Dir. John Carpenter
1976, USA, 91 min
4K Restoration
L.A.’S DEADLIEST STREET GANG JUST DECLARED WAR ON THE COPS.
A brand new 4K restoration of John Carpenter’s explosive triumph.
Written, directed, scored, and edited by John Carpenter two years prior to Halloween, Assault on Precinct 13 combines the template of Night of The Living Dead with the spirit of Rio Bravo to forge a movie like no other. The story follows a group of police officers (including the mighty Austin Stoker) and convicts as they join forces inside a soon-to-be-closed L.A. police station. The reason? They must defend themselves against Street Thunder, a vicious gang who have taken a blood oath to kill someone trapped inside the precinct. Combining gritty action with arthouse style, Assault on Precinct 13 features powerful Cinemascope compositions, a pulsing synth score, and an immersive mood that only Carpenter can deliver.
Every Tuesday, we are presenting two trashy, cult classic films that are underseen but well-respected, and due for induction into ‘That Other Canon’ – the Hall-of-Fame for films that are beloved pieces of alternative, outsider, cult cinema. You may have seen some of them before, but never like this! Restored in HD transfers on DCP! New discoveries… old favorites… (s)exploitation… gonzo action… bizzarro sci-fi… seedy horror… this series has it all! Not all of them are *bad*, but all of them are *badass*!
A joy to behold: a taut, aesthetic blast of violence.
– Ian Nathan, Empire Magazine
As incisive as it is thrilling, Carpenter’s film is also gorgeous. Carpenter’s imagery is a thing of propulsive beauty that both enhances suspense and expresses his characters’ ever-changing relations to one another. It’s a fleet, ferocious piece of genre craftsmanship.
– Nick Schager, The A.V. Club
In combining the dread and survival politics of George Romero and The Night Of The Living Dead with the macho heroics and succinct wit of Howard Hawks, Carpenter found his own voice and changed the course of genre filmmaking.
– Nathan Rabin, Dissolve
