Noir-vember: The Hot Spot (1990)

I've watched many a hot and steamy neo-noir in my time, as those who know me will already know, but very few of them felt as hot and steamy as The Hot Spot, a Dennis Hopper film that leans so heavily into the tropes of noir that it borders on parody and outright silliness. The fact that it works as well as it does is mainly down to the brilliant cast, but they're helped by Hopper and the writers (Nona Tyson and Charles Williams, working from the source novel, "Hell Hath No Fury", by Williams) having absolute faith in the material. That could have backfired spectacularly, and one character almost shatters the "illusion" every time they're onscreen, but it doesn't. It works, and everyone benefits from the feeling of unabashed gleefulness inherent in the material.

Harry Madox (Don Johnson) is a stranger in town. He's not there long before he gets a job as a car salesman by, well, selling a car and then speaking to the owner of the lot (George Harshaw, played by Jerry Hardin). It's clear that he's a fast-talker and can ladle on the charm. It doesn't take Harry long to notice the beautiful Gloria Harper (Jennifer Connelly), a woman who is getting grief from Frank Sutton (William Sadler). It also doesn't take him long to notice how vulnerable the local bank is when any local emergency requires the staff, all volunteer firemen, to leave the premises. Things could get interesting, especially when Harry is viewed as a potential conquest by the wife of his boss (Dolly Harshaw, played by Virginia Madsen). 

Before I get carried away with my praise for the cast of The Hot Spot I think I should start with some of my minor criticisms of the film. Hopper directs the thing well enough, but he could have worked harder to tighten up the runtime. He could also have livened up the soundtrack, and maybe even the score from Jack Nitzsche. The film is elevated by the performances, and the fact that most of the main players deliver their hard-boiled dialogue with a straight face, but it should have had more reasons to make it worth your time. The production design does well at times when scenes are dark and/or steamy, but there are times when it's a bit nondescript. The town never feels like a potential spring-loaded bear-trap, but we noir fans know that every small town in the middle of nowhere is exactly that for our main characters.

I could try to say that Johnson has never been better than he is here, but that wouldn't quite be true. He's a perfect fit for the role, and he delivers his performance with gusto, but it doesn't feel like a stretch for him. He has given better performances in other movies, but this may well be his best lead turn. The same goes for Madsen, who tears through the entire film ready to chew up both the scenery and any man she thinks could taste good enough. Hardin is very good, Sadler delivers another in a long line of his excellent supporting turns, Barry Corbin always feels very right when he's playing a Sheriff, and Charles Martin Smith does well to remain relatively normal while everyone starts manipulating one another around him. And Jack Nance is welcome in a small role. The weak link is Connelly. She sure looks the part, but she is the only one who doesn't seem able to commit to the tone of the piece, perhaps unhelped by the fact that her character isn't written to be as interesting or complex as the others. It's a shame, especially when the third act falters slightly due to her inability to convince viewers that she may be worth whatever price Johnson's character may have to pay for his interest in her.

I've had The Hot Spot recommended to me many times over the years, and I'm surprised it took me this long to finally get around to it. It's very enjoyable stuff. It's easy to see why so many people would mention it when asked to recommend some noir fare from the more modern era. It's just a shame that a couple of things don't work as well as they could. The success of many moments is thanks to the cast. The minor failures would seem to be thanks to Hopper (for his choices while overseeing the casting, visuals, and music departments). Nothing drags it down too much. It's just hampered enough to stop it from being considered a full-blooded classic.

8/10

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Eraserhead (1977)

While I was as saddened by the news of the passing of David Lynch as many other film fans, the silver lining to that very dark and sky-filling cloud is the fact that it finally gave me the motivation to check out a couple of long-standing blindspots in my journey through cinema. One of those movies, The Straight Story, didn't feel like such an embarrassing omission, although I am now kicking myself for not having made time for it sooner, considering how moved I was by it. The other one, however, was Eraserhead, a film that many would consider part of any Lynch 101 course.

