The screen writer Andrew Birkin also wrote an acclaimed tv mini-series about the life of JM Barrie, the creator of Peter Pan, staring Ian Holm (i.e. Ash and Bilbo Baggins) George Lewellyn Davies, the boy who inspired Peter Pan, was played by Ian's son Barnaby- exactly the same boy who plays the boy (named Peter) in this. The tv drama plays doesn't shy away from pointing out that JM Barrie was possibly a nonce, so I don't think the pedophilia stuff was accidental. Birkin was also Barnaby's stepfather but I don't think anything dodgy went on other than the obvious nepotism. I know this because when I saw this at the age of 11 I fell in love with Peter completely and kind of went on a binge desperately trying to hoover up any information about him and the actor that played on the web, not in the least because of what happens to him breaking my heart. I watched this film (or at leats the bits with him in it) several times over. I know a few films almost word for word but this is the only one I can quote verbatim that I don't actually like. A few years later my mother found a very large pile of bad drawings I'd done of him at the time and I pretended they where of a fictional girlfriend rather than explain that I had had a crush on a unknown minor character in a unknown sequel to a sequel to a famous but not too famous horror movie that she hadn't seen. There was probably an awful lot of fan fiction about me saving him. I have to tell someone. I know this isn't Tumblr but it's too obscure for anyone to know about there.
This movie fascinates me as it had a pretty good build up and some decent set pieces. The ending though! What a way to finish a trilogy (in about 8 seconds). My ex just sat there in silence as the credits rolled and she asked me (as everything faded to black) “is that the end”. We’d watched all three back to back.
A hugely underrated film: Classic and efficient formal direction, wonderful artistic direction, very good performances, solid and seamless script, magnificent photography and colossal OST (the best of the 3 films and I would dare to say that the best of Jerry Goldsmith, along maybe Alien). Disappointing ending? Maybe rather short and hasty, but not bad or incoherent. Another thing is that it is too "religious", but let's remember that it is a Christian trilogy
Hi guys Sleeping Dogs was an actually a New Zealand film which was the first 35mm film to be made and getting critical acclaim worldwide. This film opened up Roger Donaldson Hollywood career
Ending … ending. Isn’t it Kate Reynolds praying before the dead body of Damien. And I always assumed the figure holding Peter is Father De Carlo, who didn’t die when Damien was strangling him. CORRECTION to message. I just watched the ending of Omen 3 again, and you’re right, the guy holding Peter is in robes. De Carlo was wearing a raincoat. It’s definitely Kate Reynolds praying and not a nun but who’s the guy in robes? Wow, I hate to admit it but I’ve seen the light a bit.
Great commentary lads. Kate refers to her tv channel as the British Broadcasting Charity, so I guess its BBC. I thought the final scene was her (with hood up) kneeling over Damien and De Carlo walks into frame carrying her son.
I actually like The Final Conflict great performance from Sam Neill as Damien. Graham Baker did a great job directing this sequel. Check out his underrated Impulse 1984.
Sam had just come off the Australian film My Brilliant Career with Judy Davis and directed by Gillian Armstrong. There is a great interview that he did with Bryan Brown on the Australian ABC where he talks at length about that Bond audition and why he really wasn’t interested in the role (which ended up going to Timothy Dalton).
45 minute mark. I live about 10 miles away from the church, been inside it and walked up to the entrance where that seen was filmed, I always hear the music whenever I go near it.
This film has improved greatly for me with age and there are some great scenes in it. Personally I would have preferred it if they had focused more on the priests out to kill him, that in itself would have carried the movie well as a horror / thriller film.
From a religious point of view (after all, it is a Christian film), it was more important to show the conversion of a journalist who, according to the film, was an atheist or at least agnostic, and who symbolically culminates her conversion no more no less than ending the Antichrist, after the sacrifice (and, by the end of the film, we assume the subsequent resurrection) of his only son
Exactly!! In order of quality, this is the least good of the 3 films, but the soundtrack is colossal, the best of the trilogy and, along with Alien, the best OST ever composed by Jerry Goldsmith, in my opinion
This might have been right before Sam Neil's next film which was Andrzej Zulawski's Possession from the same year. That's overall a better film even though it didn't do as well. That would be a fun one for you and Rob to talk about. I do agree that the last act of the film isn't great although Sam Neil gives it his all. It's tough though since the Anti Christ will lose in the face of the real one so what do you do? A huge fight really isn't going to happen. But Jerry Goldsmith's score does help sell the uplifting moment even if the main character has her son killed. I remember reading the novel just as this film came out and I thought it was quite good. Films in some details. It's a pity Donner didn't do the film. He could have elevated it from a good film to a potentially great film. As it is it's enjoyable but it is a very uneven trilogy. Still far better than the terrible remake and the even worse prequel which Hollywood can't seem to stop making. IE all the garbage Alien films among others.
