John Carpenter's Films - Ranked From Worst To Best

6. Assault On Precinct 13 (1977)

Pros: Fun action sequences. Underlying social commentary. Catchy synth score

Cons: Erm...Not appreciated at the time. Mediocre 2005 remake

Overall: Made on a shoestring, Assault on Precinct 13 is a loose interpretation of Howard Hawks' classic western Rio Bravo (Carpenter even used the pseudonym John T Chance - the name of John Wayne's character in the film - for his editing credit). The plot is basic but it is Carpenter's direction and way of telling the story that make Assault utterly compelling.

When the film was released, Carpenter had to battle the MPAA, who initially wanted to give the film the kiss of death NC-17 rating because of a scene where a young girl is shot and killed at point-blank range (by a man in an ice cream truck, no less). He also had to contend with critics simply writing the film off as a cheap, quickie exploitation picture.

The film was a hit in the UK and Europe, however, and subsequent years have been kinder to the film leading to widespread reappraisal (97% on Rotten Tomatoes). There's very little to crow about with Assault on Precinct 13, which makes the most of its limited resources and keeps things simple but effective.