ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 - 40TH ANNIVERSARY LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY BOX SET

When the inevitable Zombie apocalypse finally arrives and I spend my days being the brave and heroic leader of the few surviving humans, there will be a few things that I will undoubtedly need to ensure I keep some semblance of sanity. Of course, I am already planning for such a doomsday event by carefully selecting some of the essential post-apocalyptic items for my personal survival. No, I’m talking about piffling things like food, water or weapons, after all I anticipate having a number of trusty minions to cater for such needs. I am in fact talking about some of those essential luxuries that will help fend off those pesky Zombie-fighting blues.

At the top of my ‘survival essentials’ is a collection of my 10 top all-time films to while away the hours in between Zombie slaying and being the saviour of the human race. Yes, yes, yes, I know this comes with a couple of minor sticking points; namely having the power to keep my DVD player running and the fact that my top ten movie list order changes on a weekly basis. However there are few that will probably never leave the list; The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), The Wicker Man (1973) and the little beauty which is the subject of this very article – Assault on Precinct 13 (1976).

So when I heard that the film was being celebrated with a 40^th anniversary newly restored edition release from Second Sight Films I was doubly excited. Firstly, that it would provide another opportunity for me self-indulgently pontificating on near-cinematic perfection, but also (and perhaps far more importantly) because it would get me one step closer to making sure I’ll have what I need when the world goes to apocalypse hell and a hand basket.

Assault on Precinct 13 shares a commonality with the other two films mentioned previously here – apart from the fact that they are ground breaking examples of classic horror, they each suffer from having god-awful remakes made of them. This really isn’t the place for me to go off on one of my legendary rants about the lack of imagination and originality of some filmmakers. However I will say that my advice, for what it’s worth, would be to avoid these particular remakes at all costs - ESPECIALLY the Assault one.......give me strength.

The main man himself

Assault on Precinct 13 is a film that didn't do particularly well commercially, or with the critics, on its original release and in fact only slowly over the years began to gain legendary status, which is something of a running theme for legendary director, John Carpenter. Made for around $100,000 it was just his second feature film and by his own admission was a case of him learning how to make a movie. In fact he has gone on record as saying that he would change much of the original film today.........please don't, John. Just don't.

The plot of the movie is is loosely based on the Howard Hawkes classic western, Rio Bravo and repeats the narrative of good old law enforcement guys surrounded by a horde of murderous bad guys. It all takes place over just a few hours (A classic Carpenter modus operandi) and has noticeable periods where little is happening or even said. It is what Carpenter does with the material, the creation of near unbearable atmosphere and tension as the film progresses into some great action sequences and a simply stunning example of ensemble acting that makes this a movie classic.

The story begins with 3 separate story strands on a Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles that will eventually come together to form the tension filled second half of the movie. The first part features Lieutenant Ethan Bishop, played by the always excellent Austin Stoker, who has just undertaken a new assignment after receiving his promotion. He has been given the seemingly innocuous task of commanding the soon to be decommissioned Anderson police precinct. The station is manned by a skeleton staff composed of another officer and two civilian secretaries.

The magnificent Burton, Stoker and Joston

Meanwhile, a Los Angeles street gang called 'Street Thunder', who recently have had six of their members slain by the local police after recently acquiring a huge cache of automatic weapons. Vowing revenge they decide to drive around the streets looking for people to kill. Quite clearly, these are not nice people…..One of the gang shoots and kills a little girl and the driver of an ice-cream truck which is perhaps the most shocking and intense scene in the whole film. The 'Ice cream cone scene' has rightly gone down in many movie top 10 most shocking lists. The girl's father, in a helpless rage pursues the gang in turn shoots the gang member, whose fellow gang members chase the man into the Anderson precinct. The staff try to ascertain his problem, but by now he is in a catatonic state of shock, he is unable to explain to anybody what has happened to him.

The 3rd strand meanwhile sees a prison bus stopping at the Police station in order to get medical assistance for one of the three prisoners being transported to Death Row at the state prison. What then follows for the remainder of the movie is a classic siege scenario as what seems like hundreds of gang members have surrounded the station, cut off the power and now intend to kill everyone inside, forcing the few police and convicts to work together in order to live.

Laurie Zimmer - how I loved thee.

