Flyerplesys
Perfectly adorable
Rio Hayward
All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
Kaydan Christian
A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
JasparLamarCrabb
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.
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
hengir
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.
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.
