Red-Barracuda An L.A. police station in the process of being decommissioned is put under siege from a violent street gang. The situation forces police, convicts and civilians to band together to fight off the outside menace.This was B-movie specialist director John Carpenter's second feature after his low budget sci-fi comedy Dark Star (1974). This was the first time he had a reasonable budget at his disposal, although this was still a low budget affair. Carpenter had actually wanted to make a western but owing to the unpopularity of that genre by the mid 70's, he made a film in the genre which had supplanted it, namely the crime film. In fact, Assault on Precinct 13 could quite easily be regarded as an urban western of sorts with the raging gang members being a replacement for old-school Indians or Mexican bandits. It's also pretty reasonable to cite the influence of the seminal horror movie Night of the Living Dead (1968), for the fact that the story revolves around the scenario of a group of heroes trapped in a building with a relentless enemy outside trying to get in to kill them. In point of fact, the gang members in this movie are to all intents and purposes basically zombies; they have no point-of-view, never express emotion and have an ambivalence to death that makes them appear like baddies in a computer game, they essentially are cannon fodder and an obstacle as opposed to identifiable characters. For this reason, this is not a movie that has any proper realism about it. Its pure pulp fiction, unashamedly for entertainment only. But it is a rather fine example of this kind of thing and is a very lean action-thriller that clearly shows Carpenter's talent as a director.While the action and thriller elements are very good, the story telling isn't always as impressive, with certain contrivances in evidence. For instance, the reasoning for the gang's vendetta is, to say the least, uneven. While the plot development that leads the bus of convicts to the precinct is incredibly weak, it boils down to a death row inmate with a cough creating such a panic that they divert to this police station. A flat tire would have been more convincing quite frankly. For what it's worth, the convict with the cough was so irritating, I was pleased when the hoodlums took him out early - I don't think the actor who played coughing man could have been up for too many awards for this role. But there is no doubt that this is a movie which gets much more right than wrong. Unlike a lot of people I actually really like the opening half of the flick which sets the scene. The various strands build on one and other nicely and generate good tension. The mean streets of L.A. are well utilised, especially in the scenes of the gang prowling the streets in a car, while the infamous ice cream van sequence is striking and shocking. So there are many great moments to this one but what undoubtedly elevates the material to a higher level is Carpenter's very awesome synth score, which was way ahead of its time. It's a masterpiece of minimalism and shows that, not only how less can be more, but also reminds us of how few modern movies have soundtracks this readily recognisable. The music in fact is probably the single best element of the entire film and works equally effectively independently of it, it is that good.On the whole, while there are some aspects which hold this one back, there are more which ensure it is a classic example of imaginative B-movie film-making. There are elements in it which Carpenter would return to in his later work several times but this certainly remains one of his best.

RforFilm The light of the police siren shines upon the infested streets of a metropolis. As it searches for potential trouble, darkness hides beyond the reach of the men in uniform. One threat could be the Crips, another could be the Gambino crime family, and yet another could be the Japanese mafia. The search to find a way to take down these gangs can be a frustrating issue, given how not only large they are, but of how connected they could be to the neighborhood. Just getting rid of the troublemakers could spell the end of street that had been operating in that manner for years. So how do we take them down?The problem in a lot of major cities is that these groups aren't just big, but can often have hundreds of members that are trained to blend in with society. The man selling hot dogs and even fellow police could be a possible member. This is certainly not a new thing as federal forces have had to deal with this for years. Today's movie takes us back to the 1970's in a crowded, yet secluded area of Los Angeles that involves few fighting many in Assault on Precinct 13. Within the Anderson ghetto of South Central, a local gang called Street Thunder has just stolen a large amount of ammunition. The LAPD manages to kill a bunch during an ambush, but that was just opening the floodgates. Recently appointed CHP officer Ethan Bishop (played by Austin Stoker) is assigned to supervise the last day of the thirteenth precinct before it moves. In there are Sergeant Chaney and two secretaries, Leigh and Julie. At the same time, a bus with three prisoners is forced to stop at the precinct as one of them is sick. While their waiting for medical attention, a shell-shocked man bursts in.It turned out that his daughter was gunned down by Street Thunder gang members and he retaliated by shooting a warlord. They in turn chased him and saw that he ran inside the precinct. Just before help can be called, the phone and power is cut as possibly a hundred more members reign a hail of gunfire. Several people are hit, with Bishop, Leigh, and two of the prisoners, Wilson (Played by Darwin Joston) and Wells surviving. With much of the bodies and blood mysteriously cleaned up by Street Thunder, those in the thirteenth precinct have to try to survive before they get in.For his first movie, John Carpenter hit a home run with Assault on Precinct 13. While not having any big stars and mostly confined to this one location, the movie makes up by having a tense tone throughout. And this is even before everyone is trapped. The sequence involving Street Thunder just looking through a gun scope to find people to kill gives you that sense that there is nothing redeemable about these people. That's probably why when they descend onto the police precinct, they seems like living zombies from Night of the Living Dead. As he probably couldn't afford anyone major, this forces all the main characters to have some well- defined personalities that made you root for them. I really got into Austin Stoker as the new guy on the block, trying to figure out the best way to make do with the few weapons they have. He's an example of how a leader is done right in this situation. This balances out well with Darwin Ioston, who seems relaxed about the situation, as if he's seen far worse, and is a likely, though unsure ally. This makes for some interesting banter.Along with the good script is some great, even frightening action. The film is smart to never have a leader of Street Thunder, causing us to view the villains more as a force rather then as a character. All they do is create a marker on the precinct and that's all you need to know that they have nothing to lose. I won't spoil what makes them a challenge (believe me, it's more then the gunfire), but when it happens, you know that our heroes are in a tight spot. This creates a constantly moving plot that seems to act like a time bomb; you never know what's going to strike.I'll give this nine Ice Cream trucks out of ten. Those that want to understand how a tense tone should work needs to view Assault on Precinct 13. The best way to describe why I enjoy this is that it's a thriller that's made like a horror; unpredictable, but fast paced. This is one dangerous neighborhood that's worth going through.

hellholehorror The picture quality was variable with the darker scenes looking especially bad. The music was occasionally annoying and the sound effects felt a little empty but that kinda worked in its favour to some extent. The pace of the film was very good. It kept moving and I was never bored. The action was entertaining and it was a bit different to watch. I liked the fast ending. Scary because of the feeling of gritty helplessness.

FlashCallahan An L.A. street gang declares war on a police station about to be shut down that has given refuge to a man who has witnessed a gang slaying, and killed one of them.Because of the shutdown, the phones and electricity have been turned off, and gang members await outside with knives and guns where the precinct has been totally shut off from the outside world......A loose remake of Rio Bravo, AOP13 is an intense ride from beginning to end, and although that sounds like a cliché and a half, the intensity of the silence once the titular assault begins, it can almost deafen yours senses.Apart from the fact that not all the characters are fleshed out, Carpenter keeps the dialogue to the minimum, and let the squibs do the talking.The series of events that cause that cause the assault are pretty unnerving, and I guarantee you'll never question what kind of gelato you are served with in future.The gang are sinister, almost zombie like, and if the film had any horror elements to it, the gang are a hybrid of the pirates from The Fog, The Shape from Halloween, and The Dukes Gang from EFNY. It's as if Carpenter has written these members in a sort of Carpenter-esque multiverse.The soundtrack is compelling, and the lighting adds much to the mise en scene.Check it out, it shows again just what a masterful film maker he was in his heyday.