Assault on Precinct 13 poster & wallpaper

Austin Stoker, Charles Cyphers, Darwin Joston

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 abando...( read more  read more... )ned 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

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76% liked it

18,337 ratings

R, 1 hr. 31 min.

Directed by: John Carpenter

Release Date: November 5, 1976

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DVD Release Date: March 11, 2003

Stats: 848 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (848)

  • SirPant
    September 7, 2009
    SirPant
    This is a fantastic thriller from John Carpenter, a director who is a genres all to himself. Reminiscent of Rio Bravo in many ways, Assault on Precinct 13 is like a western, horror, thriller with a touch of comedy, rolled into one. An awesome and underrated movie!
  • DrBenway
    January 16, 2009
    DrBenway
    Halloween is probably the most important movie in John Carpenter's career which was released two years later. Assault On Precinct 13 (as dedicated John Carpenter fans are fully aware the director's homage to the Howard Hawks' western classic Rio Bravo) is often overshadowed by th...( read more)at, which is a shame because it's a truly fantastic film. Carpenter is an incredible director. He writes, he produces, and he composes the music for the majority of his films. He has an incredible rapport with the actors he choses to work with. He has a solid vision and is able to describe it to his cast and crew with relative ease. So each of his films have that unmistakable John Carpenter "feel" for me that I've been a fan of since being a kid.

    Unlike many of his contemporaries (Tobe Hooper and Wes Craven, for example), John Carpenter is one of the few directors of the seventies who has managed to keep a (relatively) consistent output. Assault On Precinct 13 is not a perfect film but it is a good indication of what was to come from the future director of Halloween, The Fog, Escape From New York and, of course, The Thing. With fine direction, acting and music, the idea of remaking any of his films seems even more offensive than usual. Take my advice, watch his instead.
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  • DrZeek
    November 2, 2008
    DrZeek
    Lt. Ethan Bishop: How did you come by a name like Napoleon Wilson?
    Napolean Wilson: I'll tell you some time.
    Lt. Ethan Bishop: When will you tell me?
    [the street gang breaks through the barricade and rush at Bishop and Wilson]
    Napolean Wilson: Make that in a minute or two!

    One ...( read more)thing I generally like about John Carpenter films is how they rely on simplicity. His plots are never overly complicated, characters are never too deep, and build up is a big theme in his films. The man knows how to make good B-movies.

    Here you have a low budget thriller about a ghetto district in LA. Recently some gangs have gotten a hold of a lot of weapons and have put out a blood oath, or "Cholo," against the city.

    Meanwhile you have a bus containing a few prisoners, including one tough bastard known as Wilson, on their way to another jail, but are forced to stop at a police precinct that is supposed to be closed. It is in fact going to be closed in the morning, but is for now being looked after by a rookie cop who is in for one hell of a night.

    Leigh: The very least of our problems is that we're out of time.
    Wilson: It's an old story with me. I was born out of time.

    After an event involving a civilian vs gang members, the gangs decide to launch a siege on the police precinct, forcing the cops and cons to team up and hope to survive.

    The movie consists of one liners, low budget action, some goofy moments, and a repetitive but neat theme by Carpenter and true to his form.

    The film never elevates to anything really special, but it still provides some entertainment.

    Napoleon Wilson: Still have the gun?
    Leigh: Two shots. Should I save them for the two of us?
    Napoleon Wilson: Save 'em for the first two assholes who come through that vent.
  • PvtCaboose91
    July 5, 2008
    PvtCaboose91
    "There are no heroes anymore, Bishop. Just men who follow orders."


    Director John Carpenter is distinguished for classic genre-defining films such as The Thing and Halloween. It's little known that in 1976 Carpenter directed Assault on Precinct 13

    ...( read more): this taut, fast-paced, thoroughly riveting low-budget action film. The aptitude of Carpenter's film is the way he cleverly takes inspiration from several westerns (most notably Rio Bravo) as well as the classic zombie horror film Night of the Living Dead. Carpenter's overhaul of these films is undeniably one of the greatest action/thriller productions from the past few decades, but unfortunately it's now relatively disregarded (especially with the remake released in 2005). Assault on Precinct 13 is a completely diverse take on the customary police thriller: from start to finish the film is exciting, exhilarating, shocking and fast-paced - yet was backed by a minuscule budget!

    Film students should take note of the dexterity in the filmmaking. The film's budget constraints are never palpable due to the technical proficiency: competent editing, focused directing, impressive acting and exciting action. It doesn't take long before the action kicks in. Brief dialogue scenes to set up the plot precede a wholly intense string of action. You will be on the edge of your seat until Carpenter allows you an opportunity to breathe again. As soon as the opening fire-fight and bloodbath erupts, we are then shown the relentless murder of a young girl before moving onto a vigorous siege when the action never lets up.

