Tough Guys Don't Dance (1987)
A film by Norman Mailer
This is a peculiar, convoluted mystery thriller from Norman Mailer, based on his novel. Set on the coast of Massachusetts, the laconic Ryan O'Neal is Tim Madden, a burnt-out bartender turned struggling writer who frequently finds himself "shit-faced", has one of the characters puts it. The film begins with Tim confiding to his cancer-suffering father Dougy, played by the great gravel-voiced veteran Lawrence Tierney (Reservoir Dogs), that there has been some murders and he thinks he didn't do it. The film then shows us the hazy events that have occurred previously. Tim's foul-mouthed and unfaithful 'southern redneck' wife, Patti Lareine (Debra Sandlund), has left him and he now writes the number of days since in shaving foam on his bathroom mirror. Meanwhile a head is found in his marijuana stash. Tim is also troubled by voices of the ghosts of Helltown, that seem to emanate from an event that took place 150 years ago. Wings Hauser plays Regency, a psychopathic, drug-dealing cop investigating the murders. Isabella Rossellini is Madeleine, the other lady involved in Tim's life. Magician Penn Jillette makes an appearance as Big Stoop, a preacher who is also a swinger.
The film was nominated in several categories at the 1987 Razzie Awards - Norman Mailer for worst director and screenplay (he tied for worst director with Ishtar's director Elaine May); Ryan O' Neal for worst actor; Debra Sandlund for worst actress and worst new star, and Isabella Rossellini for worst supporting actress. But ignore all that. It is by no means remotely approaching the periphery of a masterpiece - in fact, it's really rather awful - but it's still a strangely alluring cinematic oddity. One thing the film does have going for it is the fine music by David Lynch's regular composer Angelo Badalamenti. How can you not like a film that plays 'Land of Hope and Glory' when there is a scene of dumping corpses into the sea?
Some lines from Tough Guys Don't Dance:
[Tim] - "I keep saying to myself: death is a celebration."
[Tim] - "What makes surgeons happy? To cut people up and get paid for it. That's happiness."
[Dougy] - "Certain dames oughta wear a T-shirt that says: hang around, I'll make a cocksucker outta ya."
[Dougy] - "Now the spirits circle around my bed and they tell me to dance, and I tell em: tough guys don't dance - they answer me: keep dancing."
[Patti Lareine] - "My pussy hair was bright gold in high school, until I went out and scorched it with the football team."
