TV SERIES REVIEW: DAMIEN (Pilot episode)


31/2/5

Damien Thorn has a strange life. His parents are both dead in accidents and ever since his childhood he feels constant presence of something dark, like a cloud above his head. On the day of his thirties birthday a strange accident throws his life into a turmoil and makes him question everything and everyone. He cannot run away from the truth however, which is that he is a son of Satan - Antichrist.

The new TV series from A+E Networks is a direct sequel to 1976 movie, ignoring all the other films that were subsequently made, it is set in modern day New York.  The pilot reviewed here does not quite manage to capture the dark and paranoid atmosphere of the original, but it is a modern show, focused on giving as much action as possible in its not so lengthy 43 minutes run, so the atmosphere is sacrificed for action.

The pilot introduces a handful of characters, some of them die as quickly as they appear, so one thing is expected – the body count will be high. The characters, unfortunately luck personality, for the exception of Ann Rutledge, masterfully played by Barbara Hershey – a smiling assassin, whose presence oozes as much mother’s warmth as it does menace. She has only a short scene in the pilot, but it is clear we will see more of her. 

Bradley James as Damien Thorn, so far, is no more than a pretty poster boy, however his performance may improve as the series progress.

The original movie is famous for its inventive and gory death scenes. It would be silly to expect the same from a TV show, but while not very clever, the deadly set pieces are satisfying enough, with some extreme gore present during the dog attack scene.

The soundtrack from Bear McCreary is a glorious combination of churchy cords, mixed with choral and served as a modern electronic track – a homage to the original score and a perfect background for a TV series about Antichrist.

It is nice to see the take on OMEN with the characters, who are out of high school (it would be very easy to present DAMIEN series as a teenage soap opera). At this stage it is hard to imagine how the pilot can lead to a multiple season series, however lets hope there are more surprises in store.


Not perfect, Damien is a series the fans of THE OMEN had been waiting for, and one of the new shows that deserves a look.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

We'll End Up Together - Nous Finirons Ensemble (French Movie Review)

Image
10/10 Max has a sixtieth birthday coming up. The problem is he is broke, divorced and depressed. When a group of his best friends show up at his doorstep to help him celebrate, he reluctantly agrees to spend a few days with them, but won’t explain what’s going on in his personal life. When ones darkest moments come, will friendship conquer all? Seven years after the breakout success of the film Little White Lies (Les Petits Mouchoirs) comes the long anticipated sequel and it is worth the wait. The success of WE’LL END UP TOGETHER is not in its rather predictable plot, but the chemistry on screen, the characters that we recognise ourselves and our friends in, and the amazing warm atmosphere that makes one believe there’s no problem a good dinner with friends won’t sort out.  Written and directed by much loved French actor and director  Guillaume Canet this movie feels like a welcome return home to those who have seen the original and will also welcome new viewership - the film c
Read more

KOREAN MOVIE REVIEW: MEMOIR OF A MURDERER

Image
8/10 Byung-su is an elderly veterinarian who has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He has a caring daughter who does all she can to make his life easier, and a policemen friend whose name Byung-su forgets from time to time. He also goes to a poetry club (in order to keep his mind exercised) where a lonely widow makes advances at him. But there’s one thing that sets Byung-su apart from the other senior citizens of his little town – he is a serial killer.  When a new wave of killings begin Byung-su starts to suspect that a young man who is dating his daughter is the culprit. Trying to keep the remains of his memories together Byung-su writes extensive journals. But what if his memories are actually real? Losing his grip on reality he goes head to head with the new serial killer in order to protect the only life he cares about in the world – his daughter’s. Before Dexter came around Koreans had excelled in creating charismatic killers as protagonists of the films
Read more

MSFF: DEATH IN BUENOS AIRES (MUERTE EN BUENOS AIRES)

Image
3 1/2 /5 It's year 1980 and we are in Buenos Aires. The wealthy gay man is murdered  and inspector Chaves is on the case. In order to find the culprit he has to plunge into the world of gay nightclubs, drugs and sex. But what is it with the young and handsome officer Gomes, who was the first on the crime scene, and seems to place himself with ease as a mole into a gay community? Is he trying to catch the killer? Or hiding something? As suspicions arise, Chaves is haunted by the feelings he does not understand. Will the fatal attraction to a younger man help him to solve the case, or be his undoing? First time director Natalie Meta is "spot on" on the upbeat atmosphere of the 80s without too much expense. She cleverly uses the pop tunes, over-the-top clothes and many other ingredients to recreate the time. The murder mystery is secondary, and the movie is focused on the relationship between the two men, full of innuendoes and mistrust. The very simple cinema
Read more