The Clones (1973) User Reviews

Clone for the Road

[FilmFlaneur · 5/10 · 28 September 2016]

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.

Low rent sci-fi thriller

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 17 February 2018]

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 A scientist involved in a pioneering research programme is involved in an accident and soon discovers that he has been replaced by his own clone.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.

An interesting mess

[BandSAboutMovies · 4/10 · 13 March 2023]

Dr. Gerald Appleby (Michael Greene) starts to believe that he's been cloned. That's because he barely escaped his lab's explosion and everyone in his life thinks that they've seen him in places that he knows that he hasn't been. He goes on the run, not only chased by mad scientist Carl Swafford (Stanley Adams, Cyrano Jones from the original Star Trek), but also violent thugs Sawyer (Otis Young, Blood Beach) and Nemo (Gregory Sierra, which is disconcerting, because I am used to seeing him as the face of goodness from his role as Det. Sgt. Chano Amenguale on Barney Miller).

Directed by Paul Hunt (he also directed Twisted Nightmare and produced Demon Wind) and Lamar Card (who directed Supervan and Jukebox AKA Disco Fever, as well as the producer of Nashville Girl, Savage Harvest and Project: Metalbeast), who co-wrote the film with Steve Fisher, who started writing movies back in 1938 with Nurse from Brooklyn. He also wrote the novel and screenplay for I Wake Up Screaming, Hell's Half Acre, Johnny Angel and episodes of Peter Gunn, McMillan & Wife, Cannon and Fantasy Island.

Most people will watch this movie and see a slow moving film that goes nowhere, filled with fish-eye lens addled drug scenes and an overwhelming sense of conspiracy doom. As for me, I read that sentence and only see the positives. Young and Sierra seem to be having a blast, the ending is as cynical as it gets and a lot of the ending takes place inside an amusement park that seems to run itself. It's a movie that came out on VHS, has had no major DVD release and has never come out on blu ray. It's almost as lost as a movie gets these days.

A Festival of Stupid Movie Lines

[lithium_drift · 1/10 · 17 September 2009]

To create a truly awful movie, it is essential to start with an absolutely dreadful script. By that measure, "The Clones" deserves a Nobel Prize. Other reviewers have cited some fine examples of utterly embarrassing lines, but my own personal favorite from this movie comes after an attempt is made on the hero's life, and he flees to the home of The Wise Professor to explain his plight. The Professor looks gravely at him and, in a moment worthy of Yogi Berra, says, "So...you say someone is trying to kill you? Hmm...this could be serious!" Possibly a good party movie, but definitely should not be seen while fully sober.

"Humans Are Not Like Frogs"

[larryblanks · 1/10 · 18 July 2005]

I've been looking for a video of this film for many years. Mainly so I can give it as a gag gift to a buddy of mine that saw it with me back in 1973.

The bad part was, it had been my idea to see this particular film. To me it has the potential of a good plot and even though there wasn't a big name cast, I really thought it would be okay.

I can honestly say that there is not one single redeeming part of this film that would have me recommend it

One line in the film is uttered by a man running through a swamp and falls. As he lays there he is looking at a frog sitting across from him and in his mind is saying, "Humans are not like frogs....." My verbal comment was, "Yeah, a frog wouldn't pay three dollars to come and see this stupid movie!" at which time we left. (my line got a better audience reaction than the whole film) Sorry, not something I can recommend.

Off to an engaging start, but then gets lost

[k_tomas_dolan · 2/10 · 30 January 2015]

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.

A Really BAD Movie

[Ken Geest · 1/10 · 13 July 2000]

If you are really bored.... Watch this movie. The insipid "hit men" at the beginning of movie set the tone. The only worth while line is from the Protagonist when he finally catches up to his clone..... "Get in there Xerox."

A very creepy secret government program, unmonitored and run amok..

