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Hot Spot, The
List Price: Unknown [Buy now and save at Amazon]
"The Hot Spot" (no, not a particularly stellar title) takes a peek into a tiny dysfunctional Texas town where everyone seems to be a bit screwed up, and things don't particularly improve when an enigmatic loner played by Don Johnson arrives. Johnson uses his manipulatory people skills to land a job at a used car shop, through which he finds himself involved in a torrid affair with the owner's wife (Virginia Madsen) and the lovely young bookkeeper, played by Jennifer Connelly. Johnson also notices the poor security at the local bank and begins planning a heist... The plot plods along at a snail's pace, the acting is all-around uninteresting, and...well, I can't shake the feeling "The Hot Spot" was almost very good. With some rewrites and heavy editing, it would've been much more memorable...as it is, it seems like an even-worse-than-average and very long "USA World Premiere Movie" with nudity.
Video: Though not quite up to the standards set by "Blue Velvet", the anamorphic video in "The Hot Spot" does look quite good. The early shots in the film are covered with dust and the like, and a couple of them are overly soft, but this disappears a few minutes into the film. Clarity is good and there's precious little grain, although "The Hot Spot" does seem to carry somewhat of a yellow tint throughout the majority of the film. A decent effort from MGM, all things considered.
Audio: "The Hot Spot" doesn't include a 5.1 mix, but the 2.0 Surround soundtrack works rather well. The surrounds do a great job of providing atmosphere, and as would be expected from a dialogue-driven movie, dialogue is clear, free of distortion, and well-maintained in the mix. There's quite a bit of great jazz in the film as well, which is also well-represented. A Spanish track is also included.
Extras: The only supplement is a pretty battered-looking full-frame trailer.
Conclusion: Fans of the film ought to be pleased, but personally, "The Hot Spot" seemed like a somewhat unsuccessful attempt by Dennis Hopper to partially recreate what David Lynch accomplished with "Blue Velvet". I wouldn't strongly recommend it as a purchase (unless you're dying to see Jennifer Connelly topless for a few seconds), but it might make a nice rental. The disc retails for under $20, which is pretty on-target.
Video: Though not quite up to the standards set by "Blue Velvet", the anamorphic video in "The Hot Spot" does look quite good. The early shots in the film are covered with dust and the like, and a couple of them are overly soft, but this disappears a few minutes into the film. Clarity is good and there's precious little grain, although "The Hot Spot" does seem to carry somewhat of a yellow tint throughout the majority of the film. A decent effort from MGM, all things considered.
Audio: "The Hot Spot" doesn't include a 5.1 mix, but the 2.0 Surround soundtrack works rather well. The surrounds do a great job of providing atmosphere, and as would be expected from a dialogue-driven movie, dialogue is clear, free of distortion, and well-maintained in the mix. There's quite a bit of great jazz in the film as well, which is also well-represented. A Spanish track is also included.
Extras: The only supplement is a pretty battered-looking full-frame trailer.
Conclusion: Fans of the film ought to be pleased, but personally, "The Hot Spot" seemed like a somewhat unsuccessful attempt by Dennis Hopper to partially recreate what David Lynch accomplished with "Blue Velvet". I wouldn't strongly recommend it as a purchase (unless you're dying to see Jennifer Connelly topless for a few seconds), but it might make a nice rental. The disc retails for under $20, which is pretty on-target.
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