Overrated

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Awesome Movie

There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

Diggstown (also known as Midnight Sting) is directed by Michael Ritchie and stars James Woods, Louis Gossett, Jr. and Bruce Dern. It also features 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 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 too, with the Woods and Gossett play off one of the most engaging duets of the 1990s. While the twists, and there are some corkers, really crown what was already a smart and witty script. It was a film that went largely unnoticed on its release, and even now in this age of rampant internet use it appears to still be under seen or sadly forgotten. It of course wont 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

There are very few movies, including most of my all-time favourites, that I can watch more than once a year without getting bored. In fact, "Diggstown" is the only one I can think of. As other IMDb reviewers have pointed out, not a scene or a line is wasted; the movie pulls you forward. It's as much fun as any good "con" movie, but has a lot more to say than "The Sting" (a film that I love) or any other such that I can think of. If the reason for its relative obscurity is the usual one---the studio held focus groups and decided not to put much advertising money behind the film---then I'm baffled.Do they give Oscars for casting? "Diggstown" deserves one. Gossett and Platt are extraordinary. (Gossett, in my opinion, gives the best performance of his career---high praise indeed.) Woods and Dern, two actors whose work I haven't always been crazy about, are perfect here. It's fast, hilarious (with Gossett getting most of the best lines) and, as The New York Times wrote, "improbable (and) vastly entertaining." Oliver Platt's fleecing of the locals in the bar early on is one of the funniest scenes I know of.I love introducing friends to "Diggstown." Without exception, their reactions are, "Holy crap! How come I've never heard of this movie??!!" Then they ask to borrow 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.

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.