[ccmiller1492 · 7/10 · 29 November 2008]

Low budget film "The Clones" capitalizes on both the subject of forbidden scientific experimentation and also on the genuinely creepy topic of a secret government program, unmonitored and run amok. Although most of the cast is largely unknown, the lead character of Dr. Appelby is very effectively played by long-legged Michael Greene, who also plays the clone, his exact duplicate; fascinating when both are in the same scene. The clone, who wants to survive, escapes the facility pretending to be the doctor which sets off the no less than murderous security patrol detailed to dispose of anyone including the doctor who might compromise the program. The fateful pursuit is action-filled and taut, even hair-raising. I was amazed at how good this film was, despite less than stellar photography. "The Clones" definitely delivers the requisite thrills and frissons required of the sci-fi suspense thriller genre. It is far superior to many more costly and better known examples.

4.7??? I protest!

[thor5894 · 8/10 · 28 January 2014]

Saw this twice long ago on Creature Features, hosted by the late great Bob Wilkins (Bay Area folk of a certain age will nod). It's the best kind of low budget science fiction, lean, fast, and unpretentious. It plays as much like an action movie as sci-fi, to be honest, much of the film is an extended chase, but very well done. The lead actor is unknown to me but fine in the role(s). Stanley Adams, Cyrano Jones on the original Star Trek, has a choice role as a scientist (and gets the last word in the movie). Best of all, Gregory Sierra plays a particularly nasty hit-man, in what can almost be seen as a prelude to his role in the excellent Deep Cover many years later.

No idea if this is available anywhere or ever gets aired (TCM, are you listening?), but well worth the time if you get the chance.

A unique movie

[caspian1978 · 6/10 · 22 March 2001]

I reason why Clones is taken for a bad movie is because of the films direction. Clones was directed by two directors. Without even looking at the credits, you can tell by the two different styles of direction seen during the movie. One direction is clearly bad as the camera is hand held and always moving. The other direction is classic 1974 "trip" direction that makes you feel like your on a drug. The story is excellent. Original science fiction that can only be matched with Boys from Brazil. When I first wrote this review many years ago, I was contacted by Paul Hunt, the Director who was upset at my comments. The truth he wanted me to let the public know is that they filmed this with a tiny budget and with a short time. Considering this, I would say that the Clones was one of many movies in its era that was quickly pushed out in order to make a quick profit. To give credit when credit is due, the Clones can be considered a misunderstood film. However, it is worth watching just to check out the great ending (which you do not see coming). Trust me.

Normally Featured-Actor Michael Greene Stars Twice Here

[TheFearmakers · 6/10 · 2 May 2018]

Who knew there was a genre called "Psychedelic Action"... Well there isn't, technically, but this 1973 super low-budget science-fiction film... not even big enough for a decent cult following... can't really be described any other way. The camera angles and music alone give it that tag; and you won't be bored since there's plenty of action...

The entire picture is one long multi-chase involving a scientist who's been cloned... or is he a clone who thinks he's the scientist? Visually you can figure it out so prick your ears since the sound quality is god-awful. Making otherwise talented actors tone down their skills to drive a story with expressions which are mostly worried, agitated, determined...

Enter Michael Greene playing dual-roles. He's one of those actors you've seen a million times: tall, storky: a unique character actor... This is his only starring vehicle... and if not, it's one of the very, very few... while other familiar faces Gregory Sierra and Otis Young play F.B.I. agents on his scurried tail.

THE CLONES makes surprisingly apt use of a sparse story-line with an energetic pulse, effectively cutting back and forth to the hunted and the hunters - from sneaking along rooftops, traipsing through rocky terrain, stalked on rural highways, in the desert, swamps, then busting into fist fights and, of course, car chases - as if there was actually a budget in this Wrong-Man thriller including an idyllically romantic sailboat scene, thus providing stolen shots of both land and sea...