    The film is set in an unsavoury part of Los Angeles where a gang known as Street Thunder rules the streets. They have acquired a cache of automatic weapons which the police force are currently searching for. After several gang members are killed in a police shoot-out, the remaining cohorts swear revenge and begin roaming the streets. Meanwhile, a nearby police precinct is set to be relocated. A skeleton staff supervised by lieutenant Ethan Bishop (Stoker) is brought on board to "baby-sit" the establishment until the official closing in the morning. A distraught father witnesses the death of his daughter, and then shoots the leader of the gang before running to the nearby precinct (the same one, of course) for protection. The gang follow the father to the precinct and declare war on the people inside. Throughout the course of the night, a siege unfolds as people inside work to defend themselves from the never-ending hordes of gang members.

    The plot is straightforward, simple and easy to comprehend. Film students should further take note of the way Carpenter treats the simplicity of the plot. Carpenter employs the simple premise for a tense, compactly composed succession of action sequences, emphasising discreet character development and escalating tension. The action is so shockingly memorable due to the violence levels and high body count - it's so skilfully choreographed it totally belies the limitations of the small sets and no-name actors. The lighting is used to best effect, with the streets shown as dark and gloomy. This makes the situation even more menacing because the enemies are hiding in the unknown. John Carpenter also created the remarkably memorable and haunting score. It's catchy, stylish and incredibly original. The main theme is as unforgettable as his Halloween music. Also thrown into the mix is a cast of unknowns. Even though the film industry hasn't seen much of them since this film's release, they all complete their jobs outstandingly! If you're working on a low-budget action picture, this is definitely a film to turn to for inspiration.

    Overall, Assault on Precinct 13 is an excellent action film. No-one can congregate restricted claustrophobia like John Carpenter. The cast of relative unknowns do a terrific job, providing potentially two-dimensional characters with genuine depth. This provides the audience with something real to be concerned about, rather than an assemblage of people we feel indifferent towards. Assault in Precinct 13 is certainly not the best film Carpenter has made, but it is still an unbelievably sturdy primitive effort and was a good indication of the master Carpenter was destined to become. Remade in 2005.
  • garyX
    April 23, 2008
    garyX
    In his heyday, John Carpenter was the master of cinematic suspense, and this story of urban violence was one of his best. A deserted police station is laid siege to by a fanatical gang out for blood when one of their number is killed by a man hysterical with grief when they casua...( read more)lly murder his young daughter. In fact there isn't much more to the plot than that; this film is all about attitude and atmosphere. There are loads of great one liners, particularly from Darwin Joston as the laconic anti-hero who joins forces with his captors, and the characters are all very memorable. Laurie Zimmer, despite the virtually complete absence of romance in the situation has a sultry charisma that reminded me of a young Lauren Bacall, and the plot has a very strong message; namely that violence begets violence. It's also very obvious that Carpenter was not the biggest fan of the LAPD when you consider that the whole incident is sparked by a combination of the fact that six gang members are callously gunned down in cold blood by faceless police officers, and the fact that the grief stricken father was only in that certain place at that time because he had little or no trust in the police. A fine example of economical and suspenseful storytelling with no unnecessarily overblown set pieces or frills that is far better than the (admittedly decent) remake.
  • ythelastman89
    November 17, 2009
    ythelastman89
    Just a great example of how you don't need some elaborate plot to have a good movie. John Carpenter is always great at having a unique style for each one of his films. This is just a classic tale of good guys vs. bad guys, but done so well that it becomes something more. It acts ...( read more)as a modernized western, bringing along a sense of modernized brutality with it. The Ice Cream man scene is one of my favorite segments John Carpenter has ever done, it's just gives off such a creepy vibe. This is way more edgy than most movies of the time and actually still holds strong today.
  • joshhitch
    November 13, 2009
    joshhitch
    Much better then the remake, but isnt that the way it usually goes? Its a very simple no frills movie, which mainly works with solid acting and a nice pacing of the action. Darwin Joston steals the show with his role of Napolean Wilson with some nice cracks and being a general ...( read more)smart ass. Though the star of the movie is Carpenter himself, I doubt many directors could take such a simple story, setting, small budget, and turn it into a classic film. Defintly a must see for Carpenter fans and fans of just general solid action dramas.
  • arashxak
    October 19, 2009
    arashxak
    After a great build-up the film becomes somehow generic but still with enough interesting nuances to make it work
  • deanhopkins670
    September 10, 2009
    deanhopkins670
    very good cop movie .. a must see
  • msg4james2
    August 11, 2009
    msg4james2
    One of John Carpenter's finest jitters...

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Assault on Precinct 13 Trivia

  • Cops and Crooks join forces when a police station comes under siege from an armed mob, starring Ethan Hawke and Laurence Fishburne.  Answer »
  • In the movie assault on precinct 13 (2005)in this list what actor did not appear in the movie?  Answer »
  • What's missing from all the blanks? _______ Moons Assault on Precinct ________ _______ Ghosts Apollo ________ _______ Curses _______ Going on 30 Lucky ________ _______ Seconds _______ Gantry Row   Answer »
  • Michael Myers, the villain of the Halloween movies, is named after a real person. When Assault on Precinct 13 performed better than expected in England, director John Carpenter decided to thank the English distributor by naming the main character of his next movie after him.  Answer »
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