Die Superfaust

Diggstown (1992)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

If you're wanting an art-house picture then this here won't be for you but if you want non-stop entertainment then DIGGSTOWN really delivers the goods. Con man Gabriel Caine (James Woods) gets released from prison and is looking for the next big score and finds it in a hick town ran by John Gillon (Bruce Dern). Caine makes a bet that his boxer (Louis Gossett, Jr.) can take ten men in a 24-hour period. DIGGSTOWN pretty much went unattended in theaters when it was first released due to a really bad campaign and that's a real shame because there's so much to enjoy here. Not only do you have some great performances, a wonderful setting and some terrific fight scenes but you've also got a pretty good little drama mixed in. The movie is a prime example of something that isn't dumbed down for mainstream audiences yet at the same time it doesn't try to be some high class art film. What it is is a straight-forward, tough, mean and downright fun little gem that manages to be entertaining from start to finish. The film is certainly very manipulative because there are some moments that go over-the-top but you still can't help but be entertained. Woods is masterful playing the fast-talking con man and you really can't think of an actor who could have done a better job. The way that smirk just shows how conning he is is just perfect for the part. Gossett is an easy figure to cheer for and he really makes you care about the character. It's easy to say that this was the actors best part since AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN and he certainly delivers the goods. Oliver Platt is fun as one of the assistant con men and we get Heather Graham in a nice supporting role. Randall 'Tex' Cobb has a fun stint in the film as does character actor Marshall Bell. Dern also does a wonderful job in the role of the bad guy and just when you think you can't hate him any more the screenplay and actor make you reach a boiling point. Every film like this needs a great villain and Dern certainly delivers the goods. The ten boxing scenes are all extremely well-filmed and I'd argue that they're some of the most entertaining ever put on film. There's certainly not RAGING BULL quality but they didn't need to be. The film has enough twists and turns to keep a smile on your face and in the end DIGGSTOWN is just a flat out charmer.

A really nice guy movie. Some language, very few sexual overtones, great boxing sequences. Great guy movie to watch with a younger audience or with a girlfriend. OR just a great movie for a lady into boxing! Louis Gossett Jr. is great. He portrays his character of an aging boxing ringer very well. He was in pretty good shape and whoever was fight choreographer (probably Benny "the jet" Urquidez) did a really nice job of showing some intricacies of old school "dirty boxing".

James Wood and Oliver Platt are hilarious as a pair of con men.

Bruce Dern is, as always, a villain you love to hate.

it has a serious tone, but with the occasional joke to keep this film from becoming tense.

i'd recommend it to anyone that likes a good fight movie. its not high theater, but it sure is entertaining.

One night, years ago now, I stumbled across this movie on Sky (known as Midnight Sting in the UK) With a fine cast including James Woods, Bruce Dern, Heather Graham and Oliver Platt, I had stumbled onto a really good movie.

James Woods is a con man who with the help of his partner (Oliver Platt) sets up a fight between his age old friend Honey Roy Palmer, an ageing but very accomplished boxer and any 10 Diggstown men (a small out of the way boxing loving town, controlled by Bruce Dern) The con is on, Woods and Dern set the wheels in motion on this exhibition of boxing, and as the stakes get higher you will find yourself engaged by the tension of the event. Who is hustling who? And why? I am amazed at how few people seem to have seen this movie. So if you fancy a film, with a some good laughs, a clever story, a fine cast and a cracking ending. Then give it a try, yes there are better films, but there are far more that are worse.

8/10 Go and rent yourself a copy

I like James Woods. Yes he is over the top blah blah blah but he takes risk and among his many bad films there are many good ones. In this movie he is at his best. The veteran actor paired with Louis Gosset Jr. does a great job. Gosset is also great as the overweight but still feisty boxer. The we are to old for this is a subtle joke that runs throughout the movie. The film has good twists and turns and real nasty villain played by Bruce Dern. When you get a few quality professionals as they did in this film you tend to produce a quality product. The script is sound and everyone looks like they had fun making the movie. The film has charisma, atmosphere, and a great deal of whit. In my opinion it is one of the better boxing movies made as well. The Great White Hype is witty but at many times is forced and requires more knowledge of the boxing industry for its jokes. Raging Bull is of course a masterpiece so there is no touching that, but if you are in the mood for a good comedy and just a flat out good movie I recommend it.

Diggstown is one of the few movies that has ever made me actually cheer out loud. If you've seen it, you know the moment at the end that I'm talking about. I've seen it a few times now, and even though I know how it ends, I still love seeing the ending over and over. It's pretty much a formula movie, but is well-done and has some very clever moments and one-liners thrown in to keep you interested. Take for example when Woods and Dern are discussing the rules for the fight. Woods opens a bottled drink in one motion only with his thumb (twisting, not prying), right before answering one of the questions posed to him. It's a great effect and lets the audience know just how smooth Gabriel Cain is.

Louis Gossett does a great job and is believable as a boxer. The fights are obviously over-choreographed, but they're still better than any of the horribly unrealistic Rocky sequences. Oliver Platt is excellent as Cain's sidekick, Fitz. Look for Heather Graham before she became a celebrity....some things never change, though....yowsa!

I definitely recommend Diggstown...it's not an award-winning or thought-provoking type of movie, but it's a lot of fun.