Meanwhile, the actors seem like they're merely collecting paychecks, sleepwalking through the roles while that same year, serving in heaven as opposed to this scant reign in hell, Sierra would be the hunted in PAPILLON; Otis Young would take THE LAST DETAIL with a never-better Jack Nicholson; and a year earlier, Greene bullied Woody Allen in PLAY IT AGAIN SAM. So they do have merit... The irony is, their CLONES paycheck was probably hardly worth slumming down to. (available on Amazon Prime... Review from cultfilmfreaks.com)

Flawed But Fascinating Low-Budget Sci-Fi

[rcoates-661-22249 · 9/10 · 3 April 2010]

The Clones is more than worthwhile for those who admire ambitious shoestring budget film-making. Principal among its charms is its eerie stylistic inventiveness, with disorienting tracking shots, upside-down fish-eye camera-work, offbeat locations, and weird effects on the soundtrack, ensuring that an oppressive 70s paranoia takes hold of the viewer.

The script is hit-and-miss, sometimes dumb, and the story weakens when the clone conspiracy is revealed to be only a part of a much, much broader sci-fi intrigue. The aforementioned strengths more than compensate for any failings, however. The Clones is a film that will be best appreciated by those who enjoy old, modestly budgeted but atmospheric speculative movies like Seconds, It's Alive, or The Terminal Man.

Amazingly thoughtless film

[danielmartinx · 9/10 · 4 July 2019]

This film is amazingly thoughtless and unplanned. The setup is: A group of evildoers clone a scientist and then release the clone without killing the scientist. So he stalks after the clone (who is doing his girlfriend) and gets arrested and beaten and runs around in a delirious state. And still the evildoers fail to kill him, again and again. The purpose for the clone? More foolish still (I'll leave that for you to find out about on your own).

And yet I am giving it 9 out of 10. There is something in the way that it's all put together that reminds me of being a child in the 70s. The chaotic meaninglessness of life is present in this film. The characters stagger through empty sets and have bland, blunted expressions. The hero behaves with a nihilism that reminds me of Clint Eastwood in the 70s, all spit and vinegar.

The cinematography is weirdly excellent, in the way that 70s films were excellent. Bizarre camera angles. Hideous montage. Washed out saturation. Terrible framing. But it all works.

I highly recommend, but go in with a lot of caution.

Nifty 70's sci-fi flick

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 15 April 2015]

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.

"Got A Heat-Seeker, Right Up The Exhaust!"...

[azathothpwiggins · 7 April 2020]

THE CLONES begins with a dire warning about human cloning, and opening credits featuring oscilloscopes and refrigerator-sized computers.

Then, we are introduced to Dr. Appleby (Michael Green), who discovers that he has a problem. It seems there are now two of him!

Enter Nemo (Gregory Sierra), the impossibly zealous government agent sent in to neutralize the situation. Intense and goggle-eyed, he looks as though he might fly apart any second! He obviously wants Appleby dead.

Meanwhile, Appleby's doppelganger is busy enjoying the real Appleby's life, including his wife! Can Appleby solve this before the maniacal Nemo kills him?

This movie features lots of groove-tastic music, especially when Appleby runs in slow motion, which he does quite frequently. He also winds up in a hippie van full of brain-blasted hippies. There are flashbacks, tai chi, and some poor guy interrupted on a public toilet. Is he part of the conspiracy? Ultimately, the reason for the cloning has something to do with world domination through meteorology (!).

In spite of all the action taking place, this movie still manages to be tedious. 20-30 minutes could have been trimmed, making it more bearable. The shoot-em-up carnival finale attempts to make things exciting, even having Nemo tossing grenades from a roller coaster (!!). It almost works. Almost...

Move over Tom Mix

[willjohn · 5 May 2010]

I was at home one day when this came on TV well after it came out. I recognized Gregory Sierra from Barney Miller and thought it may be OK.

I was then subjected to a supposed drama that nearly made it as a comedy. It was made early in Sierra's career and I doubt he would have touched anything like it after his success in Barney Miller and Hill Street Blues.

I suppose the fact that I was a Policeman and familiar with the Smith and Wesson .38 revolver at the time did not help in the one scene I can remember. I forget why, but Sierra was riding a roller coaster while firing a pistol (how he would have been able to aim at anything while traveling at that speed was a puzzle) and a woman, from what I remember not supposed used to firearms,aimed a .38 at him with one hand and shot him in the middle of the forehead.

My wife could not understand why I broke into hysterical laughter. John Wayne could not have done that in his worst film.