Due to nearly identical physical and mental abilities, Dick must hire the Clone Killer Corporation to rid him of his own Clone who is just like him, but better.
Directed by JACK McWILLIAMS
An ATTIC LIGHT FILMS Production
Sci-Fi / Comedy – 5 minutes
Set in a 1950’s retro-future, a time of technological achievement, a flourishing of mass production, and when companies like Xerox became household names, one short-lasting invention has been forgotten by time: the human Clone. People suddenly had the ability to clone themselves as easily as they could copy a piece of paper.
As with anything that looks too good to be true, Clones seemed like a great idea at the time. Why not have more hands to help around the house? Why not have an identical “you” to fill in at the office when you were sick? It appeared that nothing could go wrong.
But it did. The nascent technology did not create perfect replicas. Some Clones were worse off than their human originals; perhaps they had a potty mouth or poor social skills. How does one restore a damaged reputation after sending their Clone to a party, only to have him drink directly from the punch bowl and then pinch the hostess’ rear end?
Much more dangerously, some Clones came out just like the original, but with better qualities. Who will blame your wife’s shifting desires when your Clone is identical to you except that he manages to pick up his dirty socks regularly. Or he makes her laugh, something you could never do. Perhaps he is a charismatic musician and your friends would rather be around him than you.
Jealousy soon set it. But what to do about it? Your Clone is identical to you, therefore, when you decide to kill it, it has already realized you will do so. If you try to gas your clone, it comes prepared with a gas mask. Try to throw it off a cliff and it has once again preempted you by wearing repelling gear. In short, it’s impossible for you to kill your own Clone because the Clone has already premeditated your premeditation. You must hire a third party, someone who will think of what you cannot: someone who will surprise you and your wayward Clone. You must hire the Clone Killer Corporation.
This sale pitch film is the only reel still in existence from the Clone Killer Corporation. It touts their superior services. Services that were so successful, from a company that excelled at what they did, they eventually killed all clones and put themselves out of business.
Inspired by the obsession to copy by Akaky Akakyievich in Gogol’s “The Overcoat,” the tit-for-tat antics of the cartoon Spy Vs. Spy, and the director’s own fear as a young child that he had a Clone somewhere out there (a fear the writer kindled by pointing out how would you know if you were you, or you were your Clone?). HOW TO KILL YOUR CLONE is a hilarious sales pitch as well as an important warning reminding us to be careful for what we wish.
Attic Light films is a Los Angeles based production company founded by of Jack McWilliams, Ed McWilliams and Milan Chakraborty. Launched in 2009, they have produced numerous shorts and several feature films. Their most recent feature I DREAM TOO MUCH will premiere at SXSW in March 2015.