IMDb > Spontaneous Combustion (1990)

Spontaneous Combustion (1990) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

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4.2/10   986 votes »
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Down 21% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Tobe Hooper
Writers:
Tobe Hooper (story)
Tobe Hooper (screenplay) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Spontaneous Combustion on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
23 February 1990 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller See more »
Plot:
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. | Add synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
1 nomination See more »
NewsDesk:
(6 articles)
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User Reviews:
Tobe Hooper plays with fire. See more (32 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Brad Dourif ... Sam
Cynthia Bain ... Lisa Wilcox

Jon Cypher ... Dr. Marsh
William Prince ... Lew Orlander

Melinda Dillon ... Nina

Dey Young ... Rachel

Tegan West ... Springer
Michael Keys Hall ... Dr. Cagney

Dale Dye ... General
Dick Butkus ... Lt. General
Joe Mays ... Dr. Persons
Stacy Edwards ... Peggy Bell
Brian Bremer ... Brian Bell
Frank Whiteman ... Young Orlander

Judy Prescott ... Student Director
Judy Behr ... School Nurse
Betsy Thomas ... Nurse at Hospital

John Landis ... Radio Technician
Jaime Alba ... Walter (as Jamie Alba)
Mark Roberts ... Dr. Simpson
Dick Warlock ... Mr. Fitzpatrick (as Richard Warlock)
Judith Jones ... Jennifer
William Forward ... Scientist (as Bill Forward)

Ron Blair ... Maitre 'D
Mimi Wearn ... Vicky
Sandy Ignon ... Doctor in 50's
Nick Gambella ... Student in Theater
Patricia Gallagher Layton ... Maid
Barbara Leary ... Amy Whitaker
Paul Barresi ... Hospital Guard

George 'Buck' Flower ... Preacher on Radio
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Patrick Brock ... Paramedic (uncredited)

André De Toth ... Vandenmeer (uncredited)

Deb Havener ... Military Dancer / Hostess (uncredited)
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Directed by
Tobe Hooper 
 
Writing credits
Tobe Hooper (story)

Tobe Hooper (screenplay) and
Howard Goldberg (screenplay)

Produced by
Henry Bushkin .... executive producer
Sanford Hampton .... associate producer
Jerrold W. Lambert .... co-producer
Jim Rogers .... producer
Arthur M. Sarkissian .... executive producer
 
Original Music by
Graeme Revell 
 
Cinematography by
Levie Isaacks 
 
Film Editing by
David Kern 
 
Casting by
Carol Lewis 
 
Production Design by
Gene Abel 
 
Art Direction by
Richard N. McGuire (uncredited)
 
Set Decoration by
Ann Job 
 
Costume Design by
Carin Hooper 
 
Makeup Department
Tony Hooper .... makeup effects
Michael R. Jones .... special makeup effects artist
Eric H. Lasher .... special makeup effects artist
Kerry Mendenhall .... head hair stylist
Bill Miller-Jones .... makeup artist
Steve Neill .... special makeup effects
Doreen F. Schultz .... makeup artist
 
Production Management
Sanford Hampton .... production manager
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stephen David Brooks .... second unit director
Michael Looney .... second assistant director
Robinson Miller .... second second assistant director
Paul Moen .... first assistant director
Kristi 'Kat' Morias .... second assistant director
 
Art Department
Frank Bertolino .... property master
Bill H. Roberts Jr. .... property master
Christine H. Scott .... set dresser
Lance Simco .... supervising scenic artist
Robert A. Sturtevant .... lead propmaker
John Eaves .... storyboard artist (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Kelly Cabral .... sound editor
Patrick Cabral .... foley artist
Tim Chilton .... foley artist
Craig Felburg .... sound mixer
Cameron Hamza .... sound mixer
Stanley Kastner .... sound re-recording mixer
Don MacDougall .... sound re-recording mixer
Ken Stephens .... boom operator
Christopher M. Taylor .... boom operator (as Christopher Taylor)
 
Special Effects by
John Dykstra .... special effects consultant
Tony Hooper .... special mechanical effects
Eric H. Lasher .... special effects
 
Visual Effects by
Stephen David Brooks .... optical and visual effects supervisor (as Stephen Brooks)
Clint Colver .... animation supervisor
Roger Dorney .... post-production optical supervisor
Tony Hooper .... optical fire effects
Michael Douglas Middleton .... visual effects optical still photographer
Joseph Yanuzzi .... optical effects editor
 
Stunts
Rick Barker .... stunt coordinator: second unit
Monty Cox .... stunts
Glory Fioramonti .... stunts
Greg Gault .... stunt coordinator: first unit
Paula Marie Moody .... stunts (as Paula Moody)
Don Pike .... stunts
Pat Romano .... stunts
Debby Lynn Ross .... stunts (as Debbie Ross)
Dick Warlock .... stunts (as Richard Warlock)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Brian Bernstein .... second assistant camera
Monica Carey .... assistant camera
Molly Cheshire .... best boy electric
Richard Crompton .... dolly grip
Dana Gonzales .... first assistant camera
Todd Griffith .... key grip
David Hayball .... gaffer
William K. Koski .... electrician
Eric H. Lasher .... still photographer
Michael Lund .... second assistant camera
John Nuler .... Steadicam operator
Mónica Silvera .... clapper loader
Monty Spillers .... best boy grip
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Julia Gombert .... costume supervisor
 
Editorial Department
Syd Cole .... negative cutter
Jeff Smithwick .... color timer
David Block .... colorist (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Dick Bernstein .... music editor
 
Transportation Department
Herman Hadler .... picture cars
Lawrence Morgan .... transportation coordinator
 
Other crew
Seth Cirker .... location manager
Stan Giesea .... journalist
Rochell Linker Goodrich .... production coordinator
Nan Herst .... unit publicist
Nancy Karlin .... script supervisor
Marc Kunis .... production accountant
Zachary Selig .... consultant: paranormal phenomena
Jeanne Talbot .... additional script supervisor
 

Production CompaniesDistributors
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
See more »
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
97 min | Argentina:96 min | Finland:89 min (cut)
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Dolby
Certification:
Netherlands:16 | Iceland:16 | West Germany:16 (nf) | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | UK:18 | USA:R
Filming Locations:
Los Angeles, California, USA
Company:
Black Owl ProductionsSee more »

Did You Know?

Trivia:
Shot in eight weeks.See more »
Goofs:
Continuity: The position of the syringe stuck in Lisa, changes.See more »
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Ring (2002)See more »
Soundtrack:
HOW COULD I'VE KNOWNSee more »

FAQ

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User Reviews

   (Review this title)
4 out of 7 people found the following review useful.
Tobe Hooper plays with fire., 3 April 2010
Author: BA_Harrison from Hampshire, England

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.

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