MovieChat Forums > The Omen (2006) Discussion > So obvious not filmed in London

So obvious not filmed in London

posted 16 years ago by dazfiddy
28 replies | jump to latest

It was so obvious that Omen Mark 2 was not filmed in London. One clue was that the scene outside American embassy.I'm almost certain that you cannot see Big Ben and the London Eye from Grosvenor Square.Those two landmarks look as if they have been digitally added just to tell the audience that this is meant to be London.

There are very few red telephone boxes in London anymore. That is just a Hollywood's interpretation of London.Very Austin Powers!

In a later scene, you can actually see the Czech script on some of the shops as Robert Thorn is driving through "London".

[–] BethH24 16 years ago

Also,there are policemen on motorbikes.you dont see that in london,or anywhere in the u.k for that matter,lol.I know it happens in america though.

[–] nullaqua 16 years ago

And Prague stands in for Rome too! You can see the Prague Opera house in the corner while Thorn and the photographer talk to the nun. The scene where he talks to the priest in the rain looks especially unconvincing.

"I have an appointment with eternity and I don't want to be late"

[–] mark-1589 12 years ago

Actually it's the National Theatre and Laterna Magika, an avant garde theater where the revolutionaries met in 1989.

[–] londonbird 16 years ago

What? There are loads of motorbike police in London.

How can I miss you if you wont go away?

[–] Lil_Angel_STAR_1987 16 years ago

was it supose to be in london

it was way to americanise

nothing of this movie made me think it was filled in london

and we have different taffic lights and roads for a start

and ive seen the street that was featured at the end in an american film before

[–] londonbird 16 years ago

It was supposed to be London. It was not. However, I think you RWP as I was saying there are loads of motoerbike Police in London. I ride a motorbike and I see them all the time when i am on it.

How can I miss you if you wont go away?

[–] HombreOfAnotherEra 14 years ago

Motorcycle cops are in every city around the world.

[–] HombreOfAnotherEra 14 years ago

Bishops Park (where Thorn meets Father Brennan for the last time) is not located under a foot bridge.

And in the final chase scene, Thorn drives over tram lines. There are no tram lines in London (because there are no longer any trams).

[–] Strazdamonas 13 years ago

incorrect. there are 0 motorcycle police officers in my country (lithuania).

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All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for enough good men to do nothing.

[–] the_gof 16 years ago

Yeh, if you believe Hollywood, Big Ben can be seen from anywhere in London, and Beefeaters wander the streets amongst punks and red phone boxes galore. And the Eiffel Tower can be seen out of every window in Paris, inexplicably

[–] hooper-xxx 16 years ago

Other than those touristy landmarks, there is nothing else of interest in London. It's just homely people, bad teeth, inedible food and Chavs.

[–] SansaStark 16 years ago

oh, i don't know. i'm rather fond of tussauds myself.

"frankly my dear, i don't give a damn."
http://i39.tinypic.com/35w0j.jpg

[–] moonysun 15 years ago

In the final scene as Thorn rushes to the church in a car there´s a lighting or whatever and you can see Czech writings on the buildings. for Christ´s sake it´s Hollywood faking London and they leave there Czech writings it was pretty funny to me as I understand Czech.

[–] Mr_Garak 14 years ago

As my father always says.

"The best part of London is the road out back North.

[–] Billyiddo 13 years ago

As my father always says.

"The best part of London is the road out back North.

so your Dad is stupid as well as northern then ?

[–] arthur-crichton 16 years ago

Another obvious clue that its not filmed in London is that when they are at the American Embassy, if you look carefully at the cars crossing the bridge in front of Big Ben, they are driving the opposite direction than they do in the UK. Also the buildings on the other side of the river don't look like London but a city outside the UK.

[–] danakate2502 16 years ago

Did you listen to the commentary? The director made reference as to how the London backdrop was matte paintings - among others.
"Wow, entertainers AND dancing girls? Is there a buffet as well?"

[–] SeisCinemaSeis 15 years ago

Lots and lots of movies aren't shot in the city they are supposed to be shot.
I.e. Toronto, Vancouver, even Sydney, have passed for US cities in plenty of movies.
In the same way Budapest, Praga, Vienna are often used as locations for films whose stories are set in London, Paris or even New York (Hellboy, Blade, Underworld and many more).

All this for financial reasons: It has become too expensive to shoot on USA soil.

But this is nothing new, literally hundreds of westerns weren't filmed in the "west" but in Mexico and in lesser extent in Canada. Not to mention the spaghetti westerns, shot mainly in Spain and Italy.

Nothing new here, boys.

[–] 5durham 15 years ago

Although it's not uncommon for other cities to double for London, New York et al, the execution is rarely this clumsy. When Thorn bumps into the photographer on arrival at the 'US embassy' in 'London', the rooves and spires of Prague castle and St Vitus's cathedral can be seen on the other side of the river. The location of the real embassy, which is well known as being in Grosvenor Square, is nowhere near the river or Big Ben. It does rather insult the intelligence, especially to a British audience. It makes you wonder why we should invest time and money viewing this pointless remake if the producers cared so little about their own film.

[–] dazfiddy 15 years ago

Thank you!We can only assume that the film's makers believe that most people won't know or care.If you live in Iowa or Kentucky, you could be given the impression that London is all about fog, bobbies on bicycles and chirpy cockneys!I really hate the Hollywood depiction of foreign cities.

[–] nullaqua 12 years ago

"Thank you!We can only assume that the film's makers believe that most people won't know or care.If you live in Iowa or Kentucky, you could be given the impression that London is all about fog, bobbies on bicycles and chirpy cockneys!I really hate the Hollywood depiction of foreign cities."

The other site says it well http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BritainIsOnlyLondon

"I have an appointment with eternity and I don't want to be late"

[–] raulfaust 14 years ago

well since I'm brazilian and never been to any other coutry, I had no idea it wasn't filmed in London. made no difference to me, but I got your point

[–] davek22 14 years ago

In the chase scene near the end you can see the tram tracks on the road. London has no trams

[–] len_cardiff 14 years ago

London does have trams - in Croydon.

Boo!

[–] HombreOfAnotherEra 14 years ago

Also there is no tram rails in central London. In the remake, it's clearly visible during the chase scene. So therefore it was also filmed in Prague.

[–] fallen_anakin 13 years ago

Notice the KFC sign as he is racing down the road?

The scary clown doll is hiding under my bed.

[–] mark-1589 12 years ago

I used to live in Prague and they filmed "location" scenes for both London and Rome at very well known spots in Prague. How cheap and lame. I wonder if they managed to do the Israel scenes there too.

[–] Cherry-Princess 10 years ago

I live in London, I saw at least 3 red phone boxes today - they do still have them dotted about mainly for tourists. There’s several near Trafalgar Square.
No that wasn’t the American Embassy as you can’t film there for security reasons. It looks like the Tate.
I see policemen on motorbikes and bicycles all the time.
You might want to double check re trams - we do still have them in London. Its in South London, Wimbledon - Beckenham. Several people use it daily, might want to tell them they are on an invisible tram then.