The Clonus Horror !!top!! Today
Watch the original, unriffed version. Available on Blu-ray from Code Red DVD or streaming on platforms like Tubi and Amazon Prime (often under the title Parts: The Clonus Horror ). Pay attention to the cinematography. Notice the long, contemplative shots of the actors running. Try to feel the existential dread beneath the terrible acting. Ask yourself: Is Michael Bay still paying royalties for this?
The producers of The Clonus Horror noticed the uncanny resemblance. They sued DreamWorks, Paramount, and Warner Bros. for copyright infringement. The lawsuit was not a publicity stunt; it was a David-versus-Goliath battle. The claimants pointed out dozens of similarities: the white jumpsuits, the exercise regimens, the "lottery" system for leaving the facility, the escape via a laundry truck, and even the specific dialogue tropes. The Clonus Horror
Released in 1979, The Clonus Horror (also known as Parts: The Clonus Horror ) is a low-budget science fiction film that has achieved a curious immortality. While often dismissed as "70s schlock," the film's core concept was potent enough to spark a multi-million dollar legal battle decades later. The Premise: America is a Lie Watch the original, unriffed version
: The protagonist, Richard (Tim Donnelly), begins questioning his reality after finding evidence of the outside world. He escapes the facility to seek the truth, eventually discovering he is the clone of the brother of a prominent presidential candidate, Jeffrey Knight (played by Peter Graves). Notice the long, contemplative shots of the actors running
The Clonus Horror might have remained a footnote in cult cinema were it not for its bizarre legal second act. In 2005, Michael Bay’s DreamWorks released The Island , a glossy, big-budget action film starring Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson. The premise was identical: a hidden compound of pristine clones who believe a lottery will send them to a paradise, only to discover they are organ donors. The similarities were so striking that the producers of The Clonus Horror sued.
In a rare victory for indie filmmakers, the case was settled out of court in 2006 for an undisclosed sum. While studios never admit guilt in settlements, the fact that The Island —a $126-million box office bomb—had to pay damages to a $350,000 film from 1979 effectively vindicated The Clonus Horror . It proved that even a "bad" idea is legally an owned idea.