Midnight Sting

At least it has recently appeared on ESPN Classic so it would seem that a cult following may be building for this terrific film. I don't think this one lasted three weeks in the theaters around here, but the first time I saw it on cable, I was hooked. Diggstown is not only a hilarious film, but it's also one of the best "sports" movies I've ever seen.

Our story has a small group of con men led by James Woods who are trying to outwit a corrupt small town kingpin. They bet that "Honey" Roy Palmer (Louis Gossett Jr.) can knock out ten of the town's best boxers in a 24 hour period. Palmer is an outstanding, yet aging talent who "never got his shot". His skills, and the help of some local insiders make Woods and Co think they have a real shot at robbing the town blind. The funny thing is how Bruce Dern, who plays the local kingpin, reacts. He is no fool. He knows that Palmer will be tough to beat, and that Woods is trying to con him. But he has too much pride to pass on the wager. He also thinks the boxing talent in town is certainly good enough to beat a forty-eight year old fighter no matter how good he used to be. You'd think the locals would have the upper hand, but Woods and his people have all kinds of tricks up their sleeve both leading up to and during the matches. Once the wager is agreed to, the film never lets you up for air.

Diggstown is a very funny movie. James Woods could sit down and read the newspaper aloud and it would be entertaining, but here he has a great script to work with. Plenty of one-liners and intelligent dialog are used by everyone. The fight scenes are a considerable cut above any Rocky film ever made. It really looks like people are getting the crap beat out of each other in the ring. The motley crew of locals that Palmer has to fight are a hoot. One of them is even played by The Passion of the Christ's very own Jim Caviezel. He actually makes the mistake of calling Palmer the N-word in the ring. Yikes! There are numerous twists as the conclusion draws near. It becomes a question not of which side has the most endurance, rather which side has the biggest surprises in place to trip up the other. The final twist in one you will absolutely NOT see coming. For great comedy, spectacular fight scenes, and a surprise ending, check out Diggstown. It's a shame more people don't know about this film! 9 of 10 stars.

The Hound.

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 (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

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.

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.