What’s an Insomnia File? You know how some times you just can’t get any sleep and, at about three in the morning, you’ll find yourself watching whatever you can find on cable or streaming? This feature is all about those insomnia-inspired discoveries!

If you’re having trouble getting to sleep, you can always go over to YouTube and watch 1992’s Nails.

Dennis Hopper stars Harry “Nails” Nile, a cop who …. wait for it …. doesn’t go by the book!  He’s just a few days away from retirement but before Nails turns in his badge and his gun, he has to track down the drug dealers responsible for the death of his partner (Earl Billings).  His superior officer doesn’t like him.  His wife (Anne Archer) doesn’t trust him.  Both the cartel and a local political fixer want him taken down.  But Nails isn’t going to give up.  He’s going to solve the case and stop the bad guys and get revenge.  And he’s going to do it …. wait for it …. HIS WAY!

As you can probably already guess, Nails features just about every cop cliche imaginable.  Nails’s partner talks about how much he’s enjoying life right before he gets gunned down.  Nails’s boss yells about how much Nails’s out-of-control antics are costing the city.  There are car chases.  There are foot chases.  There are shoot-outs and one-liners.  There’s even a moving van chase that features the sight of Dennis Hopper frantically running down the street.  And, of course, Danny Trejo shows up in a small role.  It’s predictable and mindless and kind of entertaining if that’s what you’re in the mood for.

The thing that sets this film apart — really, the only thing — is that Dennis Hopper gives such an over-the-top performance as Nails.  He’s the type of cops who randomly yells at strangers, occasionally giggles, and has a habit of repeating back any threat that he happens to hear.  When I watched the film, I originally thought a better title than Nails would be Method Cop because Hopper truly does seem to be going out of his way to bring the full weight of the Method onto the type of role that could have just as easily been played by Chuck Norris.  However, as the film progressed, I realized that Hopper was basically giving the same performance that he gave in Blue Velvet, except he was now playing the good guy.  What if Frank Booth was the hero?  Nails answers the question.

Of course, once the film ended, I was reminded that Hopper’s villain in Speed was a former cop.  Is it possible that Speed was actually a sequel to Nails?

As far as I’m concerned, it definitely was!

The world misses you, Dennis!

Previous Insomnia Files:

1. Story of Mankind
2. Stag
3. Love Is A Gun
4. Nina Takes A Lover
5. Black Ice
6. Frogs For Snakes
7. Fair Game
8. From The Hip
9. Born Killers
10. Eye For An Eye
11. Summer Catch
12. Beyond the Law
13. Spring Broke
14. Promise
15. George Wallace
16. Kill The Messenger
17. The Suburbans
18. Only The Strong
19. Great Expectations
20. Casual Sex?
21. Truth
22. Insomina
23. Death Do Us Part
24. A Star is Born
25. The Winning Season
26. Rabbit Run
27. Remember My Name
28. The Arrangement
29. Day of the Animals
30. Still of The Night
31. Arsenal
32. Smooth Talk
33. The Comedian
34. The Minus Man
35. Donnie Brasco
36. Punchline
37. Evita
38. Six: The Mark Unleashed
39. Disclosure
40. The Spanish Prisoner
41. Elektra
42. Revenge
43. Legend
44. Cat Run
45. The Pyramid
46. Enter the Ninja
47. Downhill
48. Malice
49. Mystery Date
50. Zola
51. Ira & Abby
52. The Next Karate Kid
53. A Nightmare on Drug Street
54. Jud
55. FTA
56. Exterminators of the Year 3000
57. Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster
58. The Haunting of Helen Walker
59. True Spirit
60. Project Kill
61. Replica
62. Rollergator
63. Hillbillys In A Haunted House
64. Once Upon A Midnight Scary
65. Girl Lost
66. Ghosts Can’t Do It
67. Heist
68. Mind, Body & Soul
69. Candy
70. Shortcut to Happiness
71. Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders
72. Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders II
73. Don’t Kill It
74. Listen To Me
75. 300 Miles For Stephanie
76. Hackers
77. Rolling Vengeance