Mia Farrow defends "The Omen" as devilish fun

LISBON, June 22 (Reuters) Actress Mia Farrow admits the widely panned horror film ''The Omen'' is no art house masterpiece but defends it as devilish fun that draws a good crowd.

''I never expected that this would be some high-brow success,'' Farrow, who plays a nanny from hell in the remake of the 1976 son-of-Satan chiller, told reporters yesterday.

''I'm happy that people are enjoying it, it packs a wallop,'' said Farrow.

Critics have slammed ''The Omen'' -- the New York Times called it ''terminally glum and waterlogged'' -- but the movie has done well at the box office, posting the best-ever opening on a Tuesday in its US launch this month.

Farrow was in Portugal for the launch of the Lisbon Village Festival of digital movies. She is returning to the United States after touring refugee camps in Sudan's troubled Darfur region as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF.

REUTERS SBA RAI0851