The true genius quality about this film is Carpenters ability to turn what, is on the face of it, a standard urban cop thriller and give it the essential spirit of a classic horror movie. Carpenter himself has often said that the film more resembles Night of the living Dead as much as any other cinematic inspiration. This success is in no small part to the incredible ensemble cast of character actors; Austin Stoker is his usual solid reliable self as the officer who slowly reconciles the fact that a police station in the middle of Los Angeles is under siege. Tony Burton and Laurie Zimmer (in her first major role) are equally excellent. 

For me though the heartbeat of the film has always been the magnificent Darwin Joston, as the charismatic prisoner Napoleon Wilson, who is responsible for driving the narrative onwards. The character of Napoleon could very easily have been a one-dimensional cardboard cut out bad guy, but Joston's performance combining elements of brutality, sardonic humour, loyalty and distinct traces of humanity raises the character to a sympathetic anti-hero status that is still powerful on repeat viewing. It remains a genuine mystery to me to this day why Darwin Joston was so vast underrated in the industry and never became a bigger star than he was before his death from Leukemia in 1998.

Oh, and one more thing - the soundtrack........Oh my lordy.

An often overlooked contribution to his movies is the music that Carpenter (the vast majority of which he wrote himself) provides for each production. Forced to write his own synthesiser music due to budgetary constraints on Assault on Precinct 13, Carpenter quickly realised the importance that a music soundtrack can provide. He's never content to let musical score simply accompany a film to fill the odd silence and occasionally add something to the overall effect. Instead the music often acts as a principle character in the story. 

The likes of Assault on Precinct 13 ( the music written in a staggering three day period) are a showcase in how the atmosphere and excitement can be manipulated to a staggering degree. There is absolutely no argument Assault, Halloween (where perhaps he created arguably his most iconic piece of movie soundtrack) and Escape from New York would be far the poorer if Carpenter hadn't taken real care and passion to intimately wed the music to the narrative. 

Austin getting a restoration.....

To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of this seminal film, Second Sight is delighted to announce the release of a newly restored high definition version from a 1080p transfer. It will be will be presented in a stunning limited edition Blu-ray box set, packed full of brand new special features including an early John Carpenter student short, as well as the original soundtrack CD and art cards, and is set for release on 28 November 2016, alongside a DVD version and On-Demand on the same date. It will be available on Download-to-Own from 21 November 2016. 

I will admit that it's been a year or so since I've watched the film - I like to indulge my favourites sparingly when it comes to my movie obsessions. So watching the restored version of Assault on precinct 13 was a genuine joy, in fact so much so it was almost like watching the film for the first time all over again. The look of the film now, whilst obviously retaining its 1970's feel, simply looks incredibly crisp and fresh whilst the sound quality is of such clarity that it elevates the legendary soundtrack into the stratosphere - an incredible listening experience.

The extras too are enough to satisfy any lover of this film - the audio commentaries, especially the one from Carpenter himself, are a level above some of the more mundane ones that often accompany releases. Carpenter's one in particular is full of interesting and insightful titbits of information about the filming process and it's fascinating to hear him recount both the stories of the making of the film and just how much he would change things (especially the pacing) if he was creating it today.

Perhaps the most exciting special features inclusion is the Blu-ray exclusive of Captain Voyeur, an early student film from John Carpenter and something that I had never seen before. Thanks to the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts and archivist Dino Everett we now have access to the work.

On discovering the film Everett said, 'At first it seemed like Captain Voyeur was going to be a class exercise with no title cards to identify it as Carpenter’s work but, eventually, a hand written title card came up."

“About a third of the way though the film, there was this hand written, ‘Written and Directed by John Carpenter. You couldn’t ask for a better representation of a first student film. Captain Voyeur has many of the themes as Carpenter’s later work including masked faces, obsession and even comedic set pieces."

“In my head I hoped it would be a magical tie to Halloween,” said Everett. “He’s not a killer but he’s a voyeur. In a sense, it shows what Michael Myers was in the beginning of Halloween. The two films make a natural line.” Voyeur has many of the themes as Carpenter’s later work including masked faces, obsession and even comedic set pieces."

I have to complete agree with Mr Everett -  watching Captain Voyeur is an incredible experience and being able to witness for the first time work from one's favourite director of all time was an genuinely exhilarating experience.

Unfortunately the Limited Edition box set inclusions of art cards and the CD soundtrack weren't included as part of the review material - but I'm hoping Santa (or Second Sight Films) will look kindly on me and reward me for being such a good little boy.........
 

