The Hot Spot *** (1990, Don Johnson, Virginia Madsen, Jennifer Connelly, Jerry Hardin) – Classic Movie Review 8214

‘There are only two things to do in this small town. One is watching TV.’ Director Dennis Hopper’s involving 1990 erotic violent neo noir thriller The Hot Spot stars a well-cast Don Johnson as Harry Madox, a drifter who takes a job as a car salesman, and is attracted to a young loan-office woman Gloria Harper (Jennifer Connelly), but falls into the web of the owner (Jerry Hardin)’s wife Dolly Harshaw (Virginia Madsen). Steamy sex, arson, robbery and murder follow.

Full-throttle performances, an intriguing story (based on the novel Hell Hath No Fury by Charles Williams), and Hopper’s success in conjuring up small-town passions easily make up for the slack pacing at the start and the inordinate length of the running time of 130 minutes.

The Hot Spot is an enjoyable return to the film noir, in the vein of The Postman Always Rings Twice, rough edges and all. It was underrated by critics and underpatronised by audiences. It cost $13,000,000 and took only $1,293,976 at the US box office, adding to the troubles of Orion Pictures.

The screenplay is by Nona Tyson and Charles Williams, the film is shot by Ueli Steiger, produced by Paul Lewis, scored by Jack Nitzsche and designed by Cary White.

Also in the cast are Charles Martin Smith, William Sadler, Barry Corbin, Leon Rippy, Jack Nance, Virgil Frye, John Hawker, Debra Cole and George Haynes.

It was released at the height of Johnson’s popularity as he was coming off his TV show Miami Vice (1984–1990), in which he played Detective James Crockett for 111 episodes.

The dialogue referred to in the tagline runs:

Dolly Harshaw: ‘There’s only two things to do in this town. You got a TV?’

Harry Madox: ‘Nope.’

Dolly Harshaw: ‘Well then, you’re down to one. Lotsa luck!’

UK cinema and video versions were cut by the BBFC by five seconds to remove a shot showing the building of an incendiary device. The UK and US 2003 DVD release is the same cut print.