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And speaking of ideas, the “mismatched clutch of survivors battling evil” is one that Carpenter would use a bit too often later in his career. Obvious character archetypes abound here, but since Assault was inspired by a Western it works well - this is the kind of story where we NEED to know where everyone stands. Lt. Bishop is a virtuous man who feels compelled to follow the letter of the law no matter how desperate things become. Napoleon doesn’t seem like such a bad guy, and it’s not just in contrast to the bloodthirsty mob outside. He’s at peace with his mistakes and he doesn’t feel the need to run from the death he’s come to realize he deserves. Laurie Zimmer gets to do something that few women were allowed to in horror movies up to this point, and that’s act. Leigh grudgingly adopts a leadership role during the crisis, and she has an almost laconic sense of fatalism about the whole thing. Talk about channeling your inner Carrie Fisher.

The Gang is a mindless mass of anger silhouetted against the night, hunched over like ninjas as they pour from the shadows, firing on the station. They have no dialogue, they perform bizarre cult rituals and they never, ever seem to run out of bodies. Like an insatiable zombie horde, they just keep coming, and coming, and coming. They may be the most interesting character in the film, with their amoeba like resilience giving them an almost supernatural quality.

The individual performances are adequate, if nothing else. Aside from Joston, who gives a career performance, the acting is a notch above soap opera quality but the performers do seem deeply committed to their roles. I guess that’s another testament to Carpenter’s ability to get the most out of the least. There’s no denying this is a low budget film and it shows, but the parts make a satisfying whole and it all strikes a tolerable tone between horror, suspense and humor. It threatens you, but it never overwhelms you. It toys with your patience a bit, but it makes you glad you stuck around for the end.

Despite its grim premise and gritty tone, Assault on Precinct 13 has a cynical sense of humor, but overall it carries a sense of optimism. It’s the same sense of optimism I try to have about John Carpenter in general. In my opinion, the man reached his creative peak during the Reagan Administration and if he never creates another masterpiece again, that’s okay. But the list of great horror directors working today isn’t a long one. It would be nice to see Carpenter’s name on it again.

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