The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler

I was shocked as to how good this film is

Such that I cannot believe no decent writer or director has done an update.

With all the effects available today I can see an update as a great success

In the meantime a good watch and Nielsen running around in all seriousness pre Airplane.. Priceless

THE RESURRECTION OF ZACHARY WHEELER is a weird little sci fi movie most probably forgotten by today's audiences. Certainly the low budget of the thing is off-putting, but if you can overcome the film's deficiencies then you might just enjoy it nonetheless. This is a fun little cloning thriller that plays out with the same kind of verve as a Michael Crichton film or the likes of THE CHINA SYNDROME.

Leslie Nielsen stars in the straight role of a reporter who witnesses a politician being mortally injured in a car accident. Before long the whole thing is hushed up, so he takes it upon himself to investigate and uncover the truth, which is that the government have begun a cloning scheme in order to harvest spare parts. There are a few chase scenes here, alongside some moments involving people in dodgy blue make up, and it's all very limited. But the film covers the same paranoid government conspiracy ground as many a '70s thriller, and Nielsen gives a solid performance as the lead. Bradford Dillman and Angie Dickinson play in support.

This film did remind me of the kinds of ideas in Crichton's novels - especially his early medical fiction. Who would have guessed that a now-forgotten low-budget B-movie would actually end up more timely almost 40 years after its original release? I don't know of any earlier film treatments of the subject of cloning than this film - I really wonder what audiences thought when this first came out, as the plot line of the film must have seemed really wild back then. I don't particularly care for remakes - especially of good movies like this - but now would be a terrific time for a remake of this story, possibly with a better budget. As it is, the film stretches its budget pretty well, but I would have appreciated greater attention to the scientific aspects of the cloning (possibly with some special effects). Additionally, because all of the real-life politicians seem to be weighing in on the stem cell and medical ethics issues, the political aspects of the story would fit perfectly into a remake, where they could be fleshed out in greater detail. I guess this movie just has me thinking more of what it could have been than what it is. On its own level, it is a surprisingly thoughtful low-budget film that concentrates on ideas, rather than action. For that, it is well worth searching out.

On a final note, it has a ridiculous non-sequitur ending that had me giggling, but the ending seems to fit a cheap movie like this, whose filmmakers certainly couldn't afford a lot of explosions and gunfights .

To me, at least, "The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler" belongs to a very selected group of 70s cult/science fiction movies. They are criminally obscure and practically forgotten, presumably due to the low-budget production values and lack of action and/or special effects, but at the same time they are unbelievably intelligent and downright terrifying due to the ahead-of-its-time themes and story lines. This film pretty much gave me the same overwhelming effect as when I first watched the 1979 gem "Parts: The Clonus Horror". Not coincidentally both films are very similar, dealing with early types of cloning methods, conspiracies to protect the elite classes and massive media cover-ups. Both titles are original, tense, disturbing and fascinating, but also inexplicably underrated. Oh, and they have something else in common: Michael Bay stole the innovative ideas of both films for his own fake Sci-Fi box office hit "The Island"!

The film predates Leslie Nielsen's typecasting period, which began with "Police Squad" and lasted for the rest of his life, so you might have to make a mental switch to take him serious as the stubborn but persistent research journalist. He, Harry Walsh, arrives at the scene of a tragic car accident and identifies a near-fatally injured victim as the young & upcoming senator Zachary Wheeler. Later in the hospital, however, all the staff denies that Wheeler got admitted and Walsh is rudely thrown off the premises. Despite pressure from his chief editor and government spokespersons, Walsh refuses to publicly recall his earlier reporting and gets fired. He privately continues to look for answers, though, and traces down Wheeler to a remote New Mexican medical facility where, in all secrecy, the upmost amazing scientific breakthroughs are being realized. Meanwhile, the recovering senator Wheeler also discovers the truth behind his miraculous rescue, and he's not as pleased as you'd think.

I deeply and humbly bow my head to the writers of progressive Sci-Fi like this! Can you believe this plot is nearly 50 years old? The plot already dealing with clones before the term "clones" was even properly integrated. They are referred to as "Somas" instead. Topics like stem cell treatment nowadays still lead to heavy moral discussion, but it featured here first. Moreover, "The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler" is also a very competent action/thriller effort! Walsh's cat-and-mouse games with a duo of pursuing goons are amusing and certain sequences inside the facility definitely hold a shock-effect in store. Excellent performances from Bradford Dillman and Angie Dickinson as well. The utterly abrupt non-ending initially feels frustrating, but it also underlines the soberness, realism and intellect of the script. Rich, influential and powerful people always win.

Watch this movie, and reflect that 30 years later, we are having a similar ethical debate on stem cell research, and the use of aborted faetuses to cure diseases.

Further reflect on recent cloning advances. What if you could clone a human, with no brain? (It is an unfortunate condition that occurs occationally in humans. The offspring die shortly after birth.) Would it be moral to use their bodies to extend your life?