Being Film #18 for Hooptober 2024
I usually save the Tobe Hooper entry for the end of the marathon, but I had a few hours to kill and a pal had Spontaneous Combustion on his Plex server, so off to the races with what looks to be his last original film in terms of story creation. You can probably guess from the title what this film is about, and despite its faults I will tell you this: it lives up to the promise of its title: things do in fact combust. Spontaneously, even.
THE QUICK SUMMARY: In 1955 atomic energy was all the rage…and Brian and Peggy Bell are at the forefront, literally. They’re the guinea pigs to test new starts of the art atomic shelters and everything seems to go just fine, until the government finds out Peggy was pregnant at the time. Soon after giving birth Brian and Peggy…SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUST! And 30 or so years later Sam Kramer, a dejected teacher trying to get over a divorce and get with his new girl is finding his body doing some weird things, like flames and electricity shooting out of his finger. What does it mean? Will Sam turn out to be that same baby? The mark on his hand should answer that pretty quickly, leaving us to ponder the only question left…who will be the next to fall victim to…SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION?
It took four years to get Spontaneous Combustion made after the failure of the freaky fun Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, and I think the budget and restrictions took their toll on this film. Brad Dourif is fun as Sam, the man who discovers he can control fire and electricity, and there’s some fun commentary here about atomic energy, about government oversight, and perhaps just a little bitterness about marriage and relationships. And Hooper still has some visual gusto; despite the budget limitations he has some fun shooting the burning and the smoking – there’s one great shot of Dourif centered in a hallway with a hot pink neon phone, the camera slowly panning in as he hears a radio psychic right before everything goes to hell (and happily kills John Landis in the process). I really like how this power comes at a very hard and graphic cost, with Sam’s body getting worse with each instance of his powers becoming manifest.
Bonus points for the scene in the car where it looks like Sam’s uh, undercarriage looks to be spouting a great plume of flame.
Outside of Dourif, though, the cast doesn’t fare nearly as well. Most everyone is there to either explode or hassle Sam, or else look entirely too nonchalant as everything goes to hell. As things pile up and the conspiracy of Sam’s life start to become clear, it would have helped to have some better performances in place – as it is, it often feels like a bunch of people standing around as Dourif goes slowly crazy.
Which in and of itself actually sounds like a fun film. This certainly isn’t the worst Tobe Hooper film – we’ll alway have Toolbox Murders. I’d say come for the Brad Dourif performance, stay for the fun practical effects and crazy story, and leave expectations at the door. Spontaneous Combustion can be a fun time in those circumstances.
Cinema Dual 
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