The Hot Spot

Summary

“I can find it in the dark.”

I have professed many times in the past my love of the film noir genre. This is a genre that I first became acquainted with as a young man watching Turner Classic Movies. Over the years, I have watched films from seemingly every era and genre of noir film, and have read a great selection of noir novels ranging from Hammett, to Chandler, to James M. Cain, to Jim Thompson, to modern contemporaries such as James Ellroy. One of my favorite sub-genres within noir is the sun drenched noir. I find myself right at home watching films that range from Wild Things to Cutter’s Way to Lonestar. One of the most enjoyable sun drenched noirs, The Hot Spot was given a solid release by Kino Lorber a few years ago. I was really impressed with that release, and I snatched up Radiance’s UK Blu-ray release a couple years later. Now, Radiance Films has given admirers of the film what they really want – a definitive 4K UHD presentation that blows away every prior release.

The Hot Spot was directed by firebrand actor/director Dennis Hopper. Hopper blew the collective mind of filmgoers with his classic Easy Rider, but his directorial career suffered a heavy blow from his critically maligned film The Last Movie. I have enjoyed Hopper’s other films such as Out of the Blue (which received an excellent 4K release by Severin,) but I have a real fondness for his treatment of Charles Williams’ novel Hell Hath No Fury. Charles Williams was an interesting and tragic literary figure in his own right. He was a World War II veteran who wrote numerous nihilistic dime store novels up until his suicide in 1975. While the books were not given their critical due at the time of their release, they have become well loved in the years since his demise. The Hot Spot had a similar trajectory as a film. Critically, the film was received well in some circles, with praise from Roger Elbert amongst others, but the film has gained better footing in the years since it was released. Starring Don Johnson, Virginia Madsen, William Sadler, and a nineteen year old Jennifer Connelly, the film is easily one of my favorite sun drenched noirs.

A drifter (Don Johnson) arrives in a small Texas town in the dessert. He eats at a cafe and asks for a beer. They direct him across the street to a strip joint, where he sees the local banker ogling the women. He walks onto a used car lot – Harshaw Motors- and proceeds to sell a car to a customer without bothering to ask for a job. Mr. Harshaw (Jerry Hardin) is begrudgingly impressed and hires him on the spot. The drifter introduces himself as Harry Madox. Next door to the main office is a young and beautiful girl named Gloria Harper (Jennifer Connelly.) Harshaw asks Harry to run with Gloria to collect a debt on a delinquent loan. Harry is resistant because he works on commission, but realizing he will be with Gloria, he agrees. They go to collect the money from Frank Sutton (William Sadler.) He is not there, but he has some nude photos hanging in his place. She asks Harry to stay behind while she collects the debt. She walks out of sight for a moment and when she returns she reports that Sutton has paid her. Then, Sutton shows up, none the wiser, in a dune buggy. It is obvious that Gloria is covering for Sutton for some reason. Gloria and Sutton converse out of earshot of Harry. Before they return to the lot, Harry kisses Gloria, but she doesn’t show much interest back. They return to the lot and Gloria gives Mr. Harshaw the money. While Mr. Harshaw leaves the lot to see a local hamburger shop that has caught on fire, Harry walks to the local bank and takes a walk around. He opens an account with the banker after hearing the banker discuss numerous deficiencies in their security. At the lot, while Mr. Harshaw is out to lunch, Mrs. Dolly Harshaw (Virginia Madsen) sets her sights on Harry. She convinces him to help her with a project at her home. At the house she explains that Harshaw has a heart condition. The next day, she places a call to the lot for Harry. She need’s Mr. Harshaw’s cap. When he arrives, she bosses him around. He leaves without any satisfaction. He eats lunch with Gloria and they have a nice discussion. The next time he goes to Dolly’s house, when he enters her bedroom she draws a gun on him and then embraces him. The story moves forward from there, as Harry becomes engaged in numerous unsavory activities.

The Hot Spot is an entertaining and erotically charged noir film. The story itself is classic pulp reading with femme fatales, a criminal anti-hero, and plenty of convoluted crosses and double crosses. The screenplay by Nona Tyson is solid, and Dennis Hopper made numerous changes to the shooting script to make the film more eccentric and interesting. Hopper had completely reworked the script for Out of the Blue successfully years before and in both cases displayed a flair for making films both more unusual and less forgettable. The Hot Spot is a well crafted piece of world building. The dusty Texas town in the film feels real and lived in due in part to the excellent production design by Cary White. The film is  very well shot by cinematographer Ueli Steiger. I really liked the look of the film. Part of the reason The Hot Spot is eye catching can be attributed to its mixture of classic elements in new times. For example, it’s modern times (as can be gleamed by the strip club sequences) but the cars in the film are all classics. The pop of the pink color of a classic Cadillac plays a nice contrast to the dusty town. The filmmakers played with color well. Discussing world building, the way in which Hopper, Cary White, and Ueli Steiger worked together to craft the brilliant bank robbery sequence is a great example of perfect teamwork. That sequence which features pyrotechnics and coordination between two buildings is fantastic.

As I mentioned, there are some steamy elements in the film. The sex scenes are interesting because they tend to focus on foreplay and then cut away from the act. It is a unique approach and effective. There is still some nudity in the film, but the film is not excessive given some of the hot and heavy subject matter. The approach is pretty sexy but does not become overly sleazy.

The cast of the film is great. Don Johnson is an underrated actor and this is a perfect role for him to play. The swaggering cocky criminal loner anti-hero role is exactly the type of role that Johnson should be given. It seems obvious that he relished playing the part. Jennifer Connelly is similarly well cast as the only truly innocent character in the film. William Sadler is excellent as white trash dirtbag Frank Sutton. One reason I enjoyed watching The Hot Spot more than a couple times, was that I did not completely buy Virginia Madsen in the role of Dolly on my first viewing experience. Having seen Madsen in Candyman and Sideways, this role seemed so far afield from other roles she had taken that I had a hard time accepting her. On second viewing, I got over whatever had tripped me up on the first time. On the third time viewing it, I applauded her performance. She does an admirable job in a demanding role. Jack Nance, Jerry Hardin, and Charles Martin Smith round out the cast of eccentric characters in the small town.

The Hot Spot is one of the better sundrenched noirs that I have seen. With a strong cast, an interesting script, and eccentric flourishes from Dennis Hopper, it has a lot going for it. I really love this film and feel that it improves upon each viewing. Definitely check it out.

Video

Radiance Films has given The Hot Spot the royal treatment. From the liner notes:

“The Hot Spot was scanned in 4K resolution at Illuminate Hollywood in Studio City, California. The film has been meticulously restored and colour graded in 4K HDR (Dolby Vision) at FilmFinity, London, working from new 4K 16-bit scans of the original 35mm camera negative. FilmFinity’s Digital Restoration Specialists used advanced image processing tools to remove many thousands of instances of dirt, remove scratches and gently correct age related imperfections frame by frame. Paired with the new HDR grade, this restoration reveals striking clarity and depth while staying true to the film’s original photographic character. No grain management, edge enhancement or artificial sharpening tools were used at any stage, preserving the authentic texture of the cinematography. HDR and SDR colour grading was carried out by Stephen C. Horne and was overseen and approved by cinematographer Ueli Steiger.”

The Hot Spot is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The print of the film seems to be in great shape, and Radiance has made it look drop dead gorgeous. Grain is well resolved and the colors of the film tend to be warmer than in prior presentations, but that makes sense given the intentions of the filmmakers. I think cinematographer Ueli Steiger knew exactly what this picture was meant to look like, and the resulting 4K makeover is gorgeous.  Daytime sequences such as the bank robbery truly stun, and the night time sequences look better than any prior presentation. Fans of the film will be blown away. I know I was!

Audio

Kino’s release provided both a DTS-HD MA 2.0 track and a DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround track. Radiance Films has opted to go with only the DTS-HD MA 2.0 track. I thought that both tracks sounded good on Kino’s release, so I was a little sad to see the 5.1 track left off. That said, the film still sounds pretty great. The score by Jack Nitzsche is fantastic and has the right mix of blues and jazz to accompany the film. The dialogue comes across clearly. Fans should be pleased with the audio that is provided.

Supplements:

• Interview with Dennis Hopper – in this brief archival interview from 1991, director Dennis Hopper discusses The Hot Spot..
• Interview with Virginia Madsen – in this brief interview, Virginia Madsen discusses playing femme fatale Dolly Harshaw and her memories of working with Dennis Hopper and the cast. This is an enjoyable and quick interview.
• Interview with William Sadler – actor William Sadler, via Zoom, discusses working with Dennis Hopper and how he gets to the core of playing characters like Frank Sutton. Sadler is charming and the interview is interesting.
• Nick Dawson on Dennis Hopper and The Hot Spot – Nick Dawson, editor of Dennis Hopper: Interviews, discusses Hopper and his work on The Hot Spot. At around twenty minutes, this is a much more substantial examination of Hopper and provides some welcome context for the film and its director.
• Duane Swierczynski on Charles Williams – In this piece specifically for the Radiance release, crime writer Duane Swierczynski discusses Charles Williams, whose novel Hell Hath No Fury served as the basis for The Hot Spot. As expected given Radiance’s track record, this is a great piece.
• Trailer – the original theatrical trailer for The Hot Spot is also included.
• The Limited Edition also includes a booklet featuring writing by Elena Lazic on the film, Leslie Byron Pitt on The Hot Spot and the erotic thriller genre, and an archival piece featuring an interview with Dennis Hopper by R.J. Smith. The release also features a reversible sleeve with the original artwork and new artwork by Time Tomorrow.

Overall Scores:

Video – 5/5

Audio – 4/5

Supplements – 4/5

Overall – 5/5

The Hot Spot is an excellent sundrenched noir. It is an erotically charged film that expands upon noir conventions in a way that makes sense and always in service to the story and characters. Dennis Hopper directed the film very well and with style to spare. He should have received more credit for his artistry on this film when it was released, but he had tainted those waters earlier in his career and critics seemingly aired on the side of dismissing his work despite its relative excellence in his later years. The film is well cast with solid parts for Don Johnson, William Sadler, and a young Jennifer Connelly in her first really grown up role. My first time watching the film I was somewhat thrown by the casting of Virginia Madsen in the role of Dolly Harshaw because the casting is against type, but repeat viewings I really enjoyed her performance. Don Johnson should have been cast in more great roles like this in films, but I suppose he was happy to have extraordinary success on TV on Nash Bridges. I have enjoyed seeing his career continue to flourish with roles in pictures like Knives Out. Radiance Films has done extraordinary work on their 4K UHD release of the film with a revelatory 4K presentation and all of the enjoyable special features from prior releases (aside from a Kino exclusive Audio Commentary.) The 5.1 track from the Kino release is also missing, but the 2.0 track sounds pretty good. I unabashedly give this film and this release my highest recommendation.