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      Assault on Precinct 13

      R Released Nov 5, 1976 1 hr. 31 min. Action List
      96% 50 Reviews Tomatometer 80% 10,000+ Ratings Audience Score When the LAPD kills several members of the South Central gang Street Thunder, the remaining members avenge themselves by way of a bloody war waged against cops and citizens alike. Caught in the crossfire is Lt. Ethan Bishop (Austin Stoker), who's managing a skeleton crew at the local and soon-to-be-closed police precinct. As the gang members close in, Bishop forms an unlikely alliance with a group of prisoners in order to defend the station and the lives of everyone in it. Read More Read Less Watch on Peacock Stream Now

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      Assault on Precinct 13

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      Critics Consensus

      Lean, taut and compellingly gritty, John Carpenter's loose update of Rio Bravo ranks as a cult action classic and one of the filmmaker's best.

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      Audience Reviews

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      Richard L Carpenter made a couple of amazing movies, but the rest of them are like chicken night in Turkey. Cheesy in every single way, from dialogues and acting to timing and editing. Both the plot and the action make no sense, as scores of apparently braindead gang members alternate between throwing themselves towards their death like lemmings and running around the street crouched for hours. Banger of a soundtrack though. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 03/23/24 Full Review ben j One of Carpenter's best, this is a classic of "group of ragtag characters thrust into a specific location for the duration of the film with danger all around, and how that causes the different personalities to clash and work together" (think "The Thing," "Dawn of the Dead," "The Mist," etc). I have a deep love for 70s and 80s sci-fi, horror, and action, and this is at the top of the list—it's got a bit of everything; suspense, comedy, characterization, action, romance, all balled up into a transgressive, subversive adventure. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/24 Full Review prawnda s this movie is ridiculously overrated. i'm a fan of carpenter, but to see people tout this as one of his best works is a complete joke, because it has to be the worst john carpenter film i've seen to date. it's boring, it's slow, it's poorly written when it is written at all, the acting is atrocious, and it's just not very good all around even considering the year it came out. i think i would rather watch literally any movie by carpenter rather than this. the fight choreography is also outrageously fake, there are obvious cuts in the middle of shots with lazy editing, and overall i'm a little more disappointed in humanity for thinking this was a good film on such an apparently unanimous level. i don't even know why this is considered an important part of carpenter's legacy when he's made such obviously superior products before and since. the soundtrack is also some of the most generic, repetitive and annoying hogwash carpenter has ever put out. to see reviews here that say "great soundtrack" just makes me want to find the person who wrote that and force them to see a psychiatrist. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/22/24 Full Review Ryan M Low budget classic. Engaging from beginning to end. Great cast of characters. Tremendous score. Carpenter didn't miss from 70s to mid-90s! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/05/24 Full Review Devon B This movie was pretty decent for what it was, probably not Carpenter's best but still a decent film. For one it has some pretty memorable 80's sounding synth which is crazy considering it was the 70s and excellent sound effects, Darwin Joston's character is probably my favorite character in the entire film, he just adds a funny quip after another funny quip he's like the person I would like to be when I get older. Something the movie does a bit poorly is adding insert shots like during the shootout when they shot the window the first then the second time to the third time the window breaks which is an inserted cut that doesn't look like it belongs. Another thing is the characters constantly making stupid decisions but all is forgiven with the way it plays out. Another thing worth mentioning the shootout kinda reminded me of a video game sort of like Max Payne or Gta or any film that involves shooting people. Good film but a little slow to be honest but not to slow. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/21/23 Full Review Pratt Services D Absolutely unwatchable. It's a mess from the first minutes until the last. This is NOT a classic, it's an example of what a disaster captured on film looks like. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 07/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Critics Reviews

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      Dave Kehr Chicago Reader Hopelessly violent but exceedingly well made. May 25, 2011 Full Review Variety Staff Variety Novelty of a gang swearing a blood oath to destroy a precinct station and all inside is sufficiently compelling for the gory-minded to assure acceptance. Jul 6, 2010 Full Review Time Out One of the most effective exploitation movies of the decade. Feb 9, 2006 Full Review Arthur Steele Birmingham Mail Much of this film can be taken as intentional satire as well as the way most audiences will see it -- as a small budget, but often nail-bitingly effective spine-chiller. Nov 21, 2023 Full Review Eve Tushnet Patheos The action is fine–Carpenter’s good at this, it’s all brisk, just enough characterization to make these feel like people who cast real shadows but no more than that. Carpenter did the music as well, and it’s fantastic. Aug 16, 2023 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Perhaps Carpenter's best film next to The Thing, this is a model of low-budget filmmaking, with a tight script, appropriately tight-lipped actors and atmospheric location shooting. Rated: 3.5/4 Aug 12, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis When the LAPD kills several members of the South Central gang Street Thunder, the remaining members avenge themselves by way of a bloody war waged against cops and citizens alike. Caught in the crossfire is Lt. Ethan Bishop (Austin Stoker), who's managing a skeleton crew at the local and soon-to-be-closed police precinct. As the gang members close in, Bishop forms an unlikely alliance with a group of prisoners in order to defend the station and the lives of everyone in it.
      Director
      John Carpenter
      Executive Producer
      Joseph Kaufman
      Screenwriter
      John Carpenter
      Production Co
      Overseas Film Group
      Rating
      R
      Genre
      Action
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Nov 5, 1976, Wide
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Nov 19, 2013
      Aspect Ratio
      Scope (2.35:1)
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