The center. Screenplay about eternal life by cloning and head transpantation.
by Leonid Sakharov
The story of my screenplay idea about eternal life for rich and
power by cloning himself and transplanting head.
If someone would clone yourself, grow up the clone till adulthood
with fully formed adult body and then transplant his brain (with
head or separately) he or she would have young body. If to repeat
this procedure every ten or so years the body would be always
younger than 35. Will it secure everlasting life or nobody can
know until try. But legal and moral barriers are enormous almost
as high as scientific problems to overcome. The price of success
in priceless nevertheless to image that attempt would be made.
It is the basic synopsis.
There is also story about script itself. The first time I came
to the procedure practically at one after reports of successful
cloning. I don’t remember exact where I first hear about cloning
of animals. Maybe it was one of the several popular scientific
journals I was reading regularly, maybe from television where
science was heavy popularized. It was definitely earlier than
report about Dolly (sheep) born in 1996. Maybe 1987 when in USSR
the first cloned mice stimulated discussing was trigger for my
idea. I do remember that up to very long after 2000th the technical
possibility of cloning human being was taken very skeptical by
experts. I was sure that it is only matter of time and efforts.
Anyway I did entertain the idea at family gatherings explaining
how easy to live forever if to have enough money. Nobody in my
family or in close circle had so many money, not even close (understatement
it is). Than come catastrophe of country I lived. USSR was no
more, salary was delayed inflation galloped. Every opportunity
to get dollars as only valuable money had to be explored. I did
read an advertisement about competition for ideas for movie script
all citizens of Russia could participate in. I wrote, typewrited and sent
The center the story about young surgeon who did transplanting of heads
of monkeys in secret research laboratory, figured out the goal
of his work to transplant head to clone of human and escape attempt
to be eliminated as unwanted witness became manager of the whole
project. Romantic and tragic sideline in story for fun present
too. It was sometime in between 1992-1995. Most probable in 1993 I think.
The competition of scripts ended without any mention of my work.
Some woman author was a winner with script for movie like “Terminal
Velocity” (my bet it was one). Just my guess based on vague recollection
of one newspaper article.
Anyway then in 2000 “The 6th Day” movie was based on the plot
around the idea of legality of cloning. It was not exact duplicate
of my idea and especially very small resemblance with lines of
plot and main character. I decided to ignore.
Later on after 9/11 catastrophe in USA where I relocated in 1995
my scientific carrier fell in trap of age, end of civil material
science, being foreigner to get job with security clearance.
My software development business never attracts real money. I
did try to revitalize this script to sell idea for movie. I translated
the Russian version into English and publish at my website, then
publish link at newsgroup devoted to script writers. Feedback
was promising. The main technical response was that format for
screenplays in USA are not as I saw in USSR. Secondly one person
wrote that it is masterpiece and all authors there should learn
the real lesson how to write brave. One response was from woman
from Texas who start later long conversation via e-mails.
She was sort of teacher for screenwriters. She advised me at
first to take my script from public access because it will be
stolen. Good advice I think now. Then there was rather long discussion
about science foundation of the cloning and could clone grown
faster than normal baby to make the story more dynamic. Finally
she offered to write full scale 100 pages script together and
sent her version of first scene when principal character spoke
with one-night girl (later on she will be leading woman). Her
version contained a phase like “I think to deal with stallion
but met pony” something in this style. It is more than vulgar
for me and I dump her.
In several years after I did by occasion saw the movie “The Island”
significantly later 2005 when it was released. The story there
was if not exact copy but all key ideas was extraordinary similar to my script.
The name:– my “The Center” versus “The Island”. The Island is
the center for life repository of clones used for organs of rich
peoples. Exact as in my plot. The leading characters are young
energetic couple in instant love escape and fight back. At the
end the center is overcame. In my version main character became
manager. In politically correct Hollywood clones escaped to freedom – rubbish.
In some time I got phone call from somebody I got impression
from legal firm. She asked me about my script and would I consider
it serious work. I did not connect that with possibility to sue
producers of “The Island” for copyright infringement. And I was modest.
Now I am writing about virtual reality and in need to talk about
ways to reach eternal life. So I need to refer to this idea as
well. So I publish these documents.
Content:
The center. Standart script formating.
The second authorized translation of the sci-fi script about scheme for eternal life of rich and power by cloning yourself and transplanting brain with head. Hollywood friendly format.
The center.
The first authorized translation of the sci-fi script about scheme for eternal life of rich and power by cloning yourself and transplanting brain with head.
Nov. 6, 2018; 18:14 EST