The Clonus Horror (1979)

Politicians scheme to clone themselves, assuring immortal life.

Director:

Robert S. Fiveson

Writers:

Ron Smith (screenplay), Bob Sullivan (screenplay)

Stars:

Peter Graves, Rick DiAngelo, Eugene Robert Glazer

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Graves	...	Jeff Knight
Rick DiAngelo	...	Guide #1
Eugene Robert Glazer	...	Guide #2 (as Gene Glazer)
Eileen Dietz	...	Dana
Paulette Breen	...	Lena
Tim Donnelly	...	Richard (as Timothy Donnelly)
Frank Ashmore	...	George / George Walker
Keith Langsdale	...	Guide #3
Dick Sargent	...	Dr. Jameson
Zale Kessler	...	Dr. Nelson
Larry Manning	...	Guide #4
William Bufkin	...	Clone
Tony Haig	...	Jack
Boyd Holister	...	Senator
Eddie Carroll	...	Doctor (as Eddy Carroll)

Storyline

A young man escapes from a government-run project called 'Clonus' only to find out that Jeff Knight (Peter Graves), a presidential candidate, is conspiring to keep Clonus a secret. Top government officials are aware of it and support the super-secret project, because they are cloning themselves to live longer and better lives at the expense of their slave-like clone counterparts. Ethical and moral values are explored as the escapee known as Richard (Tim Donnelly) returns to Clonus, only to find his girlfriend lobotomized for government security purposes.

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Plot Keywords:

clone | politician | presidential candidate | escape | cloning | 

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Taglines:

Where science and nightmare merge.

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Genres:

Horror | Romance | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

August 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

Clonus

Filming Locations:

Moorpark College - 7075 Campus Road, Moorpark, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$257,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Clonus Associates

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Robert S. Fiveson brought a copyright infringement suit against the makers of The Island (2005), citing almost 100 points of similarity between the two films. The court ruled that Fiveson made a prima facie case for infringement. Before the case could go to trial, Dreamworks settled with the plaintiffs for an undisclosed amount.

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Goofs

When Richard asks the confessional what 'Milwaukee' means, it eventually tells him it's a rare mineral found in the river. Later, he tells Lena the confessional said it was a plant found in the ocean.

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Quotes

Jeff Knight: I think it's time I start paying back this country for some of the good things it's given me.

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Crazy Credits

In the Special Thanks To section, Adidas is incorrectly spelled "Addidas".

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Connections

References Star Trek (1966)

User Reviews

The intent was admirable; the execution was not.

Like most other people, I saw this movie on "Mystery Science Theater 3000." Although it received some well-deserved barbs, it's one of the better films to be featured on that show.

The premise is better than even your average Hollywood blockbuster these days; it poses some interesting moral dilemmas. Although the score is sometimes obtrusive, it also provides a few lovely moments when Richard is walking by the river. Watching the movie, you can see where a lot of plot developments probably looked very good on paper. Richard's discomfort in modern society is an interesting problem to ponder, and the ending probably would have been a nice '70s-style mindfuck if the preceding affairs hadn't been so goofy.

Unfortunately, the movie is visibly cheap, making the flaws all the more obvious. The "clone farm" is very obviously a college campus, and a beer can serves as a major plot point. Lena and Richard have zero chemistry -- we are supposed to believe this is a meeting of kindred minds, but there doesn't seem to be a brain cell between them. The "cranky old couple" schtick also gets real old, real fast. There are also some mistakes that can be blamed on bad directorial choices, such as the decision to hold a climactic conversation out of reach of any audio equipment whatsoever.

In all, a noble effort, but is nonetheless best viewed on MST3K.