Assault On Precinct 13
1976
Director John Carpenter's second film is a brutal, realistic story about the siege of a small police precinct by a violent and well-armed gang. The gang is seeking the man who killed some of their members in revenge for the accidental shooting of his daughter. After the father enacts his revenge, he wanders to the police .. Read more
| Starring | Austin Stoker, Darwin Joston, Laurie Zimmer, Martin West |
|---|---|
| Director | John Carpenter |
| Run time | 91 mins |
| Genres | Drama |
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Critics' reviews (2)
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"...Carpenter is an extremely resourceful director [with an] ability to construct film entirely out of action and movement..."
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"...PRECINCT 13 is filled with delectable bits of business in direction and performances..."
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Most helpful member's review
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11 out of 11 people found this review helpful
Tautology
Ok, let's get the received wisdom out of the way. Like Woody Allen's 'early, funny films' John Carpenter is haunted by his formative, low budget brilliance. Should he ever return to form (even coasting, he's good enough for most) the acid comparison will be these: 'Dark Star' (a student film, which brought him to the attention of the studios) 'Halloween' (ditto the masses) and, of course, 'Assault on Precinct 13.'
'Assault,' for me, is the one. A tight budget and the tautest plot – nicked mainly from 'Rio Bravo,' with elements from other cowboy classics – and honed to within an inch of a 90 minute short.
The story has the good guys under siege from living, fast moving, intelligent zombies; in this case an LA street gang bent on suicidal revenge. It could have been merely an exercise in the mastery of plot mechanics but, and here's the stroke, you care about the characters. From the handsome black police lieutenant to the handsome and witty death-row convict who fights at his side (and eventually assumes an unofficial leadership of the besieged) and the more than competent girl who only submits to love-interestdom near the end; you will them to live.
There's so much more to this small film (daring casting in the non-PC 70s for a start) but that would distract from the essence of a small masterpiece. See it and see why Halloween had you jumping. Oh, and pray that John Carpenter finds himself one day. -
Most recent members' review
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4 out of 5 people found this review helpful
A must for Jcarpenter fans
A film with flair, good dialogue and amusing one-liners. This is one of JC's earliest releases and is a bit of a cult classic. The audio is only mono and it does not have the highest filming budget. However, the ideas and characters are presented in an interesting and intelligent way.
Heartily reccomended. -
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