← Back to Reviews
in
That's the exchange between Lt. Bishop (Austin Stoker) and his superior, upon receiving his assignment of supervising a soon-to-be-abandoned police precinct. The job doesn't seem that appealing to him, but you gotta follow orders. No "wannabe hero" shenanigans for him, right? That is unless some gang members get any crazy ideas in their heads.
Assault on Precinct 13 follows the newly promoted officer as he takes over the abandoned precinct, along with a skeleton crew. When a grieving father shoots a gang leader and then seeks refuge in the precinct, a horde of gang members siege the building, forcing Bishop to join forces with a prisoner called Wilson (Darwin Joston) in order to survive.
This was John Carpenter's second film and I was surprised it was my first time watching it. The premise is simple, and Carpenter doesn't muddy it with overt exposition or unnecessary subplots. It's just a group of people, trapped inside a building, trying to stay alive. The comparisons with Night of the Living Dead, which was an inspiration for Carpenter, are more accurate than I would've thought.
The director successfully builds up tension, starting with a shocking and bold shooting that sparks the events of the film, continuing down to the very last face-off between the survivors and the endless horde of criminals. Like any zombie film, Carpenter treats the enemies as just faceless, nameless thugs trying to pour into the precinct.
The chemistry and dynamic between the trapped characters, most notably Bishop and Wilson, is great. There is an attempt to build some sort of vague relationship between Wilson and Leigh (Laurie Zimmer), one of the office workers at the precinct, but it is ultimately unnecessary. Other than that, the film absolutely complies with what it sets out to do.
Grade:
ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13
(1976, Carpenter)
A film from the TSPDT 1,000 Greatest Films list whose ranking includes the #2 (#826)
(1976, Carpenter)
A film from the TSPDT 1,000 Greatest Films list whose ranking includes the #2 (#826)
"You wanna be a hero your first night out, Lieutenant?"
"Yes, sir"
"There are no heroes anymore, Bishop. Just men who follow orders."
"Yes, sir"
"There are no heroes anymore, Bishop. Just men who follow orders."
That's the exchange between Lt. Bishop (Austin Stoker) and his superior, upon receiving his assignment of supervising a soon-to-be-abandoned police precinct. The job doesn't seem that appealing to him, but you gotta follow orders. No "wannabe hero" shenanigans for him, right? That is unless some gang members get any crazy ideas in their heads.
Assault on Precinct 13 follows the newly promoted officer as he takes over the abandoned precinct, along with a skeleton crew. When a grieving father shoots a gang leader and then seeks refuge in the precinct, a horde of gang members siege the building, forcing Bishop to join forces with a prisoner called Wilson (Darwin Joston) in order to survive.
This was John Carpenter's second film and I was surprised it was my first time watching it. The premise is simple, and Carpenter doesn't muddy it with overt exposition or unnecessary subplots. It's just a group of people, trapped inside a building, trying to stay alive. The comparisons with Night of the Living Dead, which was an inspiration for Carpenter, are more accurate than I would've thought.
The director successfully builds up tension, starting with a shocking and bold shooting that sparks the events of the film, continuing down to the very last face-off between the survivors and the endless horde of criminals. Like any zombie film, Carpenter treats the enemies as just faceless, nameless thugs trying to pour into the precinct.
The chemistry and dynamic between the trapped characters, most notably Bishop and Wilson, is great. There is an attempt to build some sort of vague relationship between Wilson and Leigh (Laurie Zimmer), one of the office workers at the precinct, but it is ultimately unnecessary. Other than that, the film absolutely complies with what it sets out to do.
Grade: