Can a film do everything wrong yet still find its defenders, who not only acknowledge each of the film’s faults but find these faults endearing? Such is the case with Mike and The Omen, the 1976 Richard Donner blockbuster that—like Satan himself—has spawned sequels, remakes, and imitations. Dan tries to point out all the things that are bad about The Omen, but Mike spins each one into a perverse mark of greatness and claims that the film somehow rises above them in its high seriousness. Whether you think The Omen a terrifying morality tale or simply The Devil and Atticus Finch, give it a listen. We’ll tell you where to find the birthmark.

Interested in a great novel about a kid as awful as Damien Thorn? Check out William March’s The Bad Seed.

Follow us on X or Letterboxd. Opening music by Jerry Goldsmith from the film’s official soundtrack; closing music by Sing King. Our usual incredible bumper music is by John Deley.

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