The First Omen (2024) Part 1: The Anti-Christ Goes to the Disco (ft. Tif Robinette) | Filthy Habits

Bill and Jess are joined by horror author and screenwriter Tif Robinette for the first of a two part discussion on The First Omen. What starts as a conversation about the newest entry in the Omen franchise turns into a much larger discussion about Italy in the 1970s, institutional power, the antichrist, apocalypse, conspirituality, and what this films does to differentiate itself, while still being part of an iconic horror franchise.

The episode covers the Years of Lead and the atmosphere of political violence hanging over the period the film is trying to recreate, along with discussions of mother and baby homes, bodily autonomy, and the way the film approaches pregnancy and body horror. 

Bill spends part of the episode derailing the conversation into a rant about Italy’s beat nightclub era, the cultural shift into Disco (and later on Italo Disco) while going through the needle drops in the film, which cover very different eras of Italian nightlife. The episode also looks at the movie’s visual style, its use of Catholic imagery, and why it feels closer to European horror filmmaking than most modern studio horror releases.

Part one focuses on a Catholic review from our favourite "Morally Offensive" critic John Mulderig from OSV News (the latest incarnation of the USCCB film rankings), why we can't help making fun of John's insistence on calling the young women in the film "tarts", and the the historical and cultural backdrop surrounding the film. The upcoming second episode will move further into the franchise, production history, and the larger themes running through the series.

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