I love the movie NOTTING HILL. Directed by Roger Michell and written by Richard Curtis, it’s one of my all time favorite romantic comedies. I especially enjoy the close relationships that William Thacker (Hugh Grant) shares with his group of friends. The movie creates a world where these people truly love and care about each other. We all need a group of friends like this.
In honor of the late Roger Michell’s birthday, I share this clip from NOTTING HILL:
Gabriel Caine (James Woods) is a fast-talking con man fresh out of prison who’s already set up his next big scam. Along with his partner Fitz (Oliver Platt), Caine is targeting Diggstown, a small, boxing-obsessed community ruled over by the corrupt John Gillon (Bruce Dern). Gillon controls the town because he rigged a fight that left local boxing legend Charles Macum Diggs (Wilhelm von Homburg) completely brain-damaged. The scam involves getting Gillon to take a $100,000 bet that 48 year old “Honey” Roy Palmer (Louis Gossett Jr.) can defeat any ten Diggstown fighters in one 24-hour period. Once the fights start, you can bet that both sides will have lots of surprises up their sleeves, but the question is who will be standing when the final bell rings?!!
Since today is Bruce Dern’s 89th birthday, I decided to watch DIGGSTOWN, one of my favorite movies featuring the birthday boy. A box office flop when it was released in 1992, making less than $5 million at the box office, the reputation for the film seems to have gotten stronger over the years. The film has an excellent cast! James Woods exudes cockiness and intelligence as conman, Gabriel Caine. He somehow pulls off the feat of being both sleazy and very likable, which is a testament to Woods’ skills as an actor. Louis Gossett Jr. is great as “Honey” Roy Palmer. I remember when I first saw the trailer for DIGGSTOWN, I thought he was too old for the role. After watching it though, he’s able to make the boxing scenes work, especially when you consider some of the help he’s given as part of the con. With the huge personalities of Woods and Bruce Dern surrounding him, Gossett’s more grounded performance anchors the film. Bruce Dern is perfectly cast as the villainous scuzzbucket, Gillon. He’s the type of guy you really want to see get his comeuppance at the end. Now that I think about it, Gillon is such an A-hole, Caine can’t help but seem likable in comparison! Finally, I did want to give a shout out to Oliver Platt, who’s extremely funny in his role as Caine’s partner in con. It’s one of the first movies I remember seeing Platt in, and he’s great!
For DIGGSTOWN to really work though, the boxing scenes need to work and the con needs to be smart. Director Michael Ritchie (THE BAD NEWS BEARS) does a good job setting up both. The boxing sequences are well choreographed by Benny “The Jet” Urquidez, and you can’t help but root for the old guy as his opponents keep on coming. Of the 10 fights, some are funny, some are quick, and some are very intense depending on the situation. Ritchie is able to keep the stakes high enough during the boxing scenes to make sure we remain invested in the story. It’s a nice balancing act as the con plays out in the background of each fight. And what a con it is! I won’t spoil it for you, but it’s a stroke of genius that resulted in a massive amount of satisfaction for this audience member!
Overall, DIGGSTOWN is one of those movies I’m sure to watch every few years. With its great cast, punchy sense of humor, and genius triple-twist of an ending, I can’t imagine anyone leaving disappointed. I highly recommend it!
The trailer is included below:
Is there anyone who plays a scuzzbucket better than Bruce Dern? He doesn’t always play a scuzzbucket, but that seems to be where his true talent lies. On his 89th birthday, I’m sharing this clip from a favorite movie of mine, DIGGSTOWN (1992), where he plays a scuzzbucket! Did I mention he’s great at it?!!
Happy Birthday, Bruce!!
As a guy from Toad Suck, Arkansas, I’ve always loved this early breakout song from 2005 for the country group, Little Big Town. As the song says:
“I feel no shame, I’m proud of where I came from, I was born and raised in the boondocks.”
One of the group’s members, Phillip Sweet, is actually from Arkansas which makes it even “sweeter!” So if you’re proud of where you came from, no matter if it’s the biggest city or the most backwoods boondocks, sit back and enjoy this classic from Little Big Town!
4 Shots From 4 Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!
Charles Bronson played hitmen, melon farmers, boxers and vigilantes throughout the course of his iconic film career. He also played badass cops! Today I celebrate Bronson as a beacon of law and order.
Charlie Congers in LOVE AND BULLETS (1979)
Leo Kessler in 10 TO MIDNIGHT (1983)
Jack Murphy in MURPHY’S LAW (1986)
Lieutenant Crowe in KINJITE: FORBIDDEN SUBJECTS (1989)
Tony Curtis would have been 100 years old today! Back in 1970, Curtis worked with my all time favorite actor Charles Bronson on the film YOU CAN’T WIN ‘EM ALL. Interestingly, the screenplay for this film was written by actor Leo Gordon. The movie is pretty much forgotten these days, but Bronson and Curtis have a nice, easy going chemistry that I’ve always enjoyed. In honor of the Curtis centennial, I’m sharing this fun little scene from YOU CAN’T WIN ‘EM ALL! Enjoy, my friends!
Every Monday night at 9:00 Central Time, my wife Sierra and I host a “Live Movie Tweet” event on X using the hashtag #MondayMuggers. We rotate movie picks each week, and our tastes are quite different. Tonight, Monday June 2nd, we are showing FAREWELL, MY LOVELY (1975) starring Robert Mitchum, Charlotte Rampling, John Ireland, Sylvia Miles, Anthony Zerbe, Harry Dean Stanton, Jack O’Halloran, Joe Spinell, and Sylvester Stallone.
FAREWELL, MY LOVELY finds Los Angeles private eye Philip Marlowe being hired by paroled convict Moose Malloy to find his girlfriend Velma, a former seedy nightclub dancer. All kinds of intrigue ensues as Robert Mitchum puts his droopy-eyed, world-weary spin on the famous detective!
So join us tonight for #MondayMuggers and watch FAREWELL, MY LOVELY! It’s on Amazon Prime. The trailer is included below:
Andy Griffith’s “What It Was, Was Football” is a classic, comic monologue about a naive country preacher who stumbles upon a football game and tries to make sense of something he’s never seen before. Needless to say, it’s hilarious, and it highlights just what a great comedian Griffith is. In honor of what would have been Andy Griffith’s 99th birthday, I gave it a listen, and now I share it with you. Enjoy!
Andy Griffith would have been 99 years old today. This man has brought so much joy into my life over the years, and that joy has primarily come from his performance as Sheriff Andy Taylor on THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW (1960-1968). There are 249 episodes of the classic TV series, and I have watched every single one of them many times. I love Andy’s relationship with his deputy Barney Fife (Don Knotts), and their adventures lead to so many laughs, but the shows that touch me the most emotionally involve his relationship with his son, Opie (Ron Howard). There are several episodes throughout the series where Andy will put his trust in Opie even when he’s unsure if it’s the right thing to do. One of those episodes is the first episode of season 3, entitled “Mr. McBeevee.” It’s one of my favorite episodes of the entire series, and it illustrates the special relationship between a dad and his son.
Enjoy, my friends.
Some of the best scenes in Eastwood’s 1993 film IN THE LINE OF FIRE include John Malkovich’s assassin and Clint Eastwood’s secret service agent engaging in intense conversations over the phone. I love the movie and these scenes.
Check this one out, and take note, it’s definitely NSFW!
Through the Shattered Lens 