La Nuit du défi

this is a superb movie that really should have been seen by many many more people than it clearly has been. The best James Woods performance I have seen , superb support from Oliver Platt, Bruce Dern and - well, everyone in it. The script is tight, sharp, incredibly clever and very very funny. I'm not a fan of boxing movies, don't let it put you off. yes, the sting ultimately revolves around a fight, well, ten fights, to be precise, against just one man - but really it's a hugely satisfying con movie that ultimately becomes about vengeance, paying for your actions and finding the morality amongst the money. It's brilliant. Buy it/get it from a video shop that has old movies, steal it, whatever it takes.

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.

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.

'Diggstown' is An Entertaining Film, that earns itself a viewing, by sheer merit. Also, It's lead-star, the ever-dependable James Woods, delivers an exceptional performance from start to end.

'Diggstown' Synopsis: A charming con man teams up with a boxer fallen on hard times in hopes of making some quick money.

'Diggstown' gets it right, because the humor works & so do the characters. The Boxing Match in the finale, is superb & stands out. Steven McKay's Screenplay is entertaining & well-done. Michael Ritchie's Direction, is good. Cinematography, Editing & Art Design, are passable.

Performance-Wise: Woods is exceptional, as expected. An Actor who NEVER Disappoints! Louis Gossett, Jr. is very impressive. Bruce Dern is decent. Oliver Platt scores. Heather Graham is her usual self. Others lend support.

On the whole, 'Diggstown' is an entertaining flick, that definitely deserves a watch.

Diggstown (also known as Midnight Sting) is directed by Michael Ritchie and stars James Woods, Louis Gossett Junior, Bruce Dern, Heather Graham, Oliver Platt, a pre-fame James Caviezel and Randall "Tex" Cobb. The plot sees Woods as con-man Gabriel Caine, recently out of prison he and his cohort Fitz (Platt), set up a boxing "sting" in Diggstown, a hickville place out in Olivair County that is run by egomaniac John Gillon (Dern). The set-up entails Caine's old friend Honey Roy Palmer (Gossett Jr) having to fight, and beat, 10 Diggstown men in one day. As the money goes down and secrets come out, corruption and violence is never far away.

Midnight Sting was one of those film's that came to my attention in the early hours of one morning. I couldn't sleep and turned the TV on out of pure frustration at a lack of sleep. What I didn't know at that time of irksome sleepy annoyance was that I would fall in love with a movie, a love that lasts to this very day. The TV announcer said the name of the movie and that it stars James Woods. Since Woods is always value for money I thought I would give it a go, for the next 98 minutes I laughed out loud, I cringed at some sad moments and I punched the air on more than one occasion. It quickly became one of my favourite movies of all time. On the surface it looks a very simple tale, but it has so much more to offer outside of the excellent fight sequences and some belting one liners.

Based on Leonard Wise's novel "The Diggstown Ringers", the film deals in loyalties, friendships, greed, power, corruption and lies - not to mention small town mentality being under the microscope. It's impeccably acted as well, with the Woods and Gossett play off one of the most engaging duets of the 1990s. The twists within, and there are some corkers, really crown what was already a smart and witty script. It was a film that went largely unnoticed upon its release, and even now in this age of rampant internet usage it appears to still be under seen or sadly forgotten. It of course will not become a personal favourite of all newcomers to it, but just maybe one day if you can't sleep or you are stuck for a rental then you should give it a chance. Because it deserves a chance to at least try to welcome you into its fan club.

I love it, you know that by now, and there's a chance that you will too. Punch the air brilliant. 10/10