The Clones (1973)

THE CLONES is a very low budget science fiction thriller put out by New World International. It's part of a 1970s-era trend for cloning movies alongside those favoured government conspiracy thrillers a la COMA. This one seems to have been inspired by THE MAN WHO HAUNTED HIMSELF. A scientist involved in a pioneering research programme is involved in an accident and soon discovers that he has been replaced by his own clone. He goes on the run with assassins in tow and a lot of the running time is spent on low rent action and chase sequences; the climatic set-piece at an abandoned fairground is particularly well realised. The film is cheap-looking and rough around the edges, but also well-paced and involving at times. It's a little repetitive but mildly entertaining too; far from the worst I've seen.

What's the obvious connection between duplicating humans and controlling the weather? No, I can't quickly think of something either, although CLONES seems to think it can be made both obvious and convincing. It is as if the makers thought that cloning itself was not enough to sustain the necessary tension and interest, and so at a late stage come up with a new plot peril to sustain matters. It would perhaps have worked better if the film had dwelt on the insecurities and doubts which surround the duplication of the individual, or indeed made the cause of such events much more mysterious and enigmatic than they turn out to be, leaving things disturbing and unanswered. Instead what we have is a reasonably entertaining large middle section with a likable hero, allied with a couple of effective hunters surrounded by less impressive exposition. Any rate, this low budget film does best when it stays away from such artificial considerations of plot to play on the confusion and paranoia of confronting doppelgangers, such as we have encountered elsewhere in such films as THE MAN WHO HAUNTED HIMSELF.Despite some interesting stylisation of the opening credits, the opening minutes of CLONES are a little confusing and it is only when hero Dr Appleby leaves the laboratory, in chase of himself, do things look up a little. Due credit must be given to Michael Green for making of Appleby at least halfway sympathetic during the extended action-suspense sequences which makes up the central part of the film which, on reflection, even more impressive given the low budget of the makers.Even with the caveats the score here is likely too low (I give proceedings at least a 5 or so) The final shoot out is well done and another reviewer is right: the last twist in the tale is unexpected.

Scientist Dr. Gerald Appleby (a sturdy performance by Michael Greene) uncovers a nefarious government plot to duplicate the world's top scientists in order to control the weather.Directors Lamar Card and Paul Hunt, working from an offbeat and interesting script by Steve Fisher, relate the absorbing story at a snappy pace, do a solid job of crafting a suitably paranoid atmosphere, stage the action scenes with aplomb (the bravura wild climax set in an empty amusement park in particular seriously smokes in no uncertain terms), and cap things off with a quintessentially 70's surprise bummer ending. The sound acting by the able cast keeps the film humming: Gregory Sierra as ruthless hit-man Nemo, Otis Young as Nemio's easygoing partner Sawyer, Susan Hunt as Appleby's concerned wife Penny, and Stanley Adams as sinister scientist Carl Swafford. Gary Graver's typically proficient cinematography boasts lots of cool hand-held camera work and a few gnarly solarized visuals; the scenes with Appleby and his clone interacting together are especially well done. Allen D. Allen's lively and funky score hits the groovy stirring spot. A neat little movie.

I'm impressed with Michael Greene's professionalism and loyalty to this film, because he manages somehow to carry the movie, while not looking embarrassed by how confused and adrift this movie is, or how lifeless the dialog. So much of the potential generated in the first 10 or 15 minutes for mystery, uncertainty about identity and interesting confrontations in this movie is just simply squandered. Despite the short schedule and meager budget, it had me believing in it early on, but then it never delivered. People get in the same room but the opportunity for driving the story and characters forward is consistently ignored or not realized. There's little or no insight into minds or motivations. No real conflict, external or internal, no nuance to the characters. Little or no doubt along the way who is on which side. No difficult decisions, no points of no return, no regret, etc.A lot of it is just one chase scene after another in which this worldwide conspiracy somehow expects a grand total of two knuckle- head henchmen in a single car to keep its sinister secrets from getting out.Dishonorable mention must also go to the sound department. In some cases, rather than re-recording all of the dialog, original and post-sync are cut together in a more-than-usually noticeable way, and the mix between the two inconsistent enough that out-of-frame people sometimes sound like they are in the next room. Further, there were some scenes in which the visuals failed to convey a sense of imminent danger and suspense, and efforts were instead made to prop them up by the twiddling of knobs on what was presumably some sort of synthesizer. The racket raised sometimes actually fulfills its goal, at least to some degree, but for the most part is just annoying and too sharp, and at times even disturbing and obnoxious. If memory servers, other comparable movies like Idaho Transfer committed similar noisy sins. Perhaps it was the style of the day.I didn't expect much from this production, but the sound really kept defying me to keep watching with charitable eyes.Probably the only positive thing I take away, is the bizarrely far- out drugged scene where Greene is given the task of negotiating a straight hallway without accidentally killing any of the small mammals that inexplicably litter his staggering path. Yes, small mammals. I remember thinking "That sounded weirdly like a cat. There actually is a cat there? Why is that cat there?" Meanwhile, the camera operator is struggling with not insignificant vigor to be inventive and imaginative in a most annoying and unimaginative way. That cracked me up, not least to see Greene being such a great sport through that challenge to his craft and dignity.Even though I did root for the movie, and did stay with it until the end, all I was left with was a feeling that nobody involved really cared about this movie. It would have taken so little, I think, to make it really interesting.