Original version of horror classic

Horror movies featuring creepy children are not exactly uncommon, we have "The Bad Seed," "Children of The Damned," "The Exorcist," "Children of the Corn" and Dakota Fanning Playing "Hide and Seek" with Robert DeNiro, to name a few. And since 1976 we have had "The Omen," a well made film targeted at a wide audience, which features the arguably definitive creepy child, the devil's own steely eyed five-year-old son. Gregory Peck (who won an Academy Award for his role in "To Kill a Mocking Bird") came out of a six-year retirement to star as the boy's father. \nRather predictably, following this month's opening of the new version of "The Omen," the new, two-disc "collector's edition" DVD of the 1976 original has become, at least somewhat available. I say somewhat because this edition seems not to have been picked up by most of the sources I turn to in search of DVDs. This is not that shocking when considering first that the remake, despite being thoroughly enjoyed by myself and several others I know, has been coldly received overall. Secondly, it seems that just about every DVD is some sort of "special collectors edition" (as opposed to say, all the DVDs aimed at those non-collectors who hesitate to accumulate to many titles or perhaps buy, watch and then routinely dispose of their viewing material). Anyway, many of these special editions are not all that special and certainly aren't worth buying if one already possesses an earlier DVD release of the same film. However, "The Omen, Collector's Edition," deserves more attention.\nIf you are interested in quality classic horror, this edition of "The Omen" will in fact fill an essential spot in your collection. In addition to the film, itself remastered and in widescreen format, the set includes quite a few special features, the most worthwhile being an "Appreciation," by Wes Craven, a piece in which Craven thoughtfully praises the film from his point of view as a filmmaker and horror aficionado, and the "Screenwriter's Notebook" in which writer David Seltzer, who claims "The Bible" and "Jaws" to have been his primary influences, details his experience working on the film. Other special features include discussion of the film's score by composer Jerry Goldsmith and the typical DVD commentary tracks, featurettes and while it sadly includes only one deleted scene, I still find this edition of "The Omen" to be quite worthwhile and would certainly recommend it to anyone with an interest in the genre.