The Squeeze

1978 "Hot rocks... Hot lead! VAN CLEEF is caught in..."
5.2| 1h39m| en
Details

A retired safe cracker is recruited by a young conman to return to the "business" for a million dollar heist.

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Reviews

Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.
ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.
Patience Watson One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.
Arianna Moses Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.
Wizard-8 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.
wes-connors 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
prideofanglia 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.
Hitchcoc 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.