After Dark: Train Movies, The First Omen
Added 2024-04-18 16:00:23 +0000 UTCDavid, Jeff, and Devindra discuss their favorite movies and scenes involving trains. Then starting at around ~18:00, they discuss The First Omen.
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Comments
I love the subway scene from the original “Speed..” Also, it doesn’t involve a speeding subway car but there is a scene in the Tommy Lee Jones led “Volcano” that is pretty great. And TV, who can forget Firefly’s “The Train Job”?
Jason Sansbury
2024-04-22 20:42:37 +0000 UTCYeah, Griffin feels made for this.
Mountain of Conflict
2024-04-22 11:29:53 +0000 UTCQuite enjoy The Omen and absolutely adore The Exorcist, but can’t say I’ve ever sensed many shared vibes between the two. If anything, I’d go with Don’t Look Now as a comparison, especially in terms of set design and cinematography (just crank down the surreal factor several notches).
Michael Prescesky
2024-04-22 05:02:53 +0000 UTCDevindra’s take on the original The Omen is baffling. It’s a classic on every level.
Brad Arnold
2024-04-22 01:18:46 +0000 UTCThank you so much! I’ve been busy and haven’t had a chance to listen to everything (or watch Civil War) so I haven’t heard that one yet. I’ll check it out! 🤝
Chris Nichols
2024-04-22 00:30:40 +0000 UTCYup, Jeff and Devindra on the Civil War ep.
Michael Prescesky
2024-04-22 00:29:00 +0000 UTCHas Jeff given his thoughts on The Sign episode of Bluey yet?
Chris Nichols
2024-04-21 22:31:38 +0000 UTCWhile not great, Howl is a movie about werewolves on a train. Worth a look for werewolf completionists like me.
Ian O'Toole
2024-04-21 06:49:27 +0000 UTCHey Dave, Devindra, and Jeff! Long time subscriber and patron, here. 🫡 What would it take for a grand crossover to happen between your podcast and Blank Check and The Big Picture? For a Summer Movie Wager, mayhaps! I can only dream... Keep up the good work.
Mesfin Mebrate
2024-04-20 20:10:37 +0000 UTCI'm so late to this party, but my absolute fav train scene of all time is Hiroyuki Sanada's wise elder's story from Bullet Train. The comedy of the 'I'm going to tell you a story now - nah i'm ok - it's a quick one - nah - here we go' back & forth hit's my funny bone just right... Followed by the melodramatic flashback montage, culminating with the crane shot, ultra cliche 'Nooooo!' over a dead wife and the slightly cheesy over the shoulder sunrise at the end. This not-so-serious sensiblity of the movie makes it a go-to msg flavor rainy day comfort dish for me. Hopefully links are allowed here: https://youtu.be/2sCu1oQsz64?t=13
Del Nakamura
2024-04-20 16:43:59 +0000 UTCNo love for the quintessential train movie, SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY? All joking aside, I'll add BEFORE SUNRISE simply for how a train sets the stage for one of cinema's great love stories. And a Gene Hackman remake whose ending is seared into my brain as a result of seeing it when I was way too young, NARROW MARGIN. Coming soon to Kino Lorber 4K.
Matt Rockman
2024-04-20 14:43:19 +0000 UTCIt's fun. It's a Tony Scott film, so very much a film you would expect to have seen come out of the 90's, not 2010, but otherwise, as long as you can get past the frenetic camera movements and cutting, Chris Pine and Denzel Washington have some good banter and it has some nice 'high-wire tension' moments.
Neil
2024-04-20 13:16:04 +0000 UTCOn behalf of Dana Stevens (who wrote the amazing book CAMERAMAN recently), I thank you for remembering Buster! (It’s not my personal favorite Keaton film, but certainly one of the greatest train movies ever!)
CDMatthew
2024-04-20 11:54:50 +0000 UTCDon’t know how missed this when it came out, but will seek it out!
CDMatthew
2024-04-20 11:52:22 +0000 UTCWhen the topic of “train movies” came up, I held my breath out of fear that the *original* THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE wouldn’t be mentioned…but you guys came through! What a cast, with Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, and Martin Balsam. (Side note, non train-related: have you seen a small but pungent crime movie called CHARLEY VARICK? Directed by Don Siegel and starring Matthau, it’s oft-overlooked gem.)
CDMatthew
2024-04-20 11:49:36 +0000 UTCWell then why make a prequel?
Ian O'Toole
2024-04-20 07:00:15 +0000 UTCI think the 2 films didn’t line up primarily because The Omen is a 45 year old movie that no one really cares about or watches anymore
Mark P
2024-04-20 06:28:42 +0000 UTCWhere are my fellow Kino Lorber 4K fanatics?! John Frankenheimer’s The Train!
