Product 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

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16997 in DVD
• Released on: 2000-01-18
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: English, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 98 minutes

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

Customer Reviews

An Ending You'll Never Guess!
You say you like movies with endings you never see coming? Well this one's for you! I've never enjoyed watching the actors in this film more than I have in this movie. James Woods and Oliver Platt are funny. Louis Gossett Jr is believable as an aging fighter (REALLY!). And Bruce Dern plays a guy you have no problem hating.

It starts right out and the "con" is on. Just when you think Woods & crew have the upper hand, Dern comes back with a con of his own. Thus it goes. Back and forth, winner take all.

The story: James Woods (fresh out of prison) goes to a small town "owned" by Bruce Dern and sets up a con game betting that his 48 year old fighter (Louis Gossett Jr.) can beat any 10 guys residing in Diggstown in a 24 hour period of boxing matches. But Dern's character has more than a few tricks up his own sleeve to twist the outcome to his favor. The boxing matches are fun (and well done). The cons are surprising.

If you watch it, watch it from the beginning and don't allow yourself to be interrupted during the movie. You won't be sorry!

I love this film! It keeps getting better with age!

Check it out. The price is right, that's for sure!

Wildly, shamelessly entertaining.
I sometimes feel guilty admitting this is one of my favorite movies.

In a nutshell, Woods and Gossett are extrodinary. Oliver Platt is wonderful and witty. There are laughs, fun dialogue, too-cool con-men, and more can-you-top-this endings than any 3 other movies.

Yes, it's transparent. Sure, it's cheap with some of it's moves. And, truly, it's vulgar in its attempts to manipulate the audience (what happens to the first of the two brothers is obscene story-telling).

But, wow, if there is any part of you that cheered at Rocky, that pulled for Butch and Sandance, had fun getting stung by the Sting, and if you'll let yourself get swept away by the story and the actors, you'll stand up and cheer at the end.

You just might not respect yourself in the morning.

Great movie with an even better ending
Great actors, great story and an even better ending. Put this all together and you get one heck of a great movie. I would have to say that this is a classic in by book.