The Squeeze (1987 film)

Plot

After retrieving a mysterious parcel for his ex-wife, eccentric down-on-his-luck artist Harry Berg (Keaton) enlists the help of private eye Rachel Dobs (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.

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. When released in theaters, The Squeeze made only $2.2 million at the U.S. box office. 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.

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."

An updated version of the film was briefly released on Netflix, and Comcast had an HD version On Demand in 2008. Though still not released on DVD, the updated version is available on Amazon.com instant-viewing for rent or purchase.