Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

Director:

John Carpenter

Writer:

John Carpenter (written by)

Release Date:

5 November 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller | Crime

Tagline:

L.A.'s deadliest street gang just declared war on the cops.

Plot:

The lone inhabitants of an abandoned police station are under attack by the overwhelming numbers of a seemingly unstoppable street gang.

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Electronic Music Score | Police Thriller | Disturbing | Prisoner Transport

Cast

Austin Stoker	...	Ethan Bishop
Darwin Joston	...	Napoleon Wilson
Laurie Zimmer	...	Leigh
Martin West	...	Lawson
Tony Burton	...	Wells
Charles Cyphers	...	Starker
Nancy Kyes	...	Julie (as Nancy Loomis)
Peter Bruni	...	Ice Cream Man
John J. Fox	...	Warden
Marc Ross	...	Patrolman Tramer
Alan Koss	...	Patrolman Baxter
Henry Brandon	...	Chaney
Kim Richards	...	Kathy
Frank Doubleday	...	White Warlord
Gilbert De la Pena	...	Chicano Warlord (as Gilbert De La Pena)
Peter Frankland	...	Caudell
Al Nakauchi	...	Oriental Warlord
James Johnson	...	Black Warlord
Gilman Rankin	...	Bus Driver
Cliff Battuello	...	First Guard
Horace Johnson	...	Second Guard
Valentine Villareal	...	Chicano Tough
Kenny Miyamoto	...	Oriental Tough
Jerry Viramontes	...	Chicano Hood
Len Whitaker	...	Black Hood
Kris Young	...	Gang Member
Randy Moore	...	Gang Member
Warren Bradley III	...	Gang Member
Joe Woo Jr.	...	Gang Member
William S. Taylor	...	Gang Member (as William Taylor)
Brent Keast	...	Radio Announcer (voice)
Maynard Smith	...	Police Commissioner (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Carpenter	...	Gang member (uncredited)

Directed by
John Carpenter

Writing credits
John Carpenter		(written by)

Produced by
Steve Fine	....	assistant producer
J. Stein Kaplan	....	producer (as J.S. Kaplan)
Joseph Kaufman	....	executive producer

Original Music by
John Carpenter

Cinematography by
Douglas Knapp		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
John Carpenter		(as John T. Chance)

Art Direction by
Tommy Lee Wallace		(as Tommy Wallace)

Makeup Department
Don Bledsoe	....	makeup artist

Production Management
James Nichols	....	post-production supervisor
John Syrjamaki	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James Nichols	....	assistant director

Art Department
Dick Girod	....	set painter (as Richard Girod)
Craig Stearns	....	property master

Sound Department
Alan Cassidy	....	boom operator
William Cooper	....	sound recordist
Bill Varney	....	sound re-recordist
Tommy Lee Wallace	....	sound effects (as Tommy Wallace)

Special Effects by
Richard Albain	....	special effects (as Richard Albain Jr.)
Ken Speed	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Stunts
Rueben Joe Melendez	....	stunt driver
John Roy Rogers	....	stunt driver

Camera and Electrical Department
Jack English	....	gaffer
Michael Everett	....	best boy
Trippy Gafford	....	grip
William E. Mareneck	....	best boy (as William Mareneck)
Douglas Olivares	....	assistant camera
Rena Small	....	still photographer
William Waldman	....	assistant camera
Kurt Young	....	key grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nancy Kyes	....	wardrobe mistress (as Louise Kyes)

Editorial Department
Debra Hill	....	assistant editor
Curt Schulkey	....	second assistant editor

Music Department
Peter Bergren	....	music engineer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Trippy Gafford	....	driver

Other crew
Tom Hansen	....	production assistant
Debra Hill	....	script supervisor
Marla Miller	....	production assistant
Randy Moore	....	production assistant
Blake Schaefer	....	production assistant
Jocelyne Stoikovitch	....	production assistant
Maxine Syrjamaki	....	payroll

Production Companies

• CKK Corporation, The (presents) (as The C K K Corporation)
• Overseas FilmGroup

Distributors

• Turtle Releasing (1976) (USA) (theatrical)
• Astral Films (197?) (Canada) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• América Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS) (as "Trovão das Ruas")
• Arcade Video (1982) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Astro Distribution (2000) (Germany) (VHS)
• Atlantic Film (2003) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Beam Entertainment (????) (Japan) (DVD) (DVD producer)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (DVD) (as "Assalto à 13ª DP")
• Creative Axa Co. Ltd. (????) (Japan) (DVD)
• EMS (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Filmwelt (1979) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Image Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (19??) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Image Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)
• Image Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Jef Films International (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Media Home Entertainment (1982) (Belgium) (VHS)
• Media Home Entertainment (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• New Films International
• New Line Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Opção (19??) (Brazil) (VHS) (as "Assalto à 13ª DP")
• Universal Pictures (200?) (UK) (DVD)
• Veronica (2007) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Video Sales Network (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Get Set Inc.  set construction
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  titles and opticals (as MGM)

Also Known As:

John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13
The Anderson Alamo (USA) (working title)
The Siege (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Netherlands:16 | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | UK:15 (re-rating) (2008) | Australia:R | Canada:18A (Manitoba) (re-rating) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) (original rating) | Finland:K-18 | France:-16 (cut) | Germany:16 (re-rating) (2005) | Norway:18 | South Korea:15 (cut) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video rating) (1986) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R | West Germany:18 (original rating) (1976) | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

CKK Corporation, The

Trivia:

Following the release of his first feature, Dark Star (1974), John Carpenter was approached by a group of investors who gave him carte blanche to make whatever kind of picture he wanted, albeit with a very limited budget. Although Carpenter wanted to make a Western, he knew he wouldn't have the resources to make a period piece. He wrote this film as a highly stylized, modern-day western, essentially remaking Rio Bravo (1959), which was directed by Carpenter's hero, Howard Hawks. Carpenter acknowledges this debt to Hawks and "Rio Bravo" by using the pseudonym of John T. Chance for his film editor's credit, which was the name of John Wayne's character in "Rio Bravo".

Goofs:

Factual errors: The silenced revolver that Wells uses would not be silenced. On the vast majority of revolvers have a gap between the cylinder and the barrel, through which some powder can escape, rendering the silencer ineffective.

Quotes:

Warden: [after punching Wilson out of a chair without the slightest provocation] He just slipped right out of the chair.
Napoleon Wilson: Yeah, I don't sit in chairs as well as I used to.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Sledge Hammer!: State of Sledge (#1.14)" (1987)

Violent and witty

This is rightly considered a classic cult movie from the 1970's by the once reliable John Carpenter (who also composed the edgy early synth score). Basically it's a faint mish-mash of other movies, the dialogue is reminiscent of great westerns as a black policeman and a white convict battle against gang members in a Night of The Living Dead re-working. It's also tempting to draw Vietnam allegories (as with many American movies of the mid 1970's and after); the faceless, nameless gang members die in the droves but keep attacking the besieged police station and the lawmen and the lawbreakers, black and white, must unite to defeat them and escape with their lives.

The real joy of this movie, however, is the playing of the two virtually unknown leads, Austin Stoker and the late Darwin Joston. They have a great, almost wry chemistry and use Carpenter's stripped-down witty dialogue to great effect. Because there are no 'stars', there are no real expectations, and the shocks when they come (including the famous ice cream sequence) are more shocking for it.

The representation of women leaves a little to be desired (the two female characters obviously shop at the same sweater store!) but the character Lee shows some inner strength and resolve, and even has time for some kind of upper hand in terms of sexual tension between herself and Joston's Napoleon Wilson.

If you haven't seen this movie I urge you to watch it; in terms of B movies and cult thrillers it's the yardstick in my opinion; simple, stylish, violent, witty and not remotely sentimental.