Tied for the best movie I have ever seen

Sadly Over-hyped

Absolutely Fantastic

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

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)

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.

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.

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.