The Clonus Horror

"parts: the clonus horror" (the title uses only lower-case letters) stars Tim Donnelly as The Guy Who Played "Chet" in "Emergency", Dick Sargent as The Second Guy Who Played Darrin in "Bewitched", Paulette Breen as The Girl Who Kept Her Nose to the Grindstone, Kenan Wynn as The Grouchy Guy with the Really Really Big Scratchy Voice, and, of course, Peter "Biography" Graves.

With a cast like that, how can you fail?

Actually, although MST3K made this movie the butt of one of their funniest episodes (and make no mistake, their riffing on this movie was hilarious), I really can't say this film is that bad. The plot was interesting, with a fair number of twists and turns, and premise was fairly novel, and the acting was pretty good. (Could anyone look more completely bummed out than Emergency's Chet did throughout this movie?) The clones' vapid stupidity is consistent with the plotline, and Peter Graves projects just the right kind of blandness that you just know covers up a whole lot of evil underneath.

One thing bothers me, though; who was that really creepy looking guy with the eyepatch who appeared toward the end of the movie?

The beginning of this movie had me doubting that it would be little more than a typical B sci-fi flick. But, as it progressed I began to get interested and I saw the whole thing through. The premise is interesting, original, and has the makings of making a classic. Alas, it instead ended up a mediocre movie, done in by the usual factors which turn a potentially good movie into a bad movie (bad acting, low budget etc.). I'm interested to see how this would turn out if it were remade with good actors and a big hollywood budget.

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.

This low budget thriller is a pretty decent B movie with a great original premise.

The government has been running a clone farm for many years and now one of the clones has escaped into the outside world.

A clever premise, some solid direction, and a good cast help to make this film a pretty compelling sci-fi thriller. The Clonus Horror is an effectively chilling film that examines the theme of what it is to be human and just how the advance of science can ultimately turn to a violation of human life. The direction of Robert Fiveson is well-done, as he creates some nicely nightmarish sequences to give this film a creepy edge, as though the subject matter of the movie alone isn't unsettling enough. There's also some gruesome scenes as well. Kudos also go to a stirring, operatic music score.

The cast delivers good on their performances and features some great veteran actors like Dick Sargent, Peter Graves, and Keenan Wynn.

While The Clonus Horror may not have the big budget of The Island, it's as equally thought-provoking and disturbing. Worth seeking out, especially for film buffs.

*** out of ****

I have seen this movie a bunch of times. I like the idea of a movie about a colony of clones being used for spare parts. The cloning and what it was used for make this a good Science Fiction movie. The innocence of the clones in contrast to what they are being used for is tragic. The story of what one of the clones does when he finds out this terrible secret kept me interested until the conclusion. Some of the characters are silly and strange but it never really gets in the way of the story.