Rating: 
Summary: pre "halloween" Carpender at his best
Review: The story is your basic "good vs evil" and the production values are on the cheap but what is compelling is how a pre "halloween" John Carpender takes an assortment of cops, killers, and women and puts them all together in one of the best "seige" pictures even. In an on-disk interview, Carpender reflects on his influences ("Rio Bravo" and, of course, "Night of the Living Dead"), but it's how he builds it that stands out. If you liked "the fog", "Escape from New York", "The Thing", then you already have a taste for how he puts people together and then squeezes then ever so slightly. (I believe this might have been filmed before he met Kirt Russell as well). The music (as in "Halloween"), sets an erie tone as you follow several characters until their destiny greets them. I mean, when a little girl gets it next to an ice cream truck, you know there are some mean dudes here (they knock off the ice cream guy too...but not until he shuts his "come and get it" music off). Suspense builds until you can't stand it any longer. Great, low budget masterpiece. Picture's a bit grainy and, I believe, music is dolby 2.0. But it's a great addition to the collection.
Rating:
Summary: Carpenters Finest
Review: Now this truely is one of John Carpenters best. The movie is compelling, the score is exciting and yet can be sad ie(after the shootout and they come to relise that julie( Nancy Loomis) is dead). The cast is perfectly fitted in their roles. Austin Stoker is brilliant as Ethan Bishop, Lauie Zimmer was fantastic as Leigh and Darwin Joster as Napoleon Wilson was one in a kind. Who could forget the line 'Got a smoke'. For Carpenters first film beside 'Dark star', this is a well done job. The print on the film is ok and the extras should be somewhat satisfying.Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Prepare for the Assault
Review: I saw this on late-night t.v. and is a film that packs quite a wallop. The film opens with some men who are brutally and violently gunned downed by the police. The following morning it is revealed that the men are part of a street gang that has stolen automatic weapons from the police and the remaining gang members make a pact to avenge thier comrades and declare war on everyone. In another part of L.A. police officer Bishop (Austin Stoker) has been assigned to see the closing of precinct 9, division 13 in South Central Los Angeles. The station is without prisoners. A couple of secretaries, Bishop and a desk sgt. are the only inhabitants and the power is going to go off in a matter of hours. A bus loaded with a couple crooks on thier way to prison stops by the station, as one of them is sick and are put into cells temporarily. The story then moves back to the gang members who stop an ice cream man and shoot him while a little girl is killed also. As the gang leaves, the girl's father finds her dead and the i.c. man tells him of a small gun in his dashboard as he too dies of his wounds. The father then follows the gang as they both pull over and engage in a shootout with the father killing one and running for his life as the other goons follow him. He then arrives at precinct 13 and the goons declare war on the precinct and it's up to both the civilians and crooks to work together to stay alive for the rest of the night. The film is an extrodinarily piece of filmmaking and made for minimal amount of money but, it looks like, it was made for a lot more. John Carpenter' work is amazing and the film stands the test of time as an exciting and visual action-thriller.Rated R (strong violence and language)
Rating: 
Summary: Why Isn't This Great Film Available?
Review: I'm not going to waste your time, read the rest of the reviews to get a good sense of what this film is about. My question (rhetorical) is how can anyone let something as good as this go out of print? I don't get it. I have the same problem with 'The Commitments' and 'They Live': two other great films that have been allowed to go out of print. Don't they get it? Word of mouth always wins in the end. Thanks for listening to my rant.
Rating:
Summary: Nerve Racking Movie!
Review: This movie starts out very slowly. A nearly abandoned precinct
is close to closing down. It is suddenly laid seige by a ruthless youth street gang.A small number of policemen,two secretaries, and some death row inmates are in for the fight of
their lives.Violence abounds in this nerve racking movie.This is
a usual John Carpenter movie. It will literally frighten you.
The street punks are absolutely frightening. The people in the precinct house are equally effective.If you like a wild movie this is your forte.A very good movie.
Rating:
Summary: Like "Rio Bravo," but with machine guns!
Review: This is one of the coolest of John Carpenter's films.
The plot: Gang of criminals with silenced machine guns plan to wreak havoc on Los Angeles. They attack a local police station. However, this police station is deserted except for a lone cop and a couple of secretaries. The group must try to survive in the abandoned station against the unstoppable onslaught of the criminals outside! Any action fan like myself can enjoy a scene in which the station is shot to bits without the slightest hint of sound. The weapons are silenced so you hear no shots. You just see windows break, papers fly off of desks, and a man's chest explodes into bloody mist. Great fun!
Rating:
Summary: gritty tale of urban terror
Review: one of mr carpenters earlier works and probably his purest.no special effects,no unstoppable maniac,no bimbo screaming and running.just an assault on precinct 13.a lone sheriff goes to close an old precinct and transfer belongings to new one goes awry.when a man who has met up with unexpected violence happens to enter precinct 13,hell follows him.i will offer no other plot lines.but im sure when you get this movie,you will be thrilled.i have a couple of questions though.WHY IS THIS SO EXPENSIVE AND WHY ARE SO MANY OTHER DVD TRANSFERABLE MOVIES NOT AVAILABLE ON DVD(the vampires kiss,3 oclock high,wierd science,after hours,eracerhead,dead and buried,just to name a few).
Rating:
Summary: Among the best of B-Movies out there
Review: Howard Hawks, John Carpenter. Rio Bravo, Assault on Precinct 13. That's what it boils down to. John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13 acknowledges the influence that Howard Hawks had for him. Carpenter did a truly memorable job as a director with a truly low budget: $100,000. This is pure action, more than the norm for 1976. Some might say it's Carpenter's best film. The DVD is pretty much available to buy online. It's not overpriced, the film is a good copy, widescreen, with an actual trailer. John Carpenter also has a feature-length commentary on the film. All in all, the DVD is worth buying.
Rating: 
Summary: Get the popcorn out and enjoy
Review: Assault on Precinct 13 is a straightforward, no-nonsense action packed
thriller, and as such, it can't be faulted. Police Station Precinct 13 is
going to be closed down, leaving a new Lieutenant in charge on the last
day. The cells are empty. A skeleton crew is on duty. Things are winding down
pretty nicely as the slack has been taken up by the new police station. However,
events begin to gather apace. A man wanders in. He is traumatized. He cannot
speak. Suddenly a huge armed gang who are after the man besiege the station.
The phone and power lines go down. The precinct is isolated. They are on
their own. The tension builds up nicely and never relents. For a film like this, you don't expect too much in-depth characterization,
and you don't get it; but the script and the actors flush out the characters
with enough personality to make you care about them. Carpenter should be
given credit for making the central character black. In
1976, this was not common. Carpenter also does a good job at hinting at the
suppressed racism in the police force. Nothing needs to be said as the body
language of the white police officers says it all. It's done with subtlety
and is spot on. However, this is not allowed to get in the way of the
action. The film's protagonists are in a tight spot. We watch as they hold
out against the besiegers to the bitter end. Along with
Dark Star, this is Carpenter's best film and far superior to the rubbish he
churned out in the 80s. Get the popcorn out and enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: An classic Action-Thriller from Carpenter.
Review: A nearly deserted L.A. Police Station are stalked by a Urban young street gangs. Now the Police Officers, Civilans and Criminals have to help eachother to survived. Written and Directed by John Carpenter (Dark Star, Halloween, The Fog) brings his unique stylish thriller and he also did the film score. This film is a modern day of Rio Bravo crosses between Night of the Living Dead with Exceptional Performances by the Cast. DVD has an sharp anamorphic HD Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer and an fine Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono Sound. DVD has an interesting Commentary Track by Director:Carpenter. DVD has an 20 Minute Interview with Carpenter and Actor:Austin Stoker, Trailer, Still Gallery and More. Do not miss this instant Cult Classic. Panavision. Grade:A.
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