Assault on Precinct 13

This is one of John Carpenter's early films, and also one of his best. Taking a nod from westerns, the movie is about a group of cops, convicts and civilians who are trapped in a police station in a Los Angeles ghetto that has come under siege by a multi-ethnic gang called Street Thunder. They must overcome their differences and come together and survive the night while they can only wait for help to arrive.

The acting is top notch and the characters are memorable, and during the siege you actually feel for them and are rooting for them to survive. There are minor squabbles between them but the group bands together quite well despite their different backgrounds. None of the gang members they fight speak, giving them an almost inhuman and zombie like appearance as they simply open fire on the precinct and try to kill the inhabitants. The silencers on all the guns add the danger of urban warfare in that you can be fired upon and not know that the shots have even been fired and is a nice touch in keeping the assault a secret and help from arriving.

With its terse pace, the film is a joy to watch, never slowing down and keeping things interesting as it plays out, building towards the final assault. A great cult classic that deserves to be in everyone's collection.