Hot Tamale

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Hot Tamale is a 2006 American comedy-drama directed by Michael Damian, who also co-wrote it with Janeen Damian. It stars Randy Spelling, Diora Baird, and Carmen Electra. The film opened on April 23, 2006, and the DVD was released on August 29, 2006. It was Damian’s feature film directorial debut, with a budget of about $500,000 and a runtime of 102 minutes.

Plot: Harlan Woodruff, a salsa musician from Wyoming, travels toward Los Angeles to pursue his dream of becoming a percussionist. Along the way, he encounters Jude, a criminal on the run from two hit men, Al and Dwayne, who want stolen merchandise Jude carries. Jude dumps the bag into Harlan’s belongings and escapes. Harlan ends up at his friend Carlos’s apartment, where he meets Tuesday. As events unfold, it’s revealed the stolen merchandise is diamonds. A chase and shootout ensue, the hit men are captured, and Harlan leaves the chaos with Tuesday by his side.

Reception and awards: The film was largely panned by critics, though some praised Randy Spelling’s performance and Damian’s directing debut. It won Best Narrative Feature at the Boston International Film Festival for Michael and Janeen Damian and also received a prize at the Dixie Film Festival.