The Squeeze (1978) User Reviews

Lee Van Cleef & Karen Black - What a Pair!!!

[bensonmum2 · 6/10 · 18 May 2005]

• A retired safecracker (Lee Van Cleef) is lured out of retirement by the son of one of his buddies who is in trouble. The job - steal a load of diamonds from a warehouse safe. Things go terribly wrong. Van Cleef is wounded and everyone else is dead. Now, Van Cleef must elude the man who set-up the job, the man who owns the warehouse, and the police. It seems that Van Cleef's only ally is a crazy woman (Karen Black) who is the only other resident in an abandoned apartment building.

• Over the years I've noticed that when the material he's faced with isn't first rate, Lee Van Cleef can overact with the best of them. And that's what he does here. There are many scenes where Van Cleef makes some of the most ridiculous faces for no purposes other than overemphasizing his point. It get very distracting. But in The Squeeze, he's outdone by Karen Black. She chews scenery like her life depended upon it. I just had to laugh a couple of times (inappropriate times) because it was all too funny. I suppose that most of the blame for the acting weaknesses could be traced directly to the script. The characters are given some really lame lines.

• The story itself is quite nice. There's one double-cross after the next. The ending really caught me off guard. Just when I thought I had things figured out, I was hit with another loop. The plot is the primary reason I've rated this movie as I have. If you're a fan of heist films, much of The Squeeze will appeal to you.

• I would be remiss if, even in this short review, I didn't mention the soundtrack. The music is pure (bad) 70s disco. The main theme song is especially annoying and presents everything that was wrong with music from this period. Even worse, it's stuck in my head - Oh the Pain!

Okay film never really comes together

[dbborroughs · 5/10 · 26 July 2009]

Edward Albert tracks down a friend of his father's, Lee Van Cleef, and tells him that he's in trouble and needs his help as a safe cracker to get out of it. Van Cleef agrees and soon is in the middle of crosses and double crosses. Okay New York City set crime drama is a bit too slack for my tastes. Other than during the occasional moment the film is never truly griping as sequences seem to work in pieces but not as a whole. The robbery for example seems run of the mill until there are a couple of twists towards the end. Part of the problem is that the film trades off many of its characters in such away that we're not sure who the film is about. Is it Van Cleef? Is it Albert? What of Karen Black, highly billed but not showing up until about half way into the film.The film seems to be making it up as it goes along. Yes there are twists which work for a while, but at the same time I'm going to guess that you'll have worked out the ending some time in the final fifteen or twenty minutes. Worth a look if you run a cross it, but not worth going out of your way to see.(The New York street scenes are great if you like seeing how the city used to be)

Dull crime caper

[bkoganbing · 4/10 · 27 February 2018]

I think that people such as Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin must have passed on this film before the producers got to Lee Van Cleef. In The Squeeze Van Cleef plays a retired safecracker who apparently quit at the top of his game over a decade earlier. Edward Albert son of an old friend lures him back with a job offer to steal some diamonds.

Seeing them and folks like Karen Black as a ditzy hippe chick, Lionel Stander as a pawnbroker friend of Van Cleef's, and Robert Alda as a police inspector always a step of two behind is always nice. His employers want to betray Van Cleef, but he didn't survive as long as he has by being stupid.

The Squeeze has some dull patches and an annoying soundtrack of some of the worst 70s music. It's also a sad commentary on the human condition, nobody can trust nobody with one exception.

One last job...

[Sorsimus · 3/10 · 21 October 2002]

Lee Van Cleef at his most facially challenged plays a retired safeman, who comes back from Mexico to New York to do one job for a friend's kid.

Includes most of the cliches one would expect from a "last gig"- film, but redeems itself with nice NY locations, comedy (some intentional) and Lee Van Cleef. Recommended as a time- passer.

Released on video in Finland in the eighties.

What a mess!

