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12 out of 17 people found the following review useful:
The Last Great Tobe Hooper Film, 2 December 2005
9/10
Author: PCyst from The Base of Your Spine

Unlike most reviews of this movie that talk about how bad this movie is and how this was one of Tobe Hoopers worst films, all those reviews I completely disagree with. This is easily Hoopers last great film and a very well executed film at that. The story line is simple, Brad Dourif plays the role of Sam in the movie. He finds out that his parents were part of an experiment that had to do with the atomic bomb and that later would kill them. As an adult, Sam discovers he has a great power to control fire and electricity but with horrible results to his body after using them. This all lead to a very odd and some what anticlimactic ending. This is good because the movie plays very dramatically and at times can be almost depressing. Brad Dourif plays a very good role in this movie (Unlike what other reviewers say) and the rest of the cast does a good job also. The only downside of the movie is the special effects were mediocre and could have been better. But, this does not take away from the movie at all. Also, to set the record straight, the only similarity to this and "Firestarter" is the main character can control fire. Other than that, these are two completely different movies. So, if you have been disappointed in Tobe Hooper's work in the past 10 to 12 years and you have not seen this movie, I say buy it. This truly is a great movie. 9 stars

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
I kind of liked it., 20 April 2006
6/10
Author: Scott LeBrun from Winnipeg, Canada

Brad Dourif plays Sam, who is suffering the lingering effects of the atomic testing that his parents subjected themselves to in the 1950's. He is constantly emanating fire and electricity, especially when he's REALLY mad at someone, and the more it happens, the more of a toll that it takes on his body.

Mediocre horror movie / conspiracy thriller (with characters who you should automatically be able to figure out are the villains) is a fairly well made but uninspired picture by genre veteran Tobe Hooper. Dourif is just as intense as always, although for me the fact that his character is screwy from the start, even before the awful things start happening, detracts from whatever sympathy I had for him. Cynthia Bain is adequately appealing as his love interest. The screenplay itself, co-written by Hooper, is muddled at times; for example, what's with the character of Amy Whitaker and what's her relevance to anything? The movie itself gets intense and brutal at times, with decent pyrotechnics and effects, although what I liked best about it was the music score by New Zealand-born Graeme Revell; this was his first score for an American film. The supporting cast was fine; there is an especially great cameo appearance by John Landis.

Mildly entertaining but forgettable film; certainly not Hooper's best but might not be his worst (I should see more of his films from the last decade and a half or so before passing that judgment).

6/10

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11 out of 17 people found the following review useful:
I don't understand!, 4 September 2004
Author: blindognathan from England

I really don't understand why so many people hate this movie! I mean, I cry every time I see the end of it, I love the music that gets played over the end credits (the one I like to call the 'Sam & Lisa love theme',) I love the acting, and I love the *tragic* relationship between the two main characters.

Brad Dourif's always been one of my favourite actors, and I think it's really cool that he puts so much into his acting in 'Spontaneous Combustion' that he is actually sweating. (Remember that scene in the phone box when he's talking to Lisa and asking her 'what was in those pills you gave me?'

I think Tobe Hooper did really well making this one. (I'm looking forward to seeing his new film; 'Brew', which also stars Brad Dourif and Bill Moseley from 'House of 1000 Corpses.')

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
While it's slow in the beginning, it's a really, REALLY good flick!, 25 January 1999
8/10
Author: Judith Riley O'Brien (coujo@netscape.net)

Righty right. Here's a bit about SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION: the government is trying to engineer the perfect weapon for war. It fails, and the project is supposedly buried. Years later, however, a young college student by the name of David (Sam), is finding out slowly that he is something more than human. So, he intends to find out just what he is, and a path of destruction and fire is left in his wake. Now, I can see why this has been called Tobe Hooper's only failure at a movie, but it is a gem. But, the only reason why this is a good flick is because of the presence of Brad Dourif. As always, he's excellent. Rent this flick, that is if you can find it. The beginning is slow, but it is very entertaining.

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2 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Well, now., 3 September 2008
Author: heystoopid74 from Australia

I bought this movie in 3-Disc Tobe Hooper Collection. It came with SC, Eaten Alive and the documentary The American Nightmare. I watched Eaten Alive a few weeks ago and liked it, though i thought it could have been better. And last night I watched Spontaneous Combustion.

And what I don't understand...Is such a low rating here on IMDb! I mean, this movie is no Texas Chainsaw Massacre but hell, it's not bad! I enjoyed it quite a lot, really. Brad Dourif truly is a good actor, and creates a character that is likable from the word go. The plot twists and turns, and true, is hard to follow but it's worth being confused as bit just to be wowed by the great special effects and curious happenings occurring around the human firecracker Sam Kramer.

Overall, not Tobe Hooper's best, but it is very far from his worst, and it's certainly worth a look.

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2 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Loses Its Way, 12 November 2007
4/10
Author: jonathon_naylor from Manitoba, Canada

It's not so much that SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION had little potential. Indeed the under-explored title phenomenon is quite intriguing and, for at least the opening half, this Tobe Hooper effort promises to entertain in a way only cheesy '90s horror can. But somewhere between Brad Dourif's on-again-off-again performance and the overly intricate plot, this would-be thriller loses its way.

Dourif, featured here before his built-in horror fan base had accumulated, is average guy Sam. Of course average guys don't stay average for long in horror movies, so after a well-done origin outline, we see Sam's various body parts start to ignite. Soon he's igniting other people, too, much to the consternation of gal pal Lisa, played unmemorably by Cynthia Bain.

While the title of the film implies a fire-happy monster on the loose, director Hooper opted to make Sam an unwilling killer. This approach gives the film an added human depth it would otherwise lack, but it also prevents us from truly fearing the human flamethrower. We're left wondering whether this would have worked better as a straight-up villain-versus-everyone effort ala NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET.

SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION is a pretty nominal effort when all is said and done. It will carry added appeal for Dourif's fans and those who can't get enough 1990s horror, be it good, bad or in between, but only on a slow night.

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Pyro-horror, 7 November 2009
8/10
Author: Master Cultist (smellthecult.com@hotmail.co.uk) from United Kingdom

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Harshly rated as 4 out of 10 on IMDb, this sees Tobe Hooper going all Firestarter on our collective arses.

Brad Dourif plays Sam, a man with an unusual birthmark on his hand. Seems the birthmark is the byproduct of his parents involvement in nuclear testing back in the fifties. Trouble is, the testing affected the parents, deceased, in a way they could not possibly have foreseen, and it's not long before Sam is spurting fire from every available orifice.

Nonsensical in terms of plotting, this is nevertheless a highly enjoyable horror cum thriller with a healthy dose of pyrotechnics on show to keep you entertained. The actual fire effects are superb throughout, and it's hard to see how no-one was badly burned during filming so convincing are they on occasion. Dourif is his usual, intense self, which is fine by me as his is always a screen presence I enjoy, and overall this feels like a slightly overblown Stephen King style plot done with some verve.

Worth a look, geeks.

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The temperature is boiling… a volcanic firestorm., 4 October 2009
Author: lost-in-limbo from the Mad Hatter's tea party.

Not as bad, as it's credited to being (Hooper's done far worse)… more so disappointing for me. Such an imaginative concept, which is never really tapped in to by Hooper with his economical direction and even less so in the smoky (excuse the pun) writing. It goes so sinister and over-the-top in a dead serious tone, becoming ridiculous and unfocused letting the whole pessimistic mystery / conspiracy-laced narrative being easily telegraphed to end on something completely abrupt. Because of that, the pacing goes on to be rather sluggish and Brad Dourif (cool to see him in a leading role) seems to struggle with an off-balanced performance, despite etching out a bemusedly quirky intensity to his off-colour character. Even though it's cheaply done, there's a competent technical attitude to it. However it doesn't seem to go anywhere out of the ordinary with its idea and wants to plaster in nasty jolts (which some do work) and strikingly steaming special effects (flames, flames everywhere) instead. Hooper does display some stylishly frenetic imagery (more so towards the latter end), and the camera-work is swiftly manoeuvred and the beaming score is titillating. The performances are bit all over the shop with the appearances of William Prince, Cynthia Bain, Dey Young, Jon Cypher and Melinda Dillon. Also Geroge Buck Flower and John Landis have small, but amusing cameos… especially Landis. Nothing surprises, but it's passably engaging.

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1 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Great movie!, 17 January 2009
9/10
Author: Hakob Hakobyan (menahemgolan@yahoo.com) from Armenia

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

After sad concourse of circumstances Sam Kramer is a grown-up not exactly knowing his real past and who his parents were. Sam's mother became pregnant with him when the young couple was subject to bomb shelter testing experiment. As a result he was born gifted with fire-starting abilities. Still he and other "experimentals" are being watched by the government. As soon as Sam starts understanding more and more about his origin, troubles begin.

This nice thriller/drama brilliantly mixed with horror is a another fine touching movie by great Tobe Hooper, whose "Texas chainsaw 74", "Funhouse", "Lifeforce", "Texas chainsaw part 2" and "Mortuary" I admit to be true unique masterpieces. I understand it might sound strange, but adding this great score, even makes this movie somewhat lyric.

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1 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Spontaneous Combustion, 17 May 2007
4/10
Author: Scarecrow-88 from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Bizarre Tobe Hooper exercise regarding an unfortunate young man(Brad Dourif)with the ability to set people on fire. This ability stems from parents who partook in atomic experiments in the 50's. They die of Spontaneous Human Combustion and it seems that what Sam is beginning to suffer from derives by these pills his girlfriend, Lisa(Cynthia Bain)gives him to take for rough migraines. In actuality, Lisa was told to manipulate Sam into taking the pills by Lew Orlander(William Prince), pretty much the young man's father who raised him from a child. Lew has benevolent plans..he sees Sam as the first "Atomic Man", a pure killing machine in human form. Sam never wanted this and will do whatever it takes to silence those responsible for his condition. As the film goes, Sam's blood is slowly growing toxic, green in color instead of red. It seems that water and other substances which often put out fire react right the opposite when Sam's uncontrollable outbursts of flame ignite. Come to find out, Lisa has Sam's condition whose parents also dies from SHC. Dr. Marsh(Jon Cypher), someone who Sam has known for quite some time as his physician, is to insert toxic green fluid into their bodies, I'm guessing to increase their levels of flame. Nina(Melinda Dillon, sporting an accent that fades in and out)was Sam's parents' friend and associate on the experiments in the 50's who tries to talk things over with him regarding what is happening. And, Rachel(Dey Young)is Sam's ex-wife who may be working against her former husband with Lew and Marsh to harm him and Lisa.

Quite a strange little horror flick, filled with some pretty awful flame-effects. Dourif tries to bring a tragic element and intensity to his character whose plight we continue to watch as his body slowly becomes toxic waste with fire often igniting from his orifices. There's this large hole in his arm that spits out flame like a volcano and a massive burn spot on his hand which increases in size over time. Best scene is probably when director John Landis, who portrays a rude electrical engineer trying to inform Sam to hang up because the radio program he's calling has sounded off for the night, becomes a victim of SHC. The flick never quite works because it's so wildly uneven with an abrupt, ridiculous finale where Sam offers to free Lisa of her fire by taking it from her.

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