Details
Movie Description
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 precinct in a distraught state. The poorly manned precinct is being phased out of use, and is unprepared for the relentless assult which ensues. The violence in ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 was shocking for its time and has remained so over the years since its release, mainly due to the stark, unaffected direction of a young John Carpenter. Insipired by the cowboy and indian movies Carpenter watched as a boy, the film is more than just an action movie, as it shows the desperation and courage of people living in a violent society. Produced with a modest budget and without Hollywood backing, ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 is a fine example of how a powerful film can be made with limited resources.
Synopsis
ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 is an early John Carpenter film with explosive impact. A backwater L.A. police station gets lively fast when a man avenges the murder of his daughter and then takes shelter from the murderous gang in the 13th precinct house. Purportedly an homage to Howard Hawks, it matters little when the riotous action starts.
Industry Reviews
"...PRECINCT 13 is filled with delectable bits of business in direction and performances..."
Sight and Sound - p.58-9 - Richard Combs (12/01/1977)
"...Carpenter is an extremely resourceful director [with an] ability to construct film entirely out of action and movement..."
New York Times - p.10 - Vincent Canby (08/18/1979)
"...A tight, tense thriller....Carpenter's eerie score and Douglas Knapp's stylish cinematography give this low-budget shoot-out all the weight of an urban RIO BRAVO..."
Entertainment Weekly - Dalton Ross (03/14/2003)
"[I]nstinctively punk....Brilliant..."
Uncut - Nick Hasted (02/01/2005)
Ranked #20 in Uncut's Best DVDs Of 2005 -- "Carpenter's film is a classic in its own right, a benchmark of lean action cinema."
Uncut - Uncut Staff (01/01/2006)
4 stars out of 5 -- "[A] stripped-down thriller....It owes as much to George A. Romero as Howard Hawks....Raw and visceral..."
Empire - Empire Staff (05/01/2008)
Quotations
"In my situation, days are like women...each one's so damn precious, but they all end up leaving you."--Napoleon Wilson (Darwin Joston)
"I like killin' pigs. I like hearin' 'em squeal. Wieeeeee!"--Gang member
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