[ONenslo · 3/10 · 31 August 2006]

A pretty good movie could be made from this script, and unfortunately that's the best thing I can say for it. What little there is intact in this print (from the Hollywood Legends 50 movie DVD set) has a sort of appealing 70s funkiness to it like the non-sex scenes from an old porno movie. The conversion from widescreen format and the chopped-up state of the print, however, is more like an old Benny Hill sketch, lacking the vague amusement factor. Many dialogue scenes end up being still shots of a table and lamp with actors' shoulders protruding into the scene from either side. The print seems to have been returned from a foreign land which censors out not only violence but THREATS of violence or the implication that anything vaguely violent may be about to occur. People are standing around talking, and then someone is on the floor bleeding for some reason. The fact that it was directed by the ubiquitous Margheriti comes as no surprise - I have developed a sort of affection for his quick and dirty hacking-out of economical and moderately entertaining movies. In a decent print the story has enough twists, and the actors and crew are workmanlike enough, that it might be a pretty fair experience, but this print is a real head-smacker all the way through, leaving the viewer wondering what just happened over and over again. A mystery in all the wrong ways.

No Honor for Diamond Thieves

[wes-connors · 3/10 · 27 June 2010]

For one last heist, grizzled safe-cracker Lee Van Cleef (as Chris) is lured out of retirement by cocky young Edward Albert (as Jeff). Later on, both men are acquainted with sexy Karen Black (as Clarisse). As events proceed, everyone's life is put in danger, and you can count on some deception among the ranks. With these three in the cast, you would expect a good run for the money, but the picture falls flat on its face. It starts off well, and gets bogged down by musical interludes, as the cameras wander around New York City looking for action. At one point, supporting cast member Lionel Stander (as Sam) says, "Shazam!" Alas, there is no magic.

*** The Squeeze (10/25/78) Antonio Margheriti ~ Lee Van Cleef, Edward Albert, Karen Black, Lionel Stander

Great series of twists at the end

[udar55 · 7/10 · 18 September 2006]

This Italian produced, NYC lensed heist picture is actually quite entertaining with a few nice twists. Retired safe cracker Chris Gretchko (Lee Van Cleef) is lured to a job by the son (Edward Albert) of an ex-buddy. He flies to NYC and finds out he will be lifting $1 million in diamonds for a shady German group. It all goes smoothly until he learns that the group has plans to kill the second he has the safe open. Directed by Antonio Margheriti (as Anthony Dawson), this flick benefits from a clever script, great performances and evocative locations in New York. Van Cleef is his usual gruff self and he plays most scenes off Albert or hippie chick/life saver Karen Black. Lionel Stander appears as Gretchko's old-time fence. Supporting roles include Peter Carsten as the German mob boss, Ron Van Clief as some karate chopping muscle and soon to be character actor Roy Brocksmith (the bald, fat guy from TOTAL RECALL) as the guy who gets ripped off.

Amateur

[prideofanglia · 3/10 · 22 January 2007]

I fell asleep watching this movie but admittedly only for the last ten minutes. The storyline is not explained well, it was only today I discovered what the value of the theft was and the background. The start was terrible, I thought I had missed something. The parts where characters stare at each other for long periods does not improve the tension or the plot... just made me lose interest. Is worth a watch if you are drunk however as it provides plenty to laugh about. I have seen the end and it did not improve the movie for me. Having bought this for £5 in a box set of "20 Great Action Adventure Movies" I do not feel ripped off, I feel I have obtained A useful tool for entertaining myself and my friends... but not in the way the director intended. I will not advise people to avoid this. The story is good but the way it has been put across to the audience is poor and maybe some more time could have been taken. There is a hint that there was some talent behind this movie as the shots of New York are beautifully gritty and not all glossy. Do watch this, even if just for a quick laugh before moving onto something better.

Thoroughly enjoyable cheese

[kingdaevid · 7/10 · 8 September 2003]

...there's quite a bit to dislike in THE RIP-OFF (as the Goodtimes Home Video VHS release tagged this movie): Karen Black overacts hysterically (as do several of the dubbed German supporting players), Edward Albert looks like he was on a margarine diet during shooting, and whoever mixed the substandard musical score into the soundtrack should have been executed. But Lee Van Cleef, Lionel Stander and Robert Alda all perform well above the call of this duty; the dialogue is frequently witty, highlighting a generally intriguing premise (Van Cleef is lured back from pseudonymous exile as a Mexican rancher to perform one last safecracking job in order to keep New York gangsters from killing Albert); and the cheap 16mm location cinematography of New York in early January is oddly compelling. As things go for what's usually termed "European Trash Cinema," this is a nice little curd of cheese worthy of dropping five bucks on at better Wal-Marts everywhere...

