Parts: The Clonus Horror

Somewhere in California is a closed community called Clonus. The inhabitants – young, healthy, predominantly Aryan übermensch types – spend their time in preparation for entry to America, their lives continually monitored by the wardens and the scientists in the control room.

In truth, however, they are clones of prominent individuals in the world outside, being bred for replacement parts. Most are mentally impaired, a few "controls" are not.

One day two controls, Richard (Timony Donnelly – the original Toolbox Murders) and Lena (Paulette Breen), meet by accident. After the encounter, Richard notices the wardens acting differently towards him – something is up. Soon after, he finds a mysterious object, an Old Milwaukee brand beer can. He consults the oracular "Confessional" – the Discipline and Punish allusions are yet more obvious – and asks the seemingly kindly Dr ?? about Milwaukee, but is dissatisfied with the (non-) answers he receives.

Increasingly suspicious and questioning, Richard fakes a seizure, whereupon he is immediately taken to the infirmary. But how did the wardens know, unless they are monitoring his every action. Dr Jameson (Dick Sargent of Bewitched) tries to explain away the incident as Richard's being excited about his imminent departure for America. But this is a mistake; Richard had not heard anything about it until now.

The next night Richard sneaks out and heads for the off-limits offices. There he finds a map, showing the location of the mysterious Milwaukee; a video explaining Clonus and cloning, and a file that reveals him to be one Richard Knight.

Fleeing the facility, Richard finds the frozen bodies of other clones who had left for America. Though wounded by one of the wardens he manages to escape to the nearest city where – still pursued by agents of Clonus – he collapses at the feet of retired reporter Jake Noble (Keenan Wynn).

Though not completely sure what to make of Richard and his seemingly crazy story, Noble – note the connotations of the name – takes the young man to meet his father who, along with his own son, in understandably confused. Then they discover that Prof. Knight and Richard have the same birthmark.

Finaly the truth is apparent, but the agents of Clonus are out there – and have friends in high places, like the Professor's brother, Presidential candidate Jeffrey Knight (Mission Impossible's Peter Graves)…

Though it has suffered the ignominy of being lampooned on Mystery Science Theatre 3000 (episode #167, airing June 7 1997 for all you trivia buffs) Clonus AKA The Parts Horror really isn't that bad, benefitting from a strong central idea that has become more rather than less relevant thanks to advances in genetics and cloning over the past quarter century and the ethical, philosophical and legal debates they give rise to.

Admittedly, the story is cliché-ridden and replete with inconsistencies and illogicalities – not least the location of the top-secret Clonus facility apparently adjacent to the big city or the not really explained need for non-retarded clone controls like Richard and Lena.

But, equally, it is no more so than the norm for low-budget science fiction as an examination of, for example, the work of Larry Cohen would indicate – or, for hat matter, many a mainstream Hollywood entry if we think about, say, the (il)logic behind the Terminator films having a series of "infiltration unit" cyborgs that all look like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Unfortunately while the genetic and other themes remain relevant – or have even grown more so – other aspects of the film, such as the old school Adidas outfits worn by the populace of Clonus; Lena's Farrah Fawcett hairdo, and the oscilloscopes and blinkenlights in the control room necessarily place the film firmly as a product of the 1970s. However, it is also worth remembering here, contra the inevitable – though unquestionably valid – Vietnam/Watergate readings, that the likes of John Frankenheimer's Manchurian Candidate and Seconds amongst other probable influences had explored similar paranoid conspiracy themes a good ten or 15 years earlier.

Overall then a film that has been unfairly maligned over the years and which, while no classic, contains the germ of a good idea later to be exploited by the likes of the over-rated The Truman Show

Mondo Macabro's Region 0 NTSC disc looks and sounds good for a film of Clonus's vintage and low budget – $270,000 for a 35mm feature – origins, with minimal damage or scratches and no obvious artefacting and dialogue, effects and score – some nice choral themes – coming through nicely.

The extras package is where things really shine however. The centrepiece is an honest and entertaining commentary from director Robert Fiveson and Mondo Macabro's Pete Tombs that gives a lot of insight into the process of making a film of this sort – scouting locations; stealing shots; getting things for free or cheap, dealing with actors and problem scenes etc – as does the interview featurette with Fiveson, which also goes into more detail on his background and how he got into the film business.

Also included are the film's theatrical trailer – "at Clonus the only thing they don't use is the scream… it'll steal your heart… your kidneys… your eyes" – a gallery of stills and posters/video covers and a Mondo Macabro trailer reel.

Note should also be made of the menus, designed in the style of the Clonus logo and overlaid with soundbites from the film.

Another solid release.