7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
A loner moves in to a small Texas town, finds himself a job, and sets about plotting to rob the local bank.
Starring: Don Johnson, Virginia Madsen, Jennifer Connelly, Charles Martin Smith, William SadlerErotic | 100% |
Romance | 32% |
Drama | 13% |
Heist | 1% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Dennis Hopper's "The Hot Spot" (1990) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include new video interviews with stars Virginia Madsen and William Sadler; new audio commentary with entertainment journalist and author Bryan Reesman; and remastered vintage trailer for the film. In English, with optimal English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
"Mr. Madox? I was wonderin' if I could ask you a teensy-weensy favor?"
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Hot Spot arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.
The Hot Spot made its Blu-ray debut in 2013 as part of this double-feature release produced by Shout Factory. The first release was sourced from an older master that was supplied by MGM. This release is sourced from an exclusive new 2K master that was prepared on behalf of Kino Lorber.
The difference in quality between these releases is pretty dramatic, and while there are significant upgrades in various key areas, I think that the most striking improvements are in the area of color reproduction. Frankly, I think that this is the very first time The Hot Spot looks like the film I saw at my local theater and fell in love with all those years ago. On the previous release, which I have in my library, the large canvas I described in the review looks quite faded and often disappointingly anemic, which is exactly the type of presentation the old DVD release offered as well. The new 2K master boasts very lush primary colors with strong nuances that are essential for the film's identity. Clarity, depth, and fluidity are superior as well, so if you are viewing films on a larger screen, you should expect to have a completely different experience with The Hot Spot. This being said, the new 2K master isn't perfect. There are two areas where I felt meaningful improvements can still be made. First, it appears that the new master was struck from an interpositive, which is why overall the visuals tend to look a tad thicker and in certain areas even flatter than they should. In darker areas, this particular limitation becomes most obvious, but even well-lit footage can appear a tad more subdued. When the flatness becomes prominent, some native shadow details disappear, and heavier than usual blacks fill up the screen (see examples in screencaptures #15, 19, and 23). Also, while virtually all of the primaries are very convincing, there is a tendency for the blacks to disrupt the overall balance as well. (This particular issue is present on other newer 2K masters as well, so I assume that the grading is a factor). Image stability is very good. A few white specks remain, but there are no distracting large debris, cuts, damage marks, warped or torn frames to report. My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.
I viewed the film with the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track because it is how I have always enjoyed the film. It is very good, but I feel that it could be even more open in areas where the terrific music is prominent (which is in a lot of areas). The rest is great. Clarity, sharpness, and balance are as good as I believe they can be. There are no age-related imperfections to report in our review.
Between the late '80s and early '90s there was a period of approximately 6-7 years when film noir enjoyed a renaissance of sorts that produced some very special genre films -- Joel and Ethan Coen shot Blood Simple; John Dahl shot Kill Me Again, Red Rock West, and The Last Seduction; and then David Lynch delivered Blue Velvet. Dennis Hopper's The Hot Spot is the sexiest of them all. Some years ago, I went to see it at my local theater not knowing anything about Charles Williams' novel, and when its final credits rolled, I was convinced that it was a minor masterpiece. I have not changed my opinion of it, though I would like to mention something that always pops up in my mind whenever I revisit it. While the finale is great, I get the impression that Hopper played it safe, and likely because he had to. I always felt that there should have been a minor twist there that brings Virginia Madsen and Jennifer Connelly's characters together and they drive off into the sunset. Anyhow. Kino Lorber's release of The Hot Spot is sourced from a nice exclusive new 2K master and features two short but very good new interviews with stars Virginia Madsen and William Sadler. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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