Bob Sullivan (screenplay writer)
Encyclopedia
Bob Sullivan is an American writer who was a major contributor to The St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture and When Falls the Coliseum, editor of the literary magazine Helicon, and a film reviewer for the Los Angeles Free Press
. He currently writes a weekly column for the website When Falls the Coliseum. But he is best known for his screenplay for the cult classic Clonus (also known as Parts: The Clonus Horror
), starring Peter Graves
, Keenan Wynn
and Dick Sargent
. The script was originally written for a class at the University of Southern California
Cinema Graduate School, which he attended from 1970 to 1973. Clonus was released in 1979, was lovingly mocked on Mystery Science Theater 3000
, and became the subject of a 2005 lawsuit against DreamWorks
, LLC and Warner Bros.
Entertainment, Inc. in United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
(05 Civ. Action No. 7043 [SAS]), due to alleged similarities between Clonus and The Island
, directed by Michael Bay
.
On November 20, 2006, Robert S. Fiveson, the director of Clonus, reached a sealed settlement with the defendants in that case, settling for a seven-figure sum, and this fact was not shared with Sullivan until well into 2007.
According to a 2007 interview with Sullivan, "Fiveson asked me not to be part of the lawsuit, and not to file a suit of my own, because they wanted to keep it simple and focused. They didn't want DreamWorks to think there was going to be an endless parade of plaintiffs. I was under the impression that, if I helped with their suit, my interests would be taken care of as well...
"In the end, all I got was a little over $2,000, representing one percent of the net from Clonus after the original investors and attorneys were paid off from the settlement amount... In 1979, I got $4,000 and screen credit for a film that cost a quarter of a million. In 2005 I get about half that and no credit for a film that cost $122 million. To me that seems blatantly unfair."
Los Angeles Free Press
The Los Angeles Free Press , also called “the Freep”, was among the most widely distributed underground newspapers of the 1960s. It is often cited as the first such newspaper...
. He currently writes a weekly column for the website When Falls the Coliseum. But he is best known for his screenplay for the cult classic Clonus (also known as Parts: The Clonus Horror
Parts: The Clonus Horror
Parts: The Clonus Horror, also known as Clonus, is a 1979 science fiction horror film about an isolated community in a remote desert area, where clones are bred to serve as a source of replacement organs for the wealthy and powerful...
), starring Peter Graves
Peter Graves
Peter Graves may refer to:* Peter Graves , American actor* Peter Graves, 8th Baron Graves , English actor and peer* Peter Graves , English cricketer...
, Keenan Wynn
Keenan Wynn
Keenan Wynn was an American character actor. His bristling mustache and expressive face were his stock in trade, and though he rarely had a lead role, he got prominent billing in most of his film and TV parts....
and Dick Sargent
Dick Sargent
Richard Stanford Cox , known professionally as Dick Sargent, was an American actor, notable as the second actor to portray Darrin Stephens on the television series Bewitched...
. The script was originally written for a class at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
Cinema Graduate School, which he attended from 1970 to 1973. Clonus was released in 1979, was lovingly mocked on Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
, and became the subject of a 2005 lawsuit against DreamWorks
DreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
, LLC and Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
Entertainment, Inc. in United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York is a federal district court. Appeals from the Southern District of New York are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case...
(05 Civ. Action No. 7043 [SAS]), due to alleged similarities between Clonus and The Island
The Island (2005 film)
The Island is a 2005 American science fiction/thriller film directed by Michael Bay and starring Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson. It was released on July 22, 2005 in the United States, and was nominated for three awards including the Teen Choice Award....
, directed by Michael Bay
Michael Bay
Michael Benjamin Bay is an American film director and producer. He is known for directing high-budget action films characterized by their fast edits, stylistic visuals and substantial practical special effects...
.
On November 20, 2006, Robert S. Fiveson, the director of Clonus, reached a sealed settlement with the defendants in that case, settling for a seven-figure sum, and this fact was not shared with Sullivan until well into 2007.
According to a 2007 interview with Sullivan, "Fiveson asked me not to be part of the lawsuit, and not to file a suit of my own, because they wanted to keep it simple and focused. They didn't want DreamWorks to think there was going to be an endless parade of plaintiffs. I was under the impression that, if I helped with their suit, my interests would be taken care of as well...
"In the end, all I got was a little over $2,000, representing one percent of the net from Clonus after the original investors and attorneys were paid off from the settlement amount... In 1979, I got $4,000 and screen credit for a film that cost a quarter of a million. In 2005 I get about half that and no credit for a film that cost $122 million. To me that seems blatantly unfair."