The Squeeze (1987 film)
The Squeeze | |
---|---|
Directed by | Roger Young |
Written by | Daniel Taplitz |
Produced by | Rupert Hitzig Michael Tannen |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Arthur Albert |
Edited by | Harry Keramidas |
Music by | Miles Goodman |
Distributed by | TriStar Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 101 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $22 million[1] |
Box office | $2,228,951 |
The Squeeze is a 1987 American action comedy film directed by Roger Young and starring Michael Keaton and Rae Dawn Chong. The movie was plagued by production problems, including going over budget.[2]
Plot[]
After retrieving a mysterious parcel for his ex-wife, eccentric down-on-his-luck artist Harry Berg (Michael Keaton) enlists the help of private eye Rachel Dobs (Rae Dawn Chong) when he suddenly becomes embroiled with thugs and a murder investigation. The combination of Harry's many comic eccentricities and Rachel's straight-and-narrow, naive personality ends up working in their favor to help solve the crime.
Cast[]
- Michael Keaton as Harry Berg
- Rae Dawn Chong as Rachel Dobs
- Joe Pantoliano as Norman
- Meat Loaf as Titus
- Danny Aiello III as Ralph Vigo
- Leslie Bevis as Gem Vigo
Release[]
Originally produced as Skip Tracer, this film changed its title to Squeeze Play before settling for The Squeeze. The working title refers to someone who tracks down delinquent bill payers.[3] When released in theaters, The Squeeze made only $2.2 million at the U.S. box office.[4] It is most notable for an accident that took place during filming, in which a stunt man was killed driving a car into the Hudson River.
An updated version of the film was briefly released on Netflix, and Comcast had an HD version On Demand in 2008. After being long out-of-print on home media for years, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released The Squeeze on Blu-ray on March 26, 2019.[5]
Reception[]
Despite billing itself as a "comedy-thriller on a lucky streak", the film failed to score with most critics. Film historian Leonard Maltin called it "Dreadful...almost completely devoid of laughs or suspense."
References[]
- ^ http://catalog.afi.com/Film/57826-THE-SQUEEZE
- ^ https://www.tvguide.com/movies/the-squeeze/review/118814/
- ^ Austin, Bruce A. (1989). "The Film Industry and Audience Research". Immediate Seating: A Look at Movie Audiences. Wadsworth Publishing. p. 14. ISBN 0-534-09366-3.
- ^ "Box office information for The Squeeze". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 21, 2010.
- ^ Blu-Ray.com "The Squeeze Blu-Ray" Retrieved February 16, 2019
External links[]
- 1987 films
- English-language films
- 1987 comedy films
- American comedy films
- American films
- American comedy thriller films
- Films directed by Roger Young
- TriStar Pictures films
- Films scored by Miles Goodman