Editorial Review:Description:The con is on and so are the laughs in this two-fisted comedy packed with surprises and 'rock 'em sock 'em action' (David Sheehan, KNBC). James Woods and Academy AwardÂ(r) winner* Louis Gossett, Jr. are a potent one-two punch as a pair of mismatched partners in for the scam of their lives in a 'movie that's hard to resist' (Gene Siskel, Chicago Tribune). For con artist Gabriel Caine (Woods), Diggstown is the promised land, legendary for its high-stakes boxing matches that attract high rollers from miles around. Gabe, recognizing a golden opportunity, bets the town's powerful boss (Bruce Dern) that his fighter will defeat ten opponents in 24 hours. It's far from a sure thing, though, since Gabe's fighter is 'Honey' Roy Palmer (Gossett, Jr.), a cranky, over-the-hill 48-year-old who has just come out of retirement. But Roy comes out swinging, pulverizing one contender after another, leading to a final exciting bout that may decide the ownership of the town itself! *1982: Supporting Actor, An Officer and a Gentleman
Amazon.com:For some reason, James Woods seldom does straight comedies, but this 1992 film comes close. Playing Gabriel Caine, a con man fresh out of jail, Woods teams up with aging prizefighter 'Honey' Roy Palmer (Louis Gossett Jr.) to run a scam on the boss of Diggstown, John Gillon (Bruce Dern). The bet: that 'Honey' Roy can defeat any 10 boxers that Gillon throws at him in 24 hours. A combination of scams and double-crosses ensues, in which Woods, at his motor-mouth best, spars wonderfully (verbally, of course) with both Dern and Gossett. Working with director Michael Ritchie, who thrives in a milieu that involves competition, Woods has fun in an underrated comedy-thriller. It's more
The Sting than
Raging Bull, and thankfully so.
--Marshall Fine
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
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DVD viewing
This was a gift for my husband. He had looked at all the stores and couldn't find it. Amazon always has what I'm looking for in DVDS. My husband has enjoyed this movie very much. For all you James Woods fans I would recommend this DVD highly!!!
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Diggstown delivers a Knockout!
Probably one of the greatest con artist movies in the history of film, Diggstown delivers a knockout in entertainment and suprises.
James Woods plays an outstanding professional con man opposite a sinister and intelligent Bruce Dern. Dern is so elegantly evil in a wise southern gentleman way and provides a master class in "evil leader". Oliver Platt does an outstanding job in the opening bar scene, where the mammoth con begins, and is very humourous througout. And Gossett plays his usual calm common man tough guy that has made him a staple in cinema for years.
The ending is breathtaking!
Cinemaphiles will love how the story is told. Boxing and MMA fans will love the fights. If you've seen it once, you need to see it again. If you haven't seen it, get it now. The movie delivers!
Rating: 
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"Rockford Files" Meets "Dukes of Hazzard"
Although its genre is "comedy", you will be hard pressed to find many laughs in "Diggstown" (1992). The fights scenes won't make you forget "Raging Bull" but they are nicely staged and relatively entertaining.
The film is really just a long episode of "The Rockford Files", without James Garner. Rockford regulars James Woods and Louis Gossett Jr. have the two biggest parts as they run a Rockford- style con on Bruce Dern-who plays a slim version of Boss Hogg.
Woods bets Dern that his aging fighter (Gossett) can defeat ten opponents in 24 hours. Heather Graham fans should not expect much, she looks great but her part is very small and seems tacked onto the story as an excuse to get her name associated with the film. Oliver Platt ("Ready to Rumble") and Gossett give the strongest performances.
Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.
Rating: 
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The ultimate con
If you like twists and turns you'll love it. The ending will leave you doing the Tiger Woods "fist pump".
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Great Movie!
Great movie! Even if parts of it wasn't filmed just a few blocks away from my house I would still love the movie. I was so impressed by how they turned old town Roseville California into a town in Georgia. They put new fronts on existing businesses with signs depicting Georgia. Then to watch the movie, what a story. Great Movie.
