The Grand Illusion

Escape the city heat of Seattle, Washington and enter the sweltering streets of small town Landers, Texas for a 35th anniversary screening of Dennis Hopper's underrated, sweaty neo-noir, THE HOT SPOT.

Harry Maddox (Don Johnson) is a handsome drifter who is not above larceny to make ends meet. After staging a daring daylight robbery at a local bank, he receives an alibi from an unexpected ally: Dolly Harshaw (Virginia Madsen), a sexy and mysterious femme fatale who has her own plans for Maddox. But when Harry falls for another woman (Jennifer Connelly, stunning as ever), he incurs Dolly’s wrath and finds himself caught in a maze of jealousy, betrayal, and murder, in which escape is impossible… and danger is the ultimate aphrodisiac. Beautifully shot by Ueli Steiger and featuring the likes of William Sadler and David Lynch regular, Jack Nance, in supporting roles, THE HOT SPOT is full of suspenseful twists and passionate encounters and will keep you guessing until its final, shocking climax.

“Noir is typically shadowy, but The Hot Spot is all sunlight, making everything feel even more exposed and final. Somehow, that makes the double-crosses and bad decisions even more thrilling to watch.” Ima Ifum, Collider

“The Hot Spot seeps with atmosphere, unfolds at a deceptively relaxed pace, steadily accumulates noirish grit, then dizzily plunges into a Lynch-like plumbing of the dark passions and nasty secrets at the heart of Main Street, USA.” Variety