Jack Nance plays Henry Spencer, a man who ends up fathering a child with Mary (Charlotte Stewart). The two adults end up stuck in Henry's very small apartment, struggling to deal with the constant crying of a newborn that resembles something far removed from the usual images of cute babies seen in the real world. Mary doesn't want to stick around, but Henry at least seems to find temporary respite in daydreams that soon start to warp into nightmarish visions bleeding into his reality.

The debut feature from Lynch, this has everything in place that would become commonplace in many of his later works. Despite the fairly low budget, the sound and visual design is constantly impressive, there's an atmosphere of oppressive fear and horror, and Nance is the kind of actor clearly able to work well under Lynch's direction. It also helps that the central creation here, the child, remains a horrifying and mind-boggling piece of work. Other practical effects also work well, but that baby is as nightmare-inducing now as it was back in 1977 when it was first seen.

It's hard to really discuss the performances, things are already so firmly set in a Lynchian style (from the performances to the content), but Nance is superb throughout, Stewart also does very good work, and Allen Joseph and Jeanne Bates are effective as the parents of Mary, Judith Roberts is an extra point of interest (credited as Beautiful Girl Across The Hall), and Laurel Near was able to cement her place in cinema history while portraying the unforgettable Lady In The Radiator. Perhaps the best performance comes from the mind of David Lynch, who always remained secretive on exactly how the practical effect for the baby was created.

Eraserhead is about the loneliness of modern life, even while you're with a partner. It's about the fear of parenthood, both before it happens and when it takes over your life. It's also about much more than that. But, essentially, it's very much about announcing the incredible talent and vision of David Lynch. It's scary, it's upsetting, it's sometimes life-affirming, and you don't want to lose it once you have it in your life. And that's another way to cast off the shrouds of grief that have covered so many film fans in recent weeks. Because we may have lost the man, but his work will be with us forever. Even if that leads to you having an extra nightmare or two caused by his images.

9/10

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Ghoulies (1985)

One of the more enjoyable Gremlins rip-offs to come along in the 1980s (though nowhere near as much fun as Critters), Ghoulies is a bit of inspired lunacy that almost provides fun entertainment. Almost. Unfortunately, the separate parts don't come together to form a completely satisfying whole.

There's a bit of hocus pocus from yesteryear to kick things off before the movie then moves forward to the here and now. Jonathan (Peter Liapis) and Rebecca (Lisa Pelikan) move into an old mansion and while they do all of the usual 1980s stuff - bicker at each other, throw a big party, wear some dodgy fashion choices - it's not long until Jonathan finds himself becoming obsessed with the occult and a plan to raise up and control the titular creatures.

When I first saw Ghoulies in the mid to late '80s, I had no idea that it was attempting to be both a horror and a comedy. I just thought that it was stupid. It IS stupid, but it's also relatively entertaining now that I'm old enough to see the humour. Directed by Luca Bercovici (who co-wrote the script with Jefery Levy), it throws in everything but the kitchen sink and it almost works.

The cast may not be all that great, but they're not all bad either. Liapis and Pelikan are involved in many of the more ridiculous moments so they do okay with what they're given, Michael Des Barres gets to be all menacing and over the top and Scott Thomson gets to be, as always, the guy who makes viewers say: "isn't that him from Police Academy?" There isn't really anyone else too recognisable in the cast, with the notable exception of Mariska Hargitay in the role of Donna (her feature film debut, a role that I don't think she mentions too often in interviews about Law & Order: SVU).

A lack of star power isn't too bad though, not when the ghoulies themselves are the stars of the show. While they may not be top tier practical creations, the puppets at the centre of much of the action have a great mix of personality and nastiness. As flawed as the film is, it has that one essential ingredient and that was enough, alongside a few enjoyable moments here and there, to lead the way towards a tidy profit and a few sequels.

6/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ghoulies-2-DVD/dp/B0002VF56G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363377542&sr=8-1