Special features:

DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Uncompressed PCM original mono audio options 

Return to Precinct 13: A new Interview with Austin Stoker 

Still looking good, Austin!

Producing Precinct 13: A new interview with Joseph Kaufman 

Filmmaking with John: A new interview with Tommy Lee Wallace 

Interview with John Carpenter and Austin Stoker 

The Sassy One with Nancy Loomis 

Audio Commentary with John Carpenter 

Audio Commentary with Tommy Lee Wallace 

‘Captain Voyeur’: John Carpenter student short (Blu-ray exclusive)

Do You Remember Laurie Zimmer documentary film (Blu-ray exclusive) 

5 Art Cards (Limited Edition box set exclusive) 

Bonus CD soundtrack disc (Limited Edition box set exclusive) 

Trailer 

Radio Spots 

Dolby Digital 5.1 and original mono audio options

Title: Assault On Precinct 13: 40th Anniversary Limited Edition Blu-­ray Box Set

Release Date: 28 November 2016                                     Cat.No.: 2NDBR4057

RRP: £24.99                                                                         Cert: 15

Original Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1, Video: 1080p                     Audio: DTS-­HD MA Surround / LPCM Original Mono

Main Feature Running Time: 91 mins approx.                  Subtitles: English SDH

Barcode: 5028836040576

English subtitles for the hard of hearing

Title: Assault On Precinct 13: 40th Anniversary DVD

Release Date: 28 November 2016                                        Cat.No.: 2NDVD3304

RRP: £15.99                                                                            Cert: 15

Original Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1, Video: 1080p                        Audio: Dolby Digital Surround 5.1 and original mono audio options

Main Feature Running Time: 88 mins approx.                      Subtitles: English SDH

Barcode: 502883603304

English subtitles for the hard of hearing

Available Download-­to-­Own from 21 November 2016 and On-­Demand from 28 November

This article can also be found via the 5D website www.5d-blog.com. There you can find a veritable feast of blog articles, news items, pictures and and other mouth-watering salutations to the gods of the geeks and the nerds. We have now inherited the earth, you know.

There is also a newly launched forum on the website designed for ANYONE involved or interested in the Independent film industry related to genres of Sci-Fi, fantasy and horror. Feel free to register and contribute - Everyone is welcome!

In addition the 5D website now has PayPal Donate button. Any donations kindly made will be fed directly back to help with a podcast materials, competition prizes and other general costs etc. If you wish to contribute to the exciting growth of the website & blog then we here at 5D headquarters would be eternally grateful. If you would like your contribution to be acknowledged publicly then simply send a message via the website’s contact section and we’ll send you some love!

If all that was enough to entice to 5D land, should any of you fine people out there wish to advertise on the 5D website then have a look at the offer below.

Ghosts of Darkness

Written & Directed by David Ryan Keith

Produced by Lorraine Keith

Production by Clear Focus Movies Ltd

Music by Niall Mathewson

A couple of years ago when 5D was lucky enough to get a sneak preview of the new film from Aberdeen based production company, Clear Focus Movies our overall feel for The Redwood Massacre was hugely positive. The fact that I also received a press pass to after the review to see the film for free at the premier was also hugely positive. In fact if memory serves me correctly the movie was referred to by myself as "an excellently 'bloody' cinematic  experience......a fine slasher film that for the most part is excellently paced and will have you hooked from the very first minute to the very last."

Well as a matter of fact, it wasn't from memory, I just now checked the article again then cut and pasted the remark. So now as it turns out, here we are some time later with the follow up from the company, Ghosts of Darkness, which may well do the same for paranormal horror as they did for the slasher genre.

I must admit that when I first learnt that the latest film from Clear Focus Movies was visiting the world of the paranormal horror film I was a little dubious, though not because I doubted that they had the wherewithal to accomplish it. The reason was that in my experience the haunted house genre has not only been 'done to death' (sic) over the years, but that the results can also can by decidedly hit or miss, with very little in-between.

Because for every 'The Changeling (1980)' (in my humble opinion, perhaps the greatest ever of its kind) there is also a Cliché riddled Paranormal Activity (well OK, the first one was fine but after that...........). No, one has to be very careful if one is to try and incorporate something new into perhaps one of the oldest of horror genre tales.

But before I wax lyrical about how Ghosts of Darkness have not only coped well with the intrinsic challenges of the genre but in some areas surpassed them, so let me throw you a little synopsis your way.....

