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Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
Front Cover Actor
Henry Brandon
Peter Bruni
Tony Burton
Charles Cyphers
Gilbert De la Pena
Frank Doubleday
John J. Fox
Peter Frankland
James Johnson
Darwin Joston
Movie Details
Language English
Audience Rating R (Restricted)
Running Time 91 mins
Country USA
Color Color
Plot
Before making the original Halloween into one of the most profitable independent films of all time, John Carpenter directed this riveting low-budget thriller from 1976, in which a nearly abandoned police station is held under siege by a heavily armed gang called Street Thunder. Inside the station, cut off from contact and isolated, cops and convicts who were headed for death row must now join forces or die. That's the basic plot, but it's what Carpenter does with it that's remarkable. Drawing specific inspiration from the classic Howard Hawks Western Rio Bravo (which included a similar siege on disadvantaged heroes), Carpenter used his simple setting for a tense, tightly constructed series of action sequences, emphasizing low-key character development and escalating tension. Few who've seen the film can forget the "ice cream cone" scene in which a young girl is caught up in the action by patronizing a seemingly harmless ice cream truck. It's here, and in other equally memorable scenes, that Carpenter demonstrates his singular knack for injecting terror into the mundane details of daily life, propelling this potent thriller to cult favorite status and long-standing critical acclaim. --Jeff Shannon
Personal Details
Seen It Yes
Index 159
Collection Status In Collection
Links Amazon US
Product Details
Edition Special Edition
Format DVD
Region Region 1
Screen Ratio 2.35:1
UPC (Barcode) 014381366020
Release Date 3/11/2003
Audio Tracks English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Nr of Disks/Tapes 1