Although I feel The Final Conflict is an inferior film compared to the first two entries... it does have some good moments. Sam Neil was great in the role... oozing devilish charm & charisma and Jerry Goldsmith's score is superb & one i have listened to many times.
So... Mason Adams is in this film. Was it him that sponsored Sam Niel. Or was it actually James Mason, and it's just a coincidence that the other "Mason" older guy of the 80s was in this too.
And now that you and Rob brought up The Exorcist 3,or Legion,you guys should do a commentary for that. Arrow just released a special 4K version with new making of and great commentary by Mark Kermode. It's a great film,far better than any of the other so called sequels or prequels. And worlds better than the terrible Blumhouse garbage from last year. Especially the Legion cut which is very interesting even if it's compromised. Better than shlock like Terrifier by far.
Come on Ollie buddy, lets have retrospectives for all the movies, especially the original classic. Also will you ever do ones for Volcano, Armageddon, 28 Days Later and both The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises.
Death by Beagle's...... I'd actually be ok with that!..... although completely unrealistic, even if being control by Satan, they'd just instantly get to distracted by literally anything
Thanks Ollie! Always appreciate what you do!
The score by Jerry Goldsmith. Just wow!
The screen writer Andrew Birkin also wrote an acclaimed tv mini-series about the life of JM Barrie, the creator of Peter Pan, staring Ian Holm (i.e. Ash and Bilbo Baggins) George Lewellyn Davies, the boy who inspired Peter Pan, was played by Ian's son Barnaby- exactly the same boy who plays the boy (named Peter) in this. The tv drama plays doesn't shy away from pointing out that JM Barrie was possibly a nonce, so I don't think the pedophilia stuff was accidental. Birkin was also Barnaby's stepfather but I don't think anything dodgy went on other than the obvious nepotism.
I know this because when I saw this at the age of 11 I fell in love with Peter completely and kind of went on a binge desperately trying to hoover up any information about him and the actor that played on the web, not in the least because of what happens to him breaking my heart. I watched this film (or at leats the bits with him in it) several times over. I know a few films almost word for word but this is the only one I can quote verbatim that I don't actually like. A few years later my mother found a very large pile of bad drawings I'd done of him at the time and I pretended they where of a fictional girlfriend rather than explain that I had had a crush on a unknown minor character in a unknown sequel to a sequel to a famous but not too famous horror movie that she hadn't seen. There was probably an awful lot of fan fiction about me saving him.
I have to tell someone. I know this isn't Tumblr but it's too obscure for anyone to know about there.
I saw the trilogy when I was about 10 - they were on ITV three Saturdays in a row and my older Sister taped them. Scared me shitless for years
January 1987...was 10 aswell and remember it well.
One of the best film scores out there.
This movie fascinates me as it had a pretty good build up and some decent set pieces.
The ending though! What a way to finish a trilogy (in about 8 seconds).
My ex just sat there in silence as the credits rolled and she asked me (as everything faded to black) “is that the end”. We’d watched all three back to back.
Btw. "Old men talking" Lol. Loved that description from this and your omen 2 commentary. I know what you guys mean here, and i love that feel too.
A hugely underrated film: Classic and efficient formal direction, wonderful artistic direction, very good performances, solid and seamless script, magnificent photography and colossal OST (the best of the 3 films and I would dare to say that the best of Jerry Goldsmith, along maybe Alien). Disappointing ending? Maybe rather short and hasty, but not bad or incoherent. Another thing is that it is too "religious", but let's remember that it is a Christian trilogy
Great stuff. More More!
Hi guys Sleeping Dogs was an actually a New Zealand film which was the first 35mm film to be made and getting critical acclaim worldwide. This film opened up Roger Donaldson Hollywood career
Ending … ending. Isn’t it Kate Reynolds praying before the dead body of Damien. And I always assumed the figure holding Peter is Father De Carlo, who didn’t die when Damien was strangling him.
CORRECTION to message. I just watched the ending of Omen 3 again, and you’re right, the guy holding Peter is in robes. De Carlo was wearing a raincoat. It’s definitely Kate Reynolds praying and not a nun but who’s the guy in robes? Wow, I hate to admit it but I’ve seen the light a bit.
Great commentary lads. Kate refers to her tv channel as the British Broadcasting Charity, so I guess its BBC. I thought the final scene was her (with hood up) kneeling over Damien and De Carlo walks into frame carrying her son.
