The late horror master Tobe Hooper (helmer of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) is here to tell a fascinating story of doomed love, human experimentation, atomic bomb testing, psychotelekenisis, and the perils of being born with the power to light things on fire with your mind — yes, it’s time for Halloween film #28… Spontaneous Combustion.
So many objects and people burst into flames that if you played a drinking game for every time something caught fire or someone said “spontaneous human combustion”, “SHC”, or “burn/burned” you’d be white girl wasted like Paris Hilton circa 2004 halfway in.
After a riveting 20 minute opening the movie seriously peters out for a bit, but the momentum isn’t 100% lost because Brad Dourif from Child’s Play stars. And when Brad Dourif shows up, you know it’s going to be an over-the-top party. The lull is over in a flash… and that’s when people, places, and things start catching fire and a larger mystery unravels.
It has something for everyone….
Blatant product placement:
The angriest exchange ever made over a light up phone:
A late night DJ:
People’s faces going white hot:
Really gorgeously lensed.
Some truly abhorrent writing.
Tobe Hooper is a genre master — so all of the effects are neat and it’s a great Sunday afternoon watch.
Currently streaming on Amazon Prime where you can basically find all the best B-movies/genre movies.
Seventy-five cents.
Recommendations for further viewing: Firestarter (1984), The Fury (1978), Zapped! (1982)
Also… not to be forgotten perhaps the best cameo ever (director John Landis):