Pointless, But Good For 70's Nostalgia

[KillYourTV · 2/10 · 13 January 2007]

CONTAINS A SPOILER!! This film was totally pointless. There are no characters to like or with whom one can identify(This was a rare instance where I almost found myself rooting for the cops). It's one redeeming feature, is that it does offer some realistic 70's nostalgia (cars, New York street scenes, and a funky synthesizer sound track that varies between comical and almost interesting at points). It is watchable though- while the writing wasn't by any means great, it does hold ones interest fairly well, and you don't quite know what to expect.

Gretchko: "I had to kill the kid"

Sam: (non-chalantly): "It happens".

When good times go bad

[Chase_Witherspoon · 7/10 · 15 May 2013]

Highly entertaining Antonio Margheriti heist film stars Lee Van Cleef as the self-assured former safe-cracker lured into one last job for the sake of the son (Albert) of a former close associate. Only problem is Albert is apparently in over his head and various sinister interests are pitted against one another as the heist goes fatally awry.

Bares more than a little resemblance to "The Mechanic" in many respects, but that's not to say it doesn't hold up in its own right with a few neat plot twists and turns to keep you guessing. Van Cleef is well supported by Albert as the young buck with a plan to steal millions in diamonds from flamboyant crook Roy Brocksmith (in his film debut), while the 'black fist of fury' Ron Van Clief has a prominent supporting role as one of Brocksmith's goons, showcasing his karate talents in one memorable fight scene.

Karen Black's role conveys more depth than it appears, and its really her presence that suggests this crime-caper is better than the average tripe. Her role brings an entirely different dimension to the picture, and more importantly, adds a very satisfying and memorable plot twist to savour. Great cast, plenty of violence and explosions typical of a Margheriti picture, shouldn't be easily dismissed.

Extremely stodgy

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 13 October 2022]

A rare misfire from Italian director Antonio Margheriti, made during his difficult period in the 1970s. He wowed throughout the 1960s with his extremely good gothic horrors, and he came back roaring into life in the 1980s with his Vietnamese battle epics, but In between he made some quite meandering fare, of which this is a good example. The title seems to rip-off the earlier British thriller and they've even cast Stacy Keach-lookalike Edward Albert. Lee Van Cleef, with a twinkle in his eye, plays a safecracker hired for one more job, but double crossings are in store. The heist is dull, cast members like Karen Black and Lionel Stander can do very little, and the whole thing is extremely stodgy.

So So Italian made/NYC set crime thriller

[JasparLamarCrabb · 4/10 · 25 September 2011]

A fun heist film with enough lowlifes & plot twists to make your head spin. Retired thief Lee Van Cleef is convinced to pull one more job by the son of a dead crony only to find himself on the lam with wacky Karen Black as his nursemaid. It's not without thrills and features a few exciting car chases, but the plot has far too many holes in it (scenes actually appear to be missing), they really hurt. Antonio Margheriti's direction is somewhat bland though he makes good use of the NYC locale. Van Cleef heads a decidedly quirky cast. In addition to Black, Edward Albert, Roy Brocksmith, Robert Alda and the always terrific Lionel Stander are in it too. The intrusive music score is by Paolo Vasile. Black & Brocksmith would also appear in Margheriti's KILLER FISH the following year.

Let me count the ways...

[calzephyr-1 · 2/10 · 12 July 2009]

This movie is great if you're having a bad movie night with friends and like to MST3K it up. From the goofy disco music throughout (it's not even cool disco music) to the bad acting, this movie is almost a waste of time - except if you have friends around to make fun of it! The plot has lots of double crosses and I think it could be remade very well.

The copy we have came with 100 trivia questions on it that were unintentionally funny. For example, a giant CORRECT! or NO! pops up on the screen. Or, after showing a clip, the question afterward is "What is the number on the police car?" The quality of the copy was very poor and the sound quality is absolutely terrible.

Fairly taut

[hengir · 7/10 · 5 August 2007]

Lee Van Cleef plays an ex burglar who comes out of retirement from his ranch at the request of the son of a friend to do one more last job. Things don't go as planned. It sounds a standard kind of film but a few things lift it above mere ordinariness.

It is mostly filmed in New York and the city does look atmospheric, lively but seedy as befits the plot. The plot itself has surprising twists and turns and your suspension of disbelief is mainly determined by the acting, principally the kookiness of Karen Black and the charm of Edward Albert. If you believe in their characters then the ending of the film packs quite a wallop. It did me anyway. The two veteran actors, Lee Van Cleef and Lionel Stander ease into their roles very well. Van Cleef was not a great film actor but in this kind of film is fine. He is very creditable as an ex-criminal as the God of Cinema blessed him with a villainous looking face.

Pretty Thoughtful and Intense

[Hitchcoc · 6/10 · 22 November 2006]

This is a pretty highly paced heist movie with lots of surprises. Maybe there are too many. Still, the acting is pretty good. The plot to steal a bunch of diamonds moves toward its natural end, with more than a few people interested in their location. Lee Van Cleef, whose name I know, but can't remember why, is the sober master safe cracker who is enlisted to do the heist. His associates are all greedy and no one can be trusted. He knows this and even when danger is around every corner, he seems to get there first. There are several good action sequences. The role played by Karen Black (whom I never could stand) is pretty dynamic. Unfortunately for her character, there is little motivation other than what is finally revealed, so it's all part of a grand plan. If you don't expect too much, this will keep you engaged.

"Look you guys, we're going to spend the night together whether you like it or not..."

[classicsoncall · 6/10 · 11 November 2012]

New York City is not the sort of Wild West setting I'd expect to find Lee Van Cleef in, but he shows up here as the lead in a mildly interesting caper film as an older, wiser movie villain, this time sporting a neatly trimmed beard along with the ubiquitous moustache. I'll play devil's advocate here and say that I found this picture somewhat interesting compared to most reviewers on this board. It had an eclectic cast featuring Edward Albert and Karen Black, and just to give you an idea how long it's been since I saw Lionel Stander in anything at all, it would have been way back in his 'Hart to Hart' days of the early Eighties.

So most of the other reviewers give you an idea of what's going on here. I'd rather comment on such quirks in the story as the newspaper headline 'Youth Drums His Way to Jail' as Jeff Olafson (Albert) is being ushered to jail AFTER the story breaks in print. This device was pretty common in films of the Thirties and Forties, but seeing it as late as 1978 makes no sense at all. Then there's the 'Shaft' style music soundtrack for a nominally all white film except for the martial arts bad guy who appears later in the picture. And riddle me this - I don't know anything really about gunshot forensics, but how is it that blood stains still appear on a car seat twenty four hours after being submerged in salt water? Just wondering.

Karen Black gets the booby prize for her performance here. I've seen her in a fair number of movies, and I'm still trying to figure out if she's attractive or not. She has a unique look and depending on your disposition, I guess she could be a looker. It happened here once in an odd close-up. Otherwise, she's involved in a neat twist at the end of the story I didn't see coming, so if you need any kind of a recommendation, that would be it.

One final observation. I've made it a habit to check out product placement in the movies I watch, and this one without a doubt is the all time champion after having reviewed over twenty four hundred films so far. From the top, there's Coca Cola, Marlboro, Bacardi, Bols, Seagrams, J&B Scotch, Nescafe Coffee, Supreme Steel Wool Pads, Colt .45, Kellogg's Variety Pack Cereal, Clear Floor Wax, V-8 Juice and Miller Beer. There were a few more illegible brands besides, but I think I made my point. When all is said and done by the time the picture's over, it's pretty fair to say that you should have had a V-8.

Will squeeze your patience

[Wizard-8 · 16 February 2013]

After the spaghetti western craze in Italy died out in the mid-1970s, Lee Van Cleef still found himself wanted by Italian filmmakers for several years afterwards, "The Squeeze" being one of his post-westerns. Although Van Cleef was in his 50s when this movie was made, he still had the stuff that made him a star, and he gives a solid performance here. Another good performance in the movie comes from Karen Black, who is pretty convincing as a kind of ditzy neighbor who enters the life of Van Cleef's character. The movie also has better than average production values for an Italian production for the time, with on-location filming in New York City that gives the movie an authentic feeling at times. However, despite all this good stuff, the movie is still somewhat of a struggle to watch. It's very talky, with long stretches with nothing happening. A few more action sequences would have helped considerably. There are a couple of twists in the final few minutes, but it's too little too late. In short, the movie is probably only for die hard fans of Lee Van Cleef during an unusually slow night.