From: frankm@microsoft.com (Frank R.A.J. Maloney)
Subject: REVIEW: DIGGSTOWN
Reply-To: frankm@microsoft.com (Frank R.A.J. Maloney)
Organization: Microsoft Corp., Redmond WA
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 16:16:10 GMT
Followup-To: rec.arts.movies
Summary: r.a.m.r. #01496
Keywords: author=Maloney

				  DIGGSTOWN
		       A film review by Frank Maloney
			Copyright 1992 Frank Maloney

     DIGGSTOWN is a film directed by Michael Ritchie, from a script by
Steven McKay.  It stars James Woods, Lou Gossett, Jr., Bruce Dern,
Heather Graham.  Rated R for language.

     DIGGSTOWN is based on Leonard Wise's novel THE DIGGSTOWN RINGERS.
Presumably the novel is better than the script.  Steven McKay, whose
previous claim to fame is the script for Steven Segal's HARD TO KILL,
has no interest in his characters, sets up situations and drops them
without a word, fails to clarify motivations and relationships, and
generally does his best to undermine the fine acting turns by James
Woods, Lou Gossett, Jr., and Bruce Dern, as well as some successful
boxing sequences, and a nicely corrupt small town.

     Of course, it would be a mistake to lay all the blame at the feet
of the writer.  One must also remember the failures of the director,
Michael Ritchie.  Ritchie directed one of the great and timeless
political movie, THE CANDIDATE.  Since then he has been settling for the
small and short-lived: Chevy Chase's Fletch flicks, THE COUCH TRIP, THE
SURVIVORS.  Ritchie has all the earmarks of the classic Hollywood
sellout, as DIGGSTOWN amply demonstrates.

     If you must see this film, go for the performances.  The three
principals are all fine.  Woods is the ex-con con man out to take a big
killing in Diggstown, some sort of small-town boxing capital (named for
its favorite-son boxer, now its favorite vegetable).  Gossett, whom we
are asked to accept as a 48-year-old retired knock-out artist, is
clearly trying to redeem himself for his lowbrow series of IRON EAGLE
movies, sweats, bleeds, and wise-cracks; it's never quite believable, of
course, Gossett is too old and too thick in the waist, despite his
excellent condition, for the part, but still it's a game effort.  Dern
is a cold-hearted, power-hunger s.o.b.  who can betray anyone, even his
own son.  He is reptilian and unctuous, vicious and driven, and one has
to admire his black, black heart.

     The supporting cast is also good, especially Oliver Platt as
Woods's front man, Orestes Matacena as the heavy money from Miami (there
something so sinister about his bald pate and huge ponytail), Thomas
Wilson Brown as Dern's fawning son.  Dern's other hangers-on are also
suitably corrupt and venal.  There are two actors who play a pair of
brothers, whose names I didn't catch, and who did fine in their parts as
two of the fighters who sign on to challenge Gossett to ten fights in 24
hours.

     You might want to catch this one on video, but I cannot recommend
it to anyone but a special-interest viewer, even at matinee prices.  The
script and direction problems simply swamp the acting and the result is
to leave one with a feeling of being cheated by a couple of con men,
which is a little too recursive for real life.

-- 
Frank Richard Aloysius Jude Maloney
Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews