Nails (1992): Dennis the Menace

Dave revels in the wonderful sight of Dennis Hopper in full-blown mentalist mode.

“Nobody talks about [insert filmmaker] anymore.”

In most cases, though, they do – and quite regularly at that. This big, clichéd, piss-boiling utterance of our time would be better served by giving an algorithm boost to those that really do skirt the #FilmTwitter – or should that be #FilmX?– watercooler chat.

John Flynn is one such individual.

An apprentice of Robert Evans, the Chicago-born Flynn started out in the ‘60s, serving time on Kid Galahad (1962) and The Great Escape (1963) to name but two. His directorial debut, The Sergeant (1968), was about a tough military guy (Rod Steiger) who’s horrified to discover he has feelings for another man (John Phillip Law). Alas, other than a Warner Archive DVD release, the film has barely seen the light of day, much like Flynn’s sophomore feature, The Jerusalem File (1972). The sole saving grace is that from this point on, his films began to get noticed.

The back-to-back-to-back treble of The Outfit (1973), Rolling Thunder (1977) and Defiance (1980) was a career high, and Lock Up (1989) and Out For Justice (1991) are hardly duds. Post Out For Justice, Flynn found himself making films for cable. Scam (1993) certainly comes recommended – but few things hold a candle to the demented fervour of NAILS.

Detective Harry Niles (Dennis Hopper) is a good cop with a bad attitude. Nicknamed ‘Nails’ by friends and enemies alike, Harry knows that when the shit hits the fan, no amount of fancy paperwork is going to keep his ass clean – more so when his partner, Jack Willis (Earl Billings), is killed in a suspected hit, because Nails will stop at nothing to avenge his murder…

“This movie was so good for Dennis,” Flynn recalled in 2005. “He is, after all, such a wild man in person [laughs]. The character was a violent and bizarre man, and Dennis was perfect in the part.” [1]

Undertaking karate training and an intense weightlifting program to get into shape for the film, it’s clear that Hopper agreed with Flynn. Coming at the end of an inconsistent five year stretch for the actor, it’s the (morally questionable) diamond in the rough (end of L.A).

Scripter Larry Ferguson penned Nails in the wake of Highlander (1986), The Hunt for Red October (1990), and Alien 3 (1992). Presenting Hopper’s psycho cop as a loveable madman with more flaws than the Chrysler Building is some achievement, and the fluctuating relationship between Nails and his ex-wife, Mary (Anne Archer), is the dramatic pinnacle. Nails is desperate to win her back and it seems all is not lost, the two often eloping for kink-tinged trysts. Naturally, self-sabotage is only a conversation away.

Raucous and brash, Hopper carries the film with ease – but, along with Archer, there’s an impeccable ensemble supplying excellent support. Poliziotteschi icon Tomas Milian steps in as Nails’ light-hearted replacement partner, and he takes pride in ordering pizza to a stakeout to remedy his ongoing digestion problem. Other stand outs include Cliff De Young as a sleazy politician; John Hawkes as a bird-fancying snitch; and Danny Trejo as a ‘pig’-hating barman.

‘Destined for theatrical release’ was how Nails was framed in a few previews, but Flynn’s film was a Viacom production for Showtime from the outset. Granted, it did flirt with cinemas in a few parts of Europe (“Hopper’s still a big star there,” noted Flynn) and north of the border in Canada – but, apart from that, Mac Ahlberg’s crisp cinematography could only be savoured on the small screen, when Nails aired on 25th July 1992.

In terms of renegade cop movies, the ‘90s gave in abundance. Striking Distance (1993) and Boiling Point (1993) – which also featured Hopper – sit at the top of my pile, and Nails should be uttered in the same breath.

USA ● 1992 ● Thriller, TVM ● 96mins

Dennis Hopper, Anne Archer, Tomas Milian, Keith David, Earl Billings ● Dir. John Flynn ● Wri. Larry Ferguson