The Hot Spot

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Sarfaraz A This neo-noir is based on the book Hell Hath No Fury (1953). Dennis Hopper directed it. Jennifer Connelly, Virginia Madsen, Don Johnson, and others make up the cast. Don is a drifter in his late thirties who finds work after attracting a customer who was dissatisfied with an already employed car dealer. He is smitten with his boss's femme fettle wife (Virginia) and a female employee (Jennifer) at the car showroom. Jennifer is blackmailed by a guy, who profits from her embezzlement at the dealership. Virginia wants Don to kill her husband and marry her. The movie takes place between these two subplots. Things we've seen before in 20th-century neo-noir films. The stuff is not boring but is not going anywhere even after its disappointing the end. The film only lives up to its title, depicting the sultry heat of a little town in Texas. We notice perspiration and a table fan for air circulation. This reminded me of "Body Heat (1981)", in which the main character, portrayed by my favourite William Hunt, sweats and seeks fresh air in South Florida's sweltering heat. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/24/25 Full Review Bobby E Madsen and Connelly make this movie . Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/19/25 Full Review John J Don Johnson tough-guy picture as he tried to make the jump from TV to movies. It kind of fails. Jennifer Connelly and Virginia Masden are visually appealing, but script is dopey, delivery and pacing is clunky, though it picks up at the end. Characters are one-dimensional. Plot is ok. Typical late 80s-early 90s dude pic. I expected more from Dennis Hopper. Nice touch with Miles Davis and Taj Mahal on the soundtrack. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/06/25 Full Review Ola G Drifter Harry Madox (Don Johnson) takes a job as a used car salesman in a small Texas town. In the summer heat, he develops an interest in Gloria Harper (Jennifer Connelly), a young demure woman who works at the car dealership in the loan office. He notices Gloria's legs, and her shoes which have wooden fruit on them. Dolly Harshaw (Virginia Madsen), who is married to the dealership's owner, flirts shamelessly with Harry, telling him that she has a pair of shoes exactly like Gloria's. Soon after they begin a torrid affair. Harry learns that the staff of the local bank are all volunteer firemen and that the cameras in the bank do not work. After careful planning, he sets a fire in a building across the street to lure them all away and while they are gone, he robs the bank. His conscience forces him to enter the burning building to save a homeless man trapped inside. Despite this the town's sheriff suspects Harry of committing the robbery and he is arrested. He learns the money is useless anyway as the serial numbers were recorded. Dolly gives him an alibi and tells him she will sell him out unless he kills her husband, whom she married for his money. When he refuses, Dolly threatens to expose him... The Hot Spot received generally positive reviews from critics. Roger Ebert gave the film three out of four stars and wrote, "Only movie lovers who have marinated their imaginations in the great B movies from RKO and Republic will recognize The Hot Spot as a superior work in an old tradition." In her review for The New York Times, Janet Maslin wrote, "Mr. Hopper's direction is tough and stylish, in effective contrast with the sunny look of Ueli Steiger's cinematography." USA Today gave the film two-and-a-half stars out of four and wrote, "In other words, Hopper's direction isn't any great shakes, and the wrap-up is somewhat confusing, but this film does make you want to go skinny-dipping with someone else's mate." In his review for The Washington Post, Desson Howe wrote, "Hot Spot will never go down as timeless, neoclassic noir. But, with its Hopperlike moments, over-the-top performances and infectious music, it carries you along for a spell." Entertainment Weekly gave the film a "B" rating and Owen Gleiberman wrote, "Hopper still hasn't learned how to pace a movie, but working from Charles Williams' 1952 novel Hell Hath No Fury he comes up with a reasonably diverting hothouse yarn." (Via Wikipedia) I saw "The Hot Spot" back in 1990 and as far as I remember I liked it. So, it was simply time to re-see it. There's a stylish neo-noir thriller vibe in it and I think Dennis Hopper´s direction and Ueli Steiger´s cinematography are on point, but to be honest the performances from the ensemble cast is a bit wobbly and not all that believable at times. Don Johnson is ok, while the always lovely Jennifer Connelly and Virginia Madsen are not really convincing me. The problem is also it's supposed to be a romantic/erotic thriller, but there's zero vibes/sparks of that nature between Johnson and Connelly´s Gloria and Madsen´s Dolly. Which makes the film a bit limp and silly at times. It´s an unbalanced film to me. So I can't say I feel that same way about "The Hot Spot" now as I did in 1990. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/19/25 Full Review Dom L An entertaining Hopper Neo Noir! Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/24/24 Full Review Richard G. R Alright little Erotic Neo-Noir that goes a little too long. I found it hard to accept Don Johnson as the drifter, but Virginia Madson is good and wicked as the femme fatale and Jennifer Connely is perfect as the young innocent flower. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/06/24 Full Review Read all reviews

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