Michael Prescesky
2024-04-20 04:03:10 +0000 UTCI love Hitchcock films. Rope is my favorite.
David Esposito
2024-04-19 21:09:02 +0000 UTCAlso Hitchcock’s North by Northwest featuring the famous “train going into a tunnel” scene
Rob
2024-04-19 21:08:06 +0000 UTCGod damnit Jeff! “Deviled eggs”? I almost drove off the road.
thecrimsoncurse
2024-04-19 19:16:49 +0000 UTCChristopher Reeves' Superman using his body to complete the broken train track... Also Clark Kent racing the train...
FlocktimusPrime
2024-04-19 15:34:55 +0000 UTCyou must've missed it but MIDR (part 1 lol) was discussed
Matt
2024-04-19 15:29:45 +0000 UTCThe quintessential train scene in movies is the last shot of North by Northwest
Stuart Feldstein
2024-04-19 11:50:40 +0000 UTCThere are several great train scenes in the Bond films - From Russia with Love, The Spy Who Loved Me also
Stuart Feldstein
2024-04-19 11:48:42 +0000 UTCIt seemed quite clear to me that the child was the antichrist, but apparently there is some confusion or deliberation about this. The movie is a metaphor for abortion, and is a very pro-choice movie. To me it makes it less impactful if that was a mercy killing at the end rather than her exercising her choice, but I guess there is evidently some disagreement on this. Her reaction and action by killing the child sure seemed motivated by rage, rather than pity, but I guess we will have to disagree on that. Part of the benefit of leaving a movie's ending ambiguous I guess.
Stranger2Reality
2024-04-19 07:59:16 +0000 UTCDisagree that it's clear as to the child's "form". It was only clear to me that it had great trouble breathing and would likely not last long. I though the ending was immensely sad.
Ian O'Toole
2024-04-19 06:39:15 +0000 UTCAlso, the best train sequence in cinema history is clearly the finale of The Wrong Trousers.
Ian O'Toole
2024-04-19 06:37:08 +0000 UTCPlease, if anyone hasn't seen the original Omen, don't let Devindra's bad mouthing put you off. It's a much-loved horror classic that has left an indelible mark on horror, and on culture in general. Richard Donner's direction, Jeff Goldsmith's iconic score, Gregory Peck and David Warner's central performances, Billie Whitelaw's turn as the sinister Mrs. Baylock, a script that establishes one of the best lores in horror, as well as some EXCELLENT kills, make the Omen a must-see for any horror fan. I was a little disappointed that no one mentioned the weird ways in which The First Omen doesn't line up to The Omen. Chiefly, that Damien's MOTHER was canonically a jackal, not his father (who is the devil). I admit to spending a good portion of the First Omen thinking "huh, how are they going to turn her into a Jackal?" Later, when the twin was revealed, I thought "oh, this is't a prequel, it's a reboot, that's cool", only to be completely baffled when they showed a photo of Gregory Peck, linking it directly to the original Omen. Still not sure what the overall idea was there as regards continuity, but still really enjoyed the movie.
Ian O'Toole
2024-04-19 06:31:40 +0000 UTCWow, Firestorm 1998, 1999 is the Columbine Shooting.
J.S.
2024-04-19 03:06:03 +0000 UTCThe Station Agent is fantastic, great call out!
Stranger2Reality
2024-04-19 02:28:31 +0000 UTCWhen I was a kid, my dad recorded the Danny DeVito and Billy Crystal classic, Throw Mama From the Train, on VHS from HBO. Idk if the train scenes from the movie are the best, as it's been decades since I've seen it, but it was the first "train movie" that popped in my head, haha.
Brian Lefevre
2024-04-19 01:46:07 +0000 UTCIt also plays an important background role in the other movies in the series.
Aaron Miller
2024-04-18 23:46:05 +0000 UTCSpeaking of thrillers staring Jon Voight and involving great train scenes, but enough about Mission Impossible, let's talk about Runaway Train. I just watched this couple months ago, very memorable train scenes. I was surprised when I looked it up to see that it was based on a Kurosawa script. On this topic I was also reminded of the Devito/Billy Crystal joint Throw Mama from the Train. I also have a soft spot for The Station Agent, which is kind of a train movie.
Aaron Miller
2024-04-18 23:37:36 +0000 UTCHere to say Unbreakable. Even though a train scene isn’t a big scene of the movie, it’s kind of the inciting event that kicks off the whole thing.