"Two paranormal investigators are unexpectedly thrown together in the hope of solving a 100 year mystery.  Locked for three nights in a house with a dark and unsettling past, the two investigators must put their differences to one side and work together.  ......

They soon discover the myths and stories are nothing compared to what actually resides within the eerie walls of the mysterious House.

Well hello handsome......

Scepticism and showmanship are soon put to one side when the two investigators realise there is more at stake than just their professional reputation.

For once they have stumbled onto the real thing, but this time it’s their own lives at stake."

There are two things that for me are essential for any paranormal haunted house horror type story - the chills on offer and also the depth of character relationships of those who inhabit the dwelling. I'll come to the chill factor in a few moments because for now I want to talk about the two main characters in the story - and from whom the performances are nothing short of scintillating.

It is clear to see that the makers this film proudly wear their knowledge and inspirations of supernatural horror lore on their collective sleeves. While the idea of being challenged (or in this case 'paid') to spend in an allegedly haunted house to disprove or publicize a myth has been done before, the notion of a 'scientific skeptic' paired with a  'paranormal professional' is possibly less familiar. 

The scientist and the master of Tweed

This certainly could have resulted in nothing more than a clichéd hotchpotch of familiar horror sub-themes. Yes we do have some old horror chums here such as the eccentric Psychic, the doomed previous occupants and the square jawed hero far who is far too good-looking for his own good. Combined with the fact that much of the film rests on just two main characters who have been thrown together, the authenticity of their relationship is incredibly important. In essence, the film could have easily floundered on this point. However the filmmakers confidently avoid falling into to tried and tested horror tropes

At the risk of being overly gushing in my praise I have to say that both Michael Koltes  and Paul Flannery are excellent and utterly compelling. Koltes provides a nice turn as the skeptic driven onwards both by science and the recent death of a loved one, completely at odds with Flannery's eccentric psychic. Flannery's performance (with a noticeable nod to some notable old school performers) is hugely entertaining with an array of facial expressions and comedic one-liners all delivered with confident aplomb. It feels a little unfair to single out Flannery as opposed to Koltes as both are very good, but the extrovert wine-guzzling-tweed-wearing-psychic was always going to win over the methodical scientist in the entertainment stakes. I also don't think it harms to be the co-screenplay writer . Now I'm not saying that this means that as a writer/actor you simply go ahead and give yourself the best lines, far from it your honour - but I don't suppose it harms........(My legal team advised me to include that last disclaimer just in case Mr Flannery decides to sue the pants off me).

The film is swept along on a constant wave of witty dialogue with a pacey script throughout - though occasionally in the quieter moments of exchanges one or two of the scenes go on a little longer than possibly they should have. However these moments are few and far between.

Of course any film of this nature relies on the fact that it should be scary. You may laugh at the obvious remark, but it never fails to amaze me just how many supposedly scary films actually lack a vital ingredient of being, well you know, erm, scary. Be very clear, Ghosts of Darkness is a genuinely scary paranormal horror film. I will as usual try to avoid spoilers at all costs but it's safe to say that there are a number of scenes that will provide any self-respecting chill seeker with their adrenaline fix - usually it's the ones where you shout "don't go down the stairs alone to see what the noise is!.........why would he go down the stairs alone?!"

As with The Redwood Massacre it has to be said that a film shot in the North East of Scotland couldn't really help but look good, after all, this part of the world is most definitely gods own. That being said, this is a movie that is wonderfully shot. The camerawork is truly stunning, not just in the outdoor sequences but in the dim and claustrophobic interior scenes which add an intense layer of added terror. The colours and textures of the film are a feast for the eyes. Besides looking good, it all sounds great with a beautifully evocative soundtrack that adds the perfect level of atmospheric chills to the overall experience. 

Tickets for Ghosts of Darkness are (or at least were yesterday, because they're selling quickly) available for the local Aberdeen premier at the Queens Links Cineworld on the 13th October. If you live in the area then go to the link to book tickets at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ghosts-of-darkness-aberdeen-premiere-cert-15-tickets-27773522353

You can find out more about Clear Focus Productions RIGHT HERE

This article can also be found via the 5D website www.5d-blog.com. There you can find a veritable feast of blog articles, news items, pictures and and other mouth-watering salutations to the gods of the geeks and the nerds. We have now inherited the earth, you know.

