Plot: Con-man Gabriel (James Woods) has just left prison, but before he even walked out the gates, he had a plan for his next hustle. Diggstown is a small rural city with a big man in charge, the wealthy John Gillon (Bruce Dern). Gabriel plots to free Mr. Gillon of his riches, having already sent his partner Fitz (Oliver Platt) ahead to Diggstown to prime the pump for the hustle. After Gillon’s son loses his Corvette to Fitz, a new wager is offered up and this one is worth $100,000. Soon Gabriel and Fitz are wagered against Gillon, with the bet that a boxer can’t put down ten men in one day. “Honey” Roy Palmer (Louis Gossett, Jr.) is the fighter chosen to take on ten men and represent Gabriel and Fitz, but the one problem is that he hasn’t been asked. Can Gabriel convince the aging pugilist to come onb board and even if he does, can Palmer really beat ten men?

Entertainment Value: Diggstown is a good old fashion con picture, pitting two skilled hustlers against each other. The story is passable, if predictable, but it is raised above its own merits by an impressive cast. James Woods is rock solid here and he has terrific chemistry with both Louis Gossett, Jr. and Bruce Dern. Dern is excellent in Diggstown, giving us the kind of bad guy you can’t wait to see taken down a notch. We also have Heather Graham as a country gal who looks hot as hell, as usual. A number of small roles are given decent time as well and those cast members are also more than up to the task. I do wish Randall “Tex” Cobb had more screen time, though. As I said, the story is a tad predictable, but the performances are so good, you won’t mind. The narrative does throw in some nice curveballs and side stories to keep things fresh and that helps a lot. If you’re a fan of con/hustle pictures, give Diggstown a spin.

There’s no nudity, but Heather Graham does wear some short jean shorts, so there’s some eye candy. There is some blood, but it is related to the boxing matches, so don’t expect wild bloodshed in this one. The fights are well crafted and Gossett, Jr.’s makeup effects look solid. I think of the boxing matches, my personal highlight was one of the yokels shitting himself in the ring. As far as other violence, there’s a guy that ends up being hanged and a corpse delivered via train. There’s some nice lines in this one, usually from James Woods. He has some memorable exchanges with both Dern and Gossett, Jr. that yield some sharp barbs. My choice for the best has to be when Woods tries to motivate Gossett, Jr. by telling him that maybe his opponents have an edge in a lot of ways, but he’s black. Not so much on the insane side of the coin, as Diggstown is a just a throwback to the classic con/hustle movies.

Nudity: 0/10

Blood: 2/10

Dialogue: 4/10

Overall Insanity: 0/10