John Mulhern
2024-04-18 23:17:42 +0000 UTC**Spoilers for Immaculate** If you watch the movie and you hear that child breathing at the end, it is quite clear that's the antichrist that was born, not the second coming of jesus. That creature sounds unequivocally evil. I do absolutely agree with you about the choices they've made recently in which movies to review though, and this applies to next week's review as well. There have been plenty of good movies in theatrical release that they're just ignoring in favor of pretty obviously bad streaming movies. Maybe this is just a sign of how few people actually go to the movies anymore though, that even a movie podcast is skewing away from theatrical releases, probably because they feel like more people will watch the stuff on streaming than what's actually in theaters. Or maybe the hosts, like the guys on Red Letter Media, just really don't like actually going to the theaters themselves anymore. I don't know. It's a bummer though cause there's two movies coming out this weekend that I'm looking forward to seeing (The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare and Abigail), but instead they're choosing to focus on some streaming dreck that is guaranteed to be disliked by all of them and most people listening.
Stranger2Reality
2024-04-18 22:20:30 +0000 UTCRunaway Train is a great train movie that’s worth checking out. And we also have it to thank for giving Danny Trejo to the world.
Benjamin Nicholes
2024-04-18 22:10:05 +0000 UTCSPOILERS for Immaculate:................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Immaculate's central conceit is birthing a clone Jesus, not the antichrist. I agree these are "twin movies," and our beloved hosts would have noticed if Immaculate was reviewed the week they did the streaming Road House movie (side note: yet again, insane that a weekend that had Immaculate, Late Night With The Devil, and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire as theatrical releases had a direct-to-Amazon Prime movie as the main review).
Papool Chaudhari
2024-04-18 21:22:01 +0000 UTCPaddington 2 😍 it’s just a pay off to a whole lot of set ups while being fun and full of great train carriages swapping comedy bits!
Jay Wood
2024-04-18 20:55:03 +0000 UTCThe ending of Batman Begins has a pretty good train scene, as does the ending of Money Train. Some great train robbery scenes take place in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Also, regarding The First Omen, having seen that and the Sydney Sweeney movie Immaculate recently, it is wild how similar their plots are, and that both films came out only a week or two apart. It's very much an "Armageddon/Deep Impact", "Dante's Peak/Volcano", "Red Planet/Mission to Mars" type situation. **Spoilers for both films ahead** Both films are about an American girl coming to Italy to become a nun only to discover they were part of a suspicious plot by the Catholic Church to impregnate them without their knowledge to give birth to the antichrist so that the public will start believing in god again. There's probably a good "boom goes the dynamite" joke in there somewhere.
Stranger2Reality
2024-04-18 20:28:50 +0000 UTCStrangers on a Train
David Esposito
2024-04-18 19:52:27 +0000 UTCThe ending of Live and Let Die
George Johnston
2024-04-18 18:53:35 +0000 UTC2018 Liam Neeson’s The Commuter!
Olivia Oliver
2024-04-18 18:28:50 +0000 UTCAnother week, another reference to The Wolverine from Devindra 😀 a movie you watch once and never again.
Mountain of Conflict
2024-04-18 17:52:33 +0000 UTCDoes Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning mean nothing to you guys?! Great train sequence and a direct copy of the best train sequence in gaming (Uncharted 2)
John Terranova
2024-04-18 17:51:21 +0000 UTCAnother great train scene: Naughty Nurses 7. Again, the actors do all their own stunts.
Brian Deaton
2024-04-18 17:40:47 +0000 UTCGreat train scene: Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh doing their own stunts in Supercop. Yeoh jumping a motorbike onto a moving train still takes my breath away. Surprised Devindra or Dave didn’t come up with this one.
Brian Deaton
2024-04-18 17:40:05 +0000 UTCGreat Hitchcock train stuff, North by Northwest, Strangers on a Train and one I can’t remember that has a scene on a circus train w animals and circus freaks
Anthony Ryan
2024-04-18 17:15:19 +0000 UTCAlso think the train heist episode from Breaking Bad is one of favorite episodes
Wags
2024-04-18 17:13:26 +0000 UTCMost memorable train scene hands down the end of Umberto D. 1952.
Anthony Ryan
2024-04-18 17:13:23 +0000 UTCLove Bullet Train
Wags
2024-04-18 17:12:41 +0000 UTCAll this talk of trains and not one mention of THE GENERAL?? From Russia With Love is a good one too. Also, The Lady Vanishes is an underrated (and funny) Hitchcock set almost entirely on a train.
Nick Guidotti
2024-04-18 16:36:23 +0000 UTCWhat the heck?! Last night I was browsing through my movies looking for something that was entertaining but also somewhat mindless. I settled on rewatching Tony Scott's Unstoppable. Today I tune into this podcast and that film from 2010 is one of the first things Dave is talking about.
Neil
2024-04-18 16:35:50 +0000 UTC