There is also a newly launched forum on the website designed for ANYONE involved or interested in the Independent film industry related to genres of Sci-Fi, fantasy and horror. Feel free to register and contribute - Everyone is welcome!

In addition the 5D website now has PayPal Donate button. Any donations kindly made will be fed directly back to help with a podcast materials, competition prizes and other general costs etc. If you wish to contribute to the exciting growth of the website & blog then we here at 5D headquarters would be eternally grateful. If you would like your contribution to be acknowledged publicly then simply send a message via the website’s contact section and we’ll send you some love!

If all that was enough to entice to 5D land, should any of you fine people out there wish to advertise on the 5D website then have a look at the offer below.

Patient 62

One of the most enjoyable aspects of being involved in 5D is witnessing the fruition of work from its early beginnings through to the final completion, especially if I have played a small part (a very small part) in helping along the way with a little publicity and promotion. It was around a year and a half ago when 5D was contacted by a Canadian Film maker asking whether we would be amenable to sharing news about his film. The said request came from Rick Anthony, who immediately claimed to be an award winning Sci-fi/Fantasy novelist and screenwriter and went on to tell me that his latest project, Patient 62, a Sci-fi/Action film, was currently competing rather well in his country's CineCoup film accelerator.

So after some expansive and ultra-analytically detailed investigation (which by my personal reckoning is about 2 mins) I found out that not only were the bold claims true in terms of the award winning bits, but that Patient 62 was in fact ranked at the time as first in the Cinecoup competition.  For those not in the know, Cinecoup is a unique funding model that allows filmmakers to submit concept trailers for their films to an audience who decides which gets made. The prize is a million dollar production budget and massive distribution deal - very nice.

Patient 62, I was reliably informed, was a film being produced by Factory Factory Entertainment, the creative team behind the award winning indie film, Bread Thieves. Front runners in this year's CineCoup Film Accelerator, the team withdrew from the competition, choosing another distribution option as their bird in hand. Although they had now got distribution covered, the large burden of budget was still upon them, and although they had significant investment in this film already, they needed more funds to extend the duration of their shooting schedule. As a consequence the team launched a crowdfunding campaign for which I was more than happy to help out with in terms of a little bit of 5D publicity and promotion.

Well some 18 months later this very week I received another message from Rick saying that the film was now complete and getting ready for its world premier. Not only that, but he asked if I would like a super sneaky preview of the film from a super secret online source? Of course I damn well would!

Before I share my thoughts on the completed Patient 62, let me refresh (or inform) your memory of the plot;

"On poor terms with his sister, Angela since their father’s death, Lucas Chase is hesitant to believe that she has been taken against her will until he learns their mother suffers from the same strange dreams of her abduction that Lucas himself has been having. Unsure of the meaning of it all, Lucas enlists the help of Angela’s ex boyfriend, Dennis, and the two set out to poke around the strip club she worked at. 

The trail leads them to a drug manufacturing plant where Lucas witnesses the murder of a chemist, and accidentally comes in contact with the substance the chemist was manufacturing. Lucas soon comes to realize that the drug has given him newfound telekinetic abilities which he struggles to control as he searches for his sister in an ever-changing web of human trafficking and experimentation."

I know for a fact that this whole project has been something of Rick's labour of love for going on three years now and I'm so happy for him to be able to say that Patient 62 has been well worth the wait.

The plot of  Patient 62 is fairly straightforward: Boy has sister...........boy doesn't like sister working in a strip club.......... girl disappears .........boy has freaky dreams about sister......... boy learns sister has been nabbed by a chemist messing around with genes .............. things don't quite go so well for one of them........... boy develops telekinetic powers and kicks some bad guy ass. Ahhh, we've all been there........

This is a film that in some ways took me by surprise as it takes a real-world hot topic such as genetic manipulation and wraps it up in a story of relatable family strife and all fused with a tasty action sci-fi adventure. All too often these types of films serve only to spoil the experience by being overly unrealistic and fantastical way beyond the productions limited means, thankfully this film doesn't fall into that trap.

Another undoubted strength of the movie are the central performances of Reece Wagner (Lucas) and Andrew Valdez (Dennis). If you add to that a strong supporting cast taken from the local theatre committee the makers have avoided something that occasionally detracts from an indie film such as this poorly acted set-pieces. No, here we have a well acted production with no real weak acting links. If you add to that a fine pacy script with a number of witty exchanges of dialogue throughout, