Details
Movie Description
A saturnine vision of the universe and an interest in the female form bordering on adoration have been two constants of Dennis Hopper's directorial work. Both are on display in this neo-noir, starring Don Johnson as cagey drifter Harry Madox, who picks up a job from used car lot owner George Harshaw (Jerry Hardin), soon after arriving in a small Texas town. Attracting women is not one of Harry's problems, and he's soon involved with Harshaw's innocent young bookkeeper, Gloria Harper (Jennifer Connelly), and his tough, sexy wife, Dolly (Virginia Madsen). An ambitious sort, Harry is also planning to rob the local bank. But things begin to get strange when he learns that Gloria is being extorted by nasty backwoodsman Frank Sutton (William Sadler), who also seems to be linked to Dolly. While not quite camp, the film is a triumph of style over substance, as the characters obey the highly improbable laws of the noir universe as religiously as any Kabuki performer does theirs. Working with longtime cinematographer Ueli Steiger, Hopper again reveals a fastidious eye, and the lavish photography of the women evokes an era when they were Hollywood's cynosure.
Synopsis
THE HOT SPOT is Dennis Hopper's neo-noir starring Don Johnson as drifter Harry Madox, who has just arrived in a tiny Texas town in the middle of nowhere and gotten a job selling used cars. He soon becomes involved with two very different women: Gloria Harper (Jennifer Connelly), his boss's innocent young bookeeper, and Dolly Harshow (Virginia Madsen), the sexually hungry wife of his boss (Jerry Hardin). And as if this weren't enough, Harry has a bank heist on the drawing board too.
Film Notes
DVD Features
Region 1
Keep Case
Theatrical Trailer
Theatrical release: October 1990.
Shooting locations: Taylor and Austin, Texas.
The film was shown at the Toronto Festival of Festivals September 5, 1990.
Industry Reviews
"...THE HOT SPOT bears [Hopper's] idiosyncratic stamp all the way....Tough and stylish..."
New York Times - p.C8 - Janet Maslin
"...A sly imitation noir..."
Entertainment Weekly - pp.56-7 - Ty Burr
"...The movie's look is one-of-a-kind....Hopper has a painter's feel for composition and color and an extremely fluid, supple technique..."
Los Angeles Times - p.F4 - Peter Rainer
|
|
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
All rights reserved.
