Stompbox: John Carpenter's ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13

NEW 4K RESTORATION!

Written, directed, scored, and edited by John Carpenter two years prior to HALLOWEEN, ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 combines the template of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD with the spirit of RIO BRAVO to forge a movie like no other. The story follows a group of police offers (including the mighty Austin Stoker) and convicts as they join forces inside a soon-to-be-closed L.A. police station. The reason? They must defend themselves against Street Thunder, a vicious gang who have taken a blood oath to kill someone trapped inside the precinct. Combining gritty action with arthouse style, ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 features powerful Cinemascope compositions, a pulsing synth score, and an immersive mood that only Carpenter can deliver.

ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 is driven by the grittiest and most head-noddingly addictive electronic doom groove score ever put to tape. Carpenter’s crisp, cold Moog synth and rattling percussion was written and rush recorded in under three days, but remains a soundtrack of incredible lasting effect and influence, its simple pulses, scrapes and undeniable hooks becoming part of the bedrock of electronic music culture, from hip hop to techno to synthwave.

New 4K restoration from the American Genre Film Archive (AGFA), a non-profit dedicated to preserving the legacy of genre films through collection, conservation, and distribution.

ABOUT THE FILM

ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13

USA | 1976 | 91 minutes | 18A

DIRECTOR: John Carpenter

CAST: Austin Stoker, Darwin Joston, Laurie Zimmer

ABOUT STOMPBOX:

Stompbox is a music-on-film event, screening and performance series active since 2016, curated by David Bertrand.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmuM704bMjM&ab_channel=AGFA