Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

In this super-sized episode, Chris and Nick tackle John
Carpenter's critically acclaimed second film, Assault on
Precinct 13 -- for us, the source of a killer podcast title,
and for Carpenter, a springboard to (eventual) Hollywood success.
The film is a gritty, low-budget action/thriller that draws on
Howard Hawks' Rio Bravo in its story of a straight-laced
cop and a smooth-talking criminal who lead a dwindling band of
survivors against the vicious street gang that's trapped them in
a decommissioned L.A. police station. The discussion covers
everything from the film's western influences and homages to its
still-striking onscreen brutality to the character dynamics that
make it a standout in the Carpenter catalog.