I think it was Jesus carrying her son.
I actually like The Final Conflict great performance from Sam Neill as Damien. Graham Baker did a great job directing this sequel. Check out his underrated Impulse 1984.
Am I the only one who wants Oliver to do a commentary on some Australian classics like “Dot and The Red Kangaroo” or “Fatty Finn”?
Yes.
I am so glad this one was squeezed in. The part 2 commentary was awesome
It's not a nun and Kate at the end - I'd always assumed it was Kate and the last Priest (who actually survived Damien's attempt to kill him).
Sam had just come off the Australian film My Brilliant Career with Judy Davis and directed by Gillian Armstrong. There is a great interview that he did with Bryan Brown on the Australian ABC where he talks at length about that Bond audition and why he really wasn’t interested in the role (which ended up going to Timothy Dalton).
You need to do a Holocaust 2000 commentary, that film is bonkers.
45 minute mark.
I live about 10 miles away from the church, been inside it and walked up to the entrance where that seen was filmed, I always hear the music whenever I go near it.
Twenty minutes in I'm already laughing my head off. Just brilliant stuff 😀
Who knew this would be prophetic….
@30.30 she mentions she works for the BBC
Great episode!
This film has improved greatly for me with age and there are some great scenes in it. Personally I would have preferred it if they had focused more on the priests out to kill him, that in itself would have carried the movie well as a horror / thriller film.
From a religious point of view (after all, it is a Christian film), it was more important to show the conversion of a journalist who, according to the film, was an atheist or at least agnostic, and who symbolically culminates her conversion no more no less than ending the Antichrist, after the sacrifice (and, by the end of the film, we assume the subsequent resurrection) of his only son
Great film at points. Worst assassin priests ever 😂
Also, I think out of the 3 films, this has the best soundtrack
Exactly!! In order of quality, this is the least good of the 3 films, but the soundtrack is colossal, the best of the trilogy and, along with Alien, the best OST ever composed by Jerry Goldsmith, in my opinion
Wow, I'd forgotten this film existed. Like Rob, I think last time I watched it must've been when it was on telly in the 80s
This might have been right before Sam Neil's next film which was Andrzej Zulawski's Possession from the same year. That's overall a better film even though it didn't do as well. That would be a fun one for you and Rob to talk about.
I do agree that the last act of the film isn't great although Sam Neil gives it his all. It's tough though since the Anti Christ will lose in the face of the real one so what do you do? A huge fight really isn't going to happen. But Jerry Goldsmith's score does help sell the uplifting moment even if the main character has her son killed. I remember reading the novel just as this film came out and I thought it was quite good. Films in some details. It's a pity Donner didn't do the film. He could have elevated it from a good film to a potentially great film. As it is it's enjoyable but it is a very uneven trilogy. Still far better than the terrible remake and the even worse prequel which Hollywood can't seem to stop making. IE all the garbage Alien films among others.
Possession is a beloved and praised film today; it just took a bit of time for audiences to discover how great it is.
Please review the entire franchise.
They have not done the first one
Although I feel The Final Conflict is an inferior film compared to the first two entries... it does have some good moments. Sam Neil was great in the role... oozing devilish charm & charisma and Jerry Goldsmith's score is superb & one i have listened to many times.
Sam Neil kicked so much asses in this film
So... Mason Adams is in this film. Was it him that sponsored Sam Niel. Or was it actually James Mason, and it's just a coincidence that the other "Mason" older guy of the 80s was in this too.
And now that you and Rob brought up The Exorcist 3,or Legion,you guys should do a commentary for that. Arrow just released a special 4K version with new making of and great commentary by Mark Kermode. It's a great film,far better than any of the other so called sequels or prequels. And worlds better than the terrible Blumhouse garbage from last year. Especially the Legion cut which is very interesting even if it's compromised. Better than shlock like Terrifier by far.
Having been to Grosvenor Sq to get my USA Visa in 2009, seeing it back then without the airport style security gates felt weird.
A wimple is maybe the nun garb that Rob was looking for?
I don't recall much about this film other than a bunch of ninja priests go on a rampage, Jesus turns up, Damian gets stabbed and end credits.
2024 has been an exceptional year for horror films 👻
Come on Ollie buddy, lets have retrospectives for all the movies, especially the original classic. Also will you ever do ones for Volcano, Armageddon, 28 Days Later and both The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises.
Death by Beagle's...... I'd actually be ok with that!..... although completely unrealistic, even if being control by Satan, they'd just instantly get to distracted by literally anything
You need do number 4 after now thats one dreadful movie.