USA, 1979
90m
35mm film, colour, 1.66:1
mono, English
An American science fiction film directed by Robert S. Fiveson. Production began on 12 September 1978 1Variety 20 September 1978 p.32. In 2005 the makers filed a copyright infringement suit against DreamWorks, the producers of The Island (2005), a film which bears striking similarities to The Clonus Horror. DreamWorks attempted to have the suit dismissed but a federal judge allowed the case to be heard 2Variety 23 October 2006 p.7. Before the scheduled February 2007 hearing could begin, however, DreamWorks settled out of court for an undisclosed seven-figure sum 3[An Interview with Bob Sullivan, Clonus screenwriter by Dr Winston O’Boogie, published on the The Agony Booth website on 17 May 2007.]
Plot Summary
In a remote desert compound a group of young people are kept isolated from the rest of the world and are promised that they will eventually be allowed to move to “America” on completing a programme of physical training. Richard Knight Jr begins to question the seemingly idyllic world he lives in an makes a horrifying discovery – he and his friends are clones, bred as organ farms for the rich and powerful.
Credits
Crew
Directed by: Robert S. Fiveson
© MCMLXXIX [1979] Clonus Associates
A Myrl A. Schreibman production. A Robert S. Fiveson film
Supervising Executive Producer: Ray Dryden
Executive Producer: Walter Fiveson
Produced by: Myrl A. Schreibman and Robert S. Fiveson
Co-producer: Michael Lee
Associate Producer: Peter R.J. Deyell
Screenplay by: Ron Smith and Bob Sullivan
Based on a Story by: Bob Sullivan
Screenplay Adaptated by: Myrl A. Schreibman and Robert S. Fiveson
Director of Photography: Max Beaufort
Film Editor: Robert Gordon
Music Composed by: Hod David Schudson
Production Sound Mixer: Ken Robinson
Costume Designer: Dorinda Rice Wood
Makeup: Richard Rivas
Hair Design: Michael Mariani Hair Salon
Special Makeup by: Joe Blasco Makeup School
Special Effects: Steve Karkus
Art Director: Steve Nelson
Cast
Timothy Donnelly (Richard Knight Jr)
Dick Sargent (Dr Jameson)
David Hooks (Richard Knight)
Keenan Wynn (Jake Noble)
Peter Graves (Jeff Knight)
Frank Ashmore (George Walker)
Lurene Tuttle (Anna Noble)
Eddy Carroll (doctor)
Zale Kessler (Dr Nelson)
James Mantell (Ricky Knight)
Paulette Breen (Lena)
Rick DiAngelo (guide #1)
Gene Glazer (guide #2)
Eileen Dietz (Dana)
Keith Langsdale (guide #3)
Larry Manning (guide #4)
William Bufkin (clone)
Tony Haig (Jack)
Links
See also
The Island (2005)
Press
1979
Variety 14 November 1979 pp.22
[A] none-too-horrifying attempt to graft an Orwellian Big Brother conceit onto present-day American society. Execution simply isn’t up to carrying off the idea, and biz looms flat as the picture. Notion that clones would be virtually indistinguishable from normal inhabitants of suburban California is an intriguing one, and director Robert S. Fiveson has made do as best he could on his $250,000 budget by suggesting that an insidious menace lies present in a seemingly benign, comfortable environment. Despite the contemporary setting, however, tale of a combined government – industrial – medical plot to clone the nation’s populace without its knowledge seems many times warmed-over. Not only do echoes of “1984” and “Fahrenheit 451” reverberate strongly throughout, but pic’s first half plays almost as a clone of George Lucas’ “THX 1138.” […] Acting is uniformly rudimentary, and tech credits, while acceptable, are about a notch below standards normally found at main line indies. – from a review by Cart
Cinefantastique vol.9 no.2 (Winter 1979) p.33
Despite a few low-budget gaffes, it’s an intelligent, engrossing treatment of the theme, rather limply directed but well-written and acted. Considering expectations (Group 1 makes New World Pictures look like MGM) I may be overreacting. – from a review by Frederick S. Clarke
2005
Fangoria no.242 (April 2005) pp.65-66
While some of the writing and acting are a bit awkward, the movie’s political subtext gives it a bit of extra dramatic interest similar to other ’70s indie genre fare – though its greatest prescience may be in anticipating the clones-on-the-run plot of this summer’s Michael Bay epic The Island. – from a review (DVD Dungeon) by Michael Gingold
References
Periodicals
- Cinefantastique vol.9 no.2 (Winter 1979) p.33 – review (Short notices by Frederick S. Clarke)
- Fangoria no.242 (April 2005) pp.65-66 – review (DVD Dungeon by Michael Gingold)
- The Hollywood Reporter vol.253 no.21 (22 September 1978) p.16 – credits
- The Hollywood Reporter vol.259 no.10 (12 November 1979) p.2 – review
- Science Fiction Film and Television vol.1 no.2 (2008) pp.346-349 – review (DVD reviews: Clonus by Kim Newman)
- Variety 20 September 1978 p.32 – credits
- Variety 14 November 1979 p.22 – credits, review (by Cort)
- Variety 23 October 2006 p.7 – note (Studios face ‘Island’ trial by Pamela McClintock)
