To top it all off, it has Barbara Steele, although her screen time is regrettably short. It's the best of the Corman films based, very loosely, on the stories of Edgar Allan Poe and is probably my all-time favorite horror film. I highly recommend it.