EDITOR’S NOTE: The Darker Side of Terror was on the CBS Late Movie on January 16, 1981.
What happens when you create the world’s first perfect human… and he turns out to be your wife’s perfect lover?
The Darker Side of Terror — shot as Clone: The Man Who Gave Birth to Himself — was made in 1976, aired in 1979 and was directed by former dancer/actor Gus Trikonis (West Side Story). Like all 1970s clone movies—the 70s were lousy with clones in movies like Embryo, The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler, The Boys from Brazil, Parts the Clonus Horror and The Clones—we’re asked a simple question: how many things can go wrong when a scientist plays God?
To be fair, college professor Dr. Paul Corwin (Forster) didn’t initially plan for this experiment. His mentor, Professor Meredith (Ray Milland), casually stole Paul’s DNA from a blood bank because Paul was apparently too perfect a specimen to resist. Naturally, things escalate quickly. The Clone learns about the world through computer programs, develops a competitive streak (turning a casual jog into a breakneck race), and gets a case of the murder-urges—knocking off a disco girl and a student with the hots for Paul, all while his right eye rolls up into its white side whenever he gets upset.
The real meat of the movie, however, is the unhinged love triangle. Paul’s wife, Margaret Corwin (Adrienne Barbeau), spends every waking moment furious that Paul is trapped in the lab and not experimenting on her, so to speak. When she shows up at the school library screaming, “I waited for you in bed AGAIN!”, you know trouble is brewing.
Let’s take a break for a second and unpack that this is 1976 Adrienne Barbeau lying in bed waiting on you. I know this is a science fiction movie, but I can only strain my incredulity so much.
Enter the Clone, who spies on her from the bushes—just like Forster did to Elizabeth Taylor in Reflections in a Golden Eye—and tricks her into thinking he’s the real Paul. Maybe he is the real Paul, if you follow his arguments.
This leads to a San Francisco boardwalk outing where we get another award-worthy acting exercise from Mr. Forster: the Clone riding a carousel while trying to mimic laughter with heh heh heh that make him sound like a Jack Chick character. When purse-snatchers attack, the Clone goes wild on them, nearly throwing one to his death. Margaret doesn’t react in fear. Instead, she’s sopping wet and needs some clone meat in the worst way.
In the end, two Bob Forsters throw down in an alleyway and only one can survive. Let me tell you, the idea of a Forester/Barbeau MMF might be too much for my old man pervert heart to handle.
You can watch this in The Cave of Forgotten Films.
