ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13: (Campy Video Risk) Pure liquid cool to the very end; excellent example of the masculine action/thriller genre; fast-paced 90 minute thrill ride for almost any viewer. This film will be most appealing to men and boys age 14 and over. Due to language and violence (a high body count), this film isn't really recommended for children under the age of 14.

"Assault on Precinct 13" is a guilty pleasure for a fan of the masculine action/thriller genre--the western stylings of Sergio Leone (see "The Good the Bad and the Ugly") brought into modern times. It is as scary as it is thrilling--simply chilling.

Perhaps, Carpenter's best film next to "Halloween," "13" released in 1976, is a terrific example of simple, straightforward, "no-frills" film-making with one purpose, entertainment.

The Plot: Odd, multi-racial, youthful gang members (who have very little dialogue) armed to the teeth with silenced automatic weapons lay siege to an almost abandoned police station (incidentally, identified as Precinct 9, District 13). A police lieutenant, a secretary, and a killer headed for death row, fight the unbelievable on-slaught.

The Review: Carpenter's simple approach must be admired. The film's success is in a clear, easy to follow story which contains enough believable elements to make an audience uncomfortable, and enough cinematic liberties to keep the same audience entertained.

I'm reminded of Dennis Hopper's "Colors" when reviewing "13." "Colors" was cool (mainly because of enjoyable performances by Robert Duvall and Sean Penn) but quickly became somewhat boring due to what was aptly described in the Leonard Maltin review as a "slice of life" story. Someone once told me that writers cannot write dialogue as it is spoken in real life because it would bore the reader. Movies that closely resemble real life risk losing entertainment value. "13" is all infantile fantasy but on some very basic level suspends disbelief enough to draw the viewer in.

Suspension of disbelief is key to all film-making and particularly critical to the action/thriller genre. Take the "Die Hard" films. Compare the first film to the last. Besides actors who sell their lines and are almost always worth the price of admission, the last "Die Hard" is less successful than the first--the last contained transparent movie magic that failed to fool the audience. The same can be said of the "Lethal Weapon" series that has steadily degraded with each sequel.

The soundtrack for "13," also penned by Carpenter, is oddly unnerving. It uses some kind of computerized music that was available in a disco format overseas. Try turning it up on surround sound for maximum effect. I did, and the wife complained.

The version of the film I finally managed to rent was in letter box format. I cannot praise letter box enough. Watching a film for the second time in letter box is like watching a completely new film. I once caught the funny, but flawed, "Bachelor Party" in letter box on Bravo. Even that film greatly benefited from the format.

"13" is not without wit and humor. The actors artfully elicit laughs through what may be bad acting. One character, Napoleon Wilson, flatly delivers great one-liners on cue, and the secretary has a sulkiness about her that I found amusing.

As a child, I thought that Carpenter's "Escape from New York" was one of the best movies ever. Now that I'm older, it has lost some of its luster. I recognize flaws in "Escape" that were even more prevalent in the sequel. "13," however, retains much of its charm upon multiple viewings with a careful more sophisticated eye. It is a better film with a smaller budget, and an entertaining video risk.

Jonathan Hickman