The Squeeze (1978)

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.

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.

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

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.