Sorry, this movie sucks

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

There is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

A young man finds out that his parents had been used in an atomic-weapons experiment shortly before he was born, and that the results have had some unexpected effects on him.So, following his passing in 2017, I figured it was time to go back through Tobe Hooper's career and watch the films of his I had previously missed. After all, this was a "master of horror". But the sad truth has been coming out... most of his work is just average."Spontaneous Combustion" is a good concept with a bad title, and lackluster execution. Shockingly, not even Brad Dourif can save this. Typically I find Dourif to be the cream of the crop for genre films, but he seems to always be going over the top in this film. Is this supposed to be because he is always running a fever or something? There is no reason for him to always be agitated.

What happened to Tobe Hooper? The genius that fuelled such genre classics as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Poltergeist is in short supply in the likes of this and Crocodile. This is a poor man's Firestarter, although plotted with an interesting premise: a baby conceived during nuclear testing literally becomes the 'Atomic Man'. Unfortunately, the film is let down by an over-wordy script that goes nowhere for much of the movie, and too much directing in the dark, and low-budget camera-work which really doesn't help. The latter half of the film serves only as a showcase for lots of fiery special effects, which are admittedly decent; shots of Dourif with fire blasting from his body are good value for money, and the scenes of human torches are also great stuff – over the top (especially in the case of a cameoing John Landis) but still fun. Sadly, things get a little TOO unwieldy come the movie's cheesy climax, which resorts to computer-generated effects work which just doesn't cut it in this day and age, although the sight of burned and burning bodies does pack a disturbing punch every now and then.Brad Dourif, that reliable character actor, is definitely the best thing in this movie, and his crazed 40-year old college student dominates the screen from one moment to the next. When Dourif starts getting toasty towards the movie's climax, his acting goes way over the top, and he single-handedly provides most of the movie's entertainment. The supporting cast is fairly undistinguished, with Jon Cypher's vanilla bad guy and Cynthia Bain's boring heroine becoming quickly forgettable. SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION is an adequate horror film that may pass the time for undemanding viewers.

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.

Another of my delves into the bargain bin, this movie gave me exactly what I expected - a load of trashy horror complete with screaming ladies.It all started so well - I liked the little intro with the "newsreel" about the young couple being exposed to a nuclear blast, and was totally absorbed right up until the first person caught fire...From then onwards the film descended into outright silliness, and at times became almost embarrassing to watch. When the heroine turned out to have been afflicted with the same condition as the main character (the ability to light one's own farts without the aid of a match) it seemed almost as if someone had thrown the idea in at the last moment ("that'll be good!" you can almost hear them say...) As for the almost psychic link between the main character and the nuclear power plant, well...The movie came across as cheap tat - if you pay more than £1.50 for it you've been done.