Overall Rating Awesome: 65% Worth A Look: 25% Average: 10% Pretty Bad: 0% Total Crap: 0% 1 review, 14 user ratings

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Diggstown

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by Scott Weinberg

"The greatest GUY movie you've probably never seen."

A wise-ass James Woods, a tough and friendly (and ass-kicking) Lou Gossett Jr., a young and shapely Heather Graham, and Bruce Dern oozing evil all over the place as one of modern filmdom's most awesome and underrated villains. See this movie!

Occassionally you will come across a little movie that just strikes you in such a way that you will love it no matter how much people think you're nuts. (Come to think of it, most marriages are quite similar to this phenomena.)

I rented Diggstown, interested mainly for the cast and boy was I in for a shock. Yeah, it has a few of the requisite throwaway sports cliches, but it's so well done, you won't care. Directed with a knowing hand by Michael Ritchie (of the also underrated movies The Survivors, Wildcats and The Golden Child), it's the story of two con men (Woods and Oliver Platt) attempting to set up a huge boxing tournament in an unfriendly litle town. Dern's character basically owns the whole town, but the stakes start piling up, and the subplots are connected to the boxing plot cleverly.

There is some really funny dialogue, although you may be reminded of movies like Rocky, The Sting and or any well-written buddy comedy, but familiar elements are combined to wonderful effect here.

One more quick note about Bruce Dern in this movie: He's obviously having such a great time playing this evil sleaze, and it shows. In a movie filled with great scenes, he steals it all.

The movie that answers the question: Can a man box twenty men and still be left standing? Great chemistry between Woods, Gossett and Platt help things a lot, and there's some cool surprises throughout. Not a brilliant movie, but one I consider a true personal favorite.

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link directly to this review at http://efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=2952&reviewer=128
originally posted: 11/03/99 14:50:46

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User Comments

5/01/06 Danielle MacDonald One of my personal favorites! 5 stars

8/17/05 ES Thsi movie was just great. boxing+gambling+swindling= diggstown 4 stars

3/22/05 Jeff Anderson An underrated GEM! Woods & Gossett, Jr. are aces & the great Dern is at his slimy BEST!!!!! 5 stars

3/08/05 PdxMovieFan Diggstown is one of my favorite movies 4 stars

8/02/04 CTPESQ Phenomenon is the singular of phenomena. He boxed ten, not twenty men. 3 stars

12/08/03 Hunter Jennings The best confidence and character I've ever seen in actors 4 stars

11/12/03 Heath extremely underrated and often overlooked 5 stars

5/15/03 Tom Fleeman An offbeat tale about the prizefight game. Good movie for boxing fans. 3 stars

3/25/03 Jack Sommersby Good fun, but it veers unpleasantly off-tone a few times. 4 stars

2/18/03 Benjamin Smith I actually came to my feet and cheered in the theater at the end of the movie. Lots of fun. 4 stars

7/08/02 Alex Kerslake Tottaly Agree , An Awesome film..! :) 5 stars

4/27/02 Jeff Peterson One of the best all time! 5 stars

1/19/00 Brent Kriewald This movie I have got to own. Its just coming out on DVD next month. Can't wait. 5 stars

11/09/99 bullit17 A bit on the long side, but truly one of the best surprise endings you'll ever see. 5 stars

IF YOU'VE SEEN THIS FILM, RATE IT!
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USA 25-Nov-1992 (R) UK N/A Australia N/A

Directed by Michael Ritchie Written by Steven McKay Cast James Woods Lou Gossett Jr. Bruce Dern Oliver Platt Heather Graham Randall Tex Cobb

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