Assault On Precinct 13 [1976] (DVD)

note: also appears in part on Flixster and The Student Room John Carpenter has made many classics of American cinema, chiefly The Thing and Halloween, but one of his best films has to be Assault on Precinct 13, which was remade a few years ago fairly well with Lawrence Fishburne and Ethan Hawke. The 1976 original, though, is without a doubt the definitive article, as a superb action thriller that's incredibly tense and very well acted. It is also notable for the controversial scene where a young girl is shot dead when trying to buy an ice cream, but make sure you get the uncut version with this scene retained! The film opens with us meeting a group ...  Read the complete review

Assault on Precinct 13 is a 1976 film written and directed by John Carpenter. The film is set in the violent ghetto of "Anderson", Los Angeles, and based on the classic Howard Hawks western Rio Bravo. When several important members belonging to the notorious "Street Thunder" gang are killed by police snipers who are seeking to reclaim some stolen heavy weapons, the gang's warlords swear a "Cholo", or blood oath vendetta, against the police. Meanwhile, at the dilapidated Anderson police station, Lieutenant Ethan Bishop (Austin Stoker), a newly promoted California Highway Patrol officer, is in charge for its last ever night of service with ...  Read the complete review