The Hot Spot

"Sex is never safe. It’s dangerous."

1990 2h 10m EN

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 317

RomanceCrimeThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Upon arriving to a small town, a drifter quickly gets into trouble with the local authorities — and the local women — after he robs a bank.

“Sex is never safe. It’s dangerous.”

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Cast

Don Johnson
Harry Madox
Virginia Madsen
Dolly Harshaw
Jennifer Connelly
Gloria Harper
Charles Martin Smith
Lon Gulick
William Sadler
Frank Sutton
Jerry Hardin
George Harshaw
Barry Corbin
Sheriff
Leon Rippy
Deputy Tate

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Dennis Hopper
Writers: Charles Williams, Nona Tyson
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

36 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Dennis Hopper, shot by Ueli Steiger. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Jack Nitzsche. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Wende Phifer Mate shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Don Johnson and Virginia Madsen and Jennifer Connelly carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Sex is never safe. It’s dangerous.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0099797 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Dennis Hopper directs. Ueli Steiger behind the camera. Jack Nitzsche scores. Wende Phifer Mate cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

136 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Dennis Hopper, shot by Ueli Steiger. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Jack Nitzsche. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Wende Phifer Mate shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Don Johnson and Virginia Madsen and Jennifer Connelly carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Sex is never safe. It’s dangerous.".
7IMDB entry: tt0099797 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 8 themes, including "paradise", "photographer", "smoking", "bank robber".

The technical file

Cinematography: Ueli Steiger
Original score: Jack Nitzsche
Editing: Wende Phifer Mate
Production design: Cary White
Costume design: Mary Kay Stolz
Makeup / hair: Jay Cannistraci
Stunt coordinator: Eddy Donno
Runtime: 130 min · 2h 10m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $1,293,976
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Hot Spot (1990)

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Dennis Hopper

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2016-04-11
★ 8/10
If you fall out of bed again the cockroaches are gonna start talking. The Hot Spot is directed by Dennis Hopper and adapted to screenplay from the Charles Williams novel, "Hell Hath No Fury", by Nona Tyson and Charles Williams. It stars Don Johnson, Virginia Madsen, Jennifer Connelly, Charles Martin Smith and William Sadler. Music is by Jack Nitzsche and cinematography by Ueli Steiger. Dennis Hopper loves film noir, he has been in some bona fide classic neo-noirs, whilst also turning his hand to directing that style of film making. The Hot Spot may not be a total success as such, but it is a superb effort that lovers of all things noir can feast upon. Story pitches Johnson as drifter Harry Madox, who lands in a Southern state town, bluffs his way into a car salesman job, plots a robbery, and then finds that two local ladies - of very different qualities - are about to change his life forever... I found my level and I'm living it. Hopper turns in a honest and faithful tribute to the first wave of film noir, but armed with the fact this was his era of film making relaxations, he gets to sex things up. Blending noir with erotic thriller conventions allows Hopper to pile on plenty of sizzle, which comes in the form of Madsen, who as Dolly Harshaw gives neo-noir one of its finest femme fatales. Overtly sexual and on the surface a ditz, an easy lay, it's only when this part of noirville shows its hand - in true old school fashion - does the character become memorable still further. On the flip side is Connelly's more straight laced Gloria Harper, who Madox coverts, yet there's baggage there as well (is she virginal?), baggage which adds more potency and trickery to this smouldering hot spot hot-pot. The girls are great, but so is Johnson, he broods and has a raw masculinity most fitting for this type of role. It's a shame he didn't do more neo-noir because he has the tools for the trade. Hopper brings sweat, sweaty close ups and noirville fans, while the photography and musical accompaniments are superbly compliant to the required atmosphere. The editing is a let down, so many scenes needed to have the linger factor, but it's not enough to kill this fine slice of noir pie. A sexy guy in over his head, devious machinations from both sexes, robbery, arson, deaths, ignorance and stupidity, The Hot Spot is far from being boring! The deliberate slow burn pacing has alienated the casual "crime/erotic thriller" film fan, but for those who love and know their noir, the fireplace cinders approach is a joy because the pay off delivers all that we hoped. 8/10
Wuchak2022-11-27
★ 5/10
An amoral drifter stuck between a naïve teen and an adulteress in Texas An unprincipled man in his mid-30s (Don Johnson) rolls into a small town in the greater Austin area wherein he uses his mojo to land a job as a used car salesman. The sultry wife of the owner (Virginia Madsen) shows interest while he has his eyes on a winsome lass at the dealership (Jennifer Connelly), not to mention a nearby bank. Directed by Dennis Hopper, "The Hot Spot" (1990) is Southern Gothic neo-noir based on Charles Williams’ 1953 book “Hell Hath No Fury” (aka “The Hot Spot”). The original script handed out to the cast was by Mike Figgis, but Hopper changed it to Williams & Nona Tyson’s screenplay from 1962 three days before shooting started. I point this out because the entire first half of the flick lazily meanders. Take the steamy Southern Gothic of Tennessee Williams, like “The Fugitive Kind” (1960), and mix it with the more modern approach of “Two Moon Junction” (1988) and that’s this movie. It has its points of interest, like the three stars, the sweltering heat of the Deep South, the Hamilton (natural) Pool and the defunct sawmill. It’s like a Tarantino flick in the Deep South, just without the great dialogues. Meanwhile the blackmail subplot involving William Sadler is contrived and eye-rolling. Hopper originally wanted Mickey Rourke for the lead role and maybe that’s what got things off to a bad start. I should add that Johnson is certainly the king of cool here and I had zero problem with him in the role; Harry is just ignoble and therefore contemptible, although he has an impressive kick-axx side to him. For something similar but superior, check out Michael Cimino’s underrated “Desperate Hours” (1990), which was released one week earlier. The film runs 2 hours, 10 minutes, and was shot in the heart of Texas as follows: Taylor (bank robbery), which is northeast of Austin; Luling (old sawmill), which is south of Austin; and Dripping Springs (swimming scenes), which is west of Austin. The sand dune sequence in the opening was shot at Monahans Sandhills State Park, which is along I-20 midway between Pecos and Midway, about 25 miles from the border of New Mexico. GRADE: C+