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Assault on Precinct 13

Play trailer Poster for Assault on Precinct 13 R 1976 1h 31m Action Play Trailer Watchlist
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94% Tomatometer 53 Reviews 80% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
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.
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Assault on Precinct 13

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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Critics Reviews

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Dave Kehr Chicago Reader 05/25/2011
Hopelessly violent but exceedingly well made. Go to Full Review
Variety Staff Variety 07/06/2010
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. Go to Full Review
Time Out 02/09/2006
One of the most effective exploitation movies of the decade. Go to Full Review
Tom Milne Observer (UK) Dec 14
The delight of Assault on Precinct 13 is not just the amazing skill of director John Carpenter, but the fact that he is way ahead of the audience all the time. Go to Full Review
George Meyer Tampa Tribune Dec 14
The movie appears on the surface to be pure trash, but writer-director John Carpenter injects it with some very interesting tension. But more often, the results are just ordinary. Go to Full Review
Chance Solem-Pfeifer Willamette Week Jan 22
The film’s ample violence undulates between this strangely disembodied style and one that’s shockingly quick and ruthless—a fitting audition for the director who would forever change horror movies two years later with Halloween. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Ross F @RockerSmooth Dec 13 you better own this on physical media. It was my Uncle's favorite movie growing up and I absolutely love it. Rio Bravo, the Templete of The Thing, it's all that and less. So simple and yet such a compelling story. A must see for cinema fans, and John Carpenter fans. See more Nov 27 This movie walked so "The Thing" could run. It carries the same idea of a small group of people trying to defeat a seemingly unstoppable force long enough for help to arrive. Instead of aliens, this film uses a scary group of fugitives attempting to siege a police station with people still in it. This film has the edge of a truly great John Carpenter work. The synth score, synonymous with Carpenter's work at this point, fits every scene in which he uses it. Bishop and Wilson seem like archetypes for characters he would eventually try to recreate in his future work, which is nice to see. The scene where the girl gets shot blows you away for just how cold and quick it was. Usually in films like these, a kid dying in such a gruesome way is used as an ultra-dramatic moment for the camera and the movie to pause on so you can think to yourself, "Whoa, they really did it... they killed a kid". In this movie, it just moves the plot forward and is forgotten, like in real life, we see these horrible things on the news, and then we forget. Never thinking something like that can happen to us. The only person who gets affected at the end is the dad, who had become completely non-verbal because his daughter was killed. Carpented is a genius at work. I love this movie. 4.5/5. See more Jay W Oct 18 I have a real soft spot for these lower budget passion projects with a singular creative vision. John Carpenter writes, directs and provides the music in the film. The premise is simple, a insurmountable number of bad guys want to kill the people inside the precinct. The people inside...well they don't want that, so we have an impasse. The movie has the right balance of action, suspense and even a light bit of humor thrown in there. There are some compelling alliances of convenience and questions of who you can trust. There are some characters that I wish would have been more active in the story, but they do their part fine. Overall, it is a simple story tied together with straightforward characters, intriguing conflicts and tied together with cool film score and tight editing. See more GotRizz237 Sep 30 Really boring. John Carpenter should just stick to making horror movies. See more john h Jun 5 An entangled, atmospheric neo-western mixed with action-packed intelligent crime that is merged together on a tight budget. The situations are protagonists face force them to work together despite their differences, showcasing the amazing power of teamwork in stressful affairs that drive the plot like a dodger. See more Nick O May 28 If Night Of The Living Dead was about machine gun toting gang members instead of zombies in this amazing exploitation thriller from a young John Carpenter. See more Read all reviews
Assault on Precinct 13

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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
Producer
J. Stein Kaplan
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
Runtime
1h 31m
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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