USA, 1976, John Carpenter

Frequently cited as John Carpenter’s best film, this taut mash-up of Howard Hawks’ Rio Bravo and George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead is set at a decommissioned Los Angeles police precinct house on the night before it is permanently closed. A ruthless gang of armed street criminals lays siege to the building. With the phones disconnected, it falls to a skeleton LAPD crew (and a convicted killer) to defend this fortress. Carpenter also composed the music. “One of the most effective exploitation movies of the decade…Laughs and suspense in perfectly balanced proportions…Sheer delight from beginning to end.” –Time Out Film Guide. Cleveland revival premiere. Scope DCP. 90 min. www.americangenrefilm.com/theatrical-film-catalog/assault-on-precinct-13/