Spontaneous Combustion, le feu de l'au-delà

Spontaneous Combustion is a very sad horror effort from legendary director Tobe Hooper. I was hoping this was before Hooper's downward spiral of Night Terrors, The Mangler, and Crocodile, but I think this is the film that started that spiral. I'm still finding it hard to believe it was as bad as it was. Tobe Hooper directing, Brad Dourif starring...that's horror royalty right there. I found Dourif to be disappointing in this one as well. That was hard to type because he's so good in everything else he does (if you want to challenge that statement check out One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest). I think he should have just said no to this role. I was expecting a very dark film with a brooding anti-hero. What I got was a comical bore, and you can bet that's not on purpose. You reach a point in the film where you ask yourself "What in the f*ck is going on?" And the ending is pathetic at best. Not even a fiery John Landis cameo nor a radio voice-over by Buck Flower could save this one. Go watch Firestarter instead.

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.

I really wanted to love Spontaneous Combustion: I like the basic idea, Brad Dourif is a cool actor, Tobe Hooper is the legendary director responsible for my favourite horror film, and some of the flame effects are pretty intense (I repeat: 'some'). Hell, there's even a fun cameo from John Landis. The problem is that the film just doesn't make a lot of sense.

Dourif plays Sam, a young man who discovers that the anti-radiation experiment which caused his parents to spontaneously combust in the 1950s is now responsible for some equally strange side effects in his own body. As Sam tries to prevent himself turning into a small pile of smouldering ash, he realises that his whole life has been a lie perpetrated by sinister industrialist Lew Orlander (William Prince).

With some incomprehensible cobblers about an evangelist who preaches to Sam over the radio, a puzzling sub-plot involving a nuclear power station, a killer who inexplicably uses glowing green goop in a syringe to bump people off, and the never-adequately explained presence of a continually growing birthmark on Sam's hand, I lost the plot about half-way through and had to content myself with the occasionally impressive body burn stunts and a modicum of manky make-up effects.

The first movie made by Hooper after his unsuccessful three film deal with Cannon, Spontaneous Combustion unsurprisingly didn't set the box-office on fire either, and the director's career has failed to reignite ever since.

With fleetingly fare exception, the best computer-generated imagery that anyone could ever offer will age rapidly, and will look worse the more we see of it. Older post-production visuals seen in science fiction, fantasy, and horror fare of the 70s, 80s, and 90s continues to hold up superbly not despite but precisely because it's less than seamless, and no one is pretending otherwise. The most modest practical effects and tangible creations will always, always be preferred over digital falsehood, and gratifyingly, celebrated director Tobe Hooper fills 'Spontaneous combustion' with the physical. Sure, we get touches of those additions made in post - some tasteful embellishments, and the electricity that also plays a part here is much harder to safely represent on-screen using props and effects on-set - but the bulk of the sights to greet us are the delightful result of chemical processes executed in real life and captured on film. From fire and explosions, to blood and special makeup, to set pieces and environmental effects, the visuals in these ninety-seven minutes are very predominantly real and dangerous, achieved through stunts and expertise, and I could hardly be happier with how good they all look.

This flick is surely worth watching for those effects alone, and that it happens to also star a young Brad Dourif is a swell bonus. The story of pyrokinesis, of a man learning of his unique capabilities and his family history, and of the impact all this has on himself and those around him, is rich with potential for cinematic storytelling. The specifics of what Hooper put together with co-writer Howard Goldberg, well, those are more variable. All the ideas are there, and they are worthy: a tableau of experimentation, secrets, conspiracy, and burgeoning, incomprehensible power. It comes across, however, that Hooper and Goldberg had difficulty shaping these notions into a cogent, cohesive form, as the plot and its development feel clunky and forced the more that it delves into those behind the scenes who have molded or monitored the protagonist's life. Some odds and ends are nearly incoherent as they are woven in. That difficulty is further echoed in Hooper's direction, and David Kern's sequencing, leading to some scenes of acting, character interactions, and/or plot development that are either limp or overwrought, or otherwise unconvincing, at least as often as all the pieces fit and work together. 'Spontaneous combustion' is enjoyable, but it is unmistakably troubled.

Still, while the conjuration and execution are distinctly flawed - affecting even Dourif's performance, let alone those of his co-stars - the story is compelling and engaging, and in fits and starts the acting is quite fine. In my mind there's no questioning that the feature is at its best in all ways where it is directly dealing with the effects and the protagonist's abilities, but in other regards, too, this is splendidly well made, including excellent, detailed, often creative production design and art direction. Composer extraordinaire Graeme Revell provides a terrific, moody score that lends to the increasingly dark mood, lending in the last act especially to stunning, grim fancifulness as Hooper's imagination is allowed to run amok without worrying so much about the nuts and bolts. And that's rather the key, as the vision is simply grand, and it's the framework that's devised to support that vision that is the problem. When all is said and done the movie is a good time, and it is worth watching on its own merits. It's just unfortunate that the grisly whimsy is restrained, and diminished, as Hooper and Goldberg struggled to weave it into a screenplay that's far less vibrant. Be well aware of these issues, and that might be the best way to get the most out of 'Spontaneous combustion.'

The picture based allegedly in a reality, concerns about a young man(Brad Dourif) aware his parents(Stacy Edwards and Brian Bremer)had been used in a nuclear experiment. Them, he inherits the power to inflict the title phenomenon on other people . He's recently separated his spouse(Blain)and again appear his ability -called pyrokinesis, though sometimes is incontrollable- to ignite objects and people around him. Then, blazing deaths occur, the result of another evil government experiment.

This is a suspenseful and frightening movie , though regularly paced. The movie contains some flaws and sometimes is silly and ludicrous, furthermore wasting the acting talent. Casting is quite well, Brad Dourif is nice, as usual, in one of his habitual roles as hapless. Magnificent plethora secondaries as Melinda Dillon, John Cypher , William Prince and Dale Dye. Special appearance of Hollywood directors as John Landis and Andre De Toth . The film is in the ink of¨ Firestarter¨(directed by Mark L Lester with Drew Barrymore and George C Scott) and ¨Firestarter 2¨(Robert Iscove with Marguerite Moreau and Malcolm McDowell). The motion picture is regularly directed by Tobe Hooper, who previously acquired success with ¨Texas chainsaw massacre, Salem's Lot,Funhouse,Invaders from Mars and Poltergeist¨, however with 'Spontaneous Combustion' got a failure. Rating : Mediocre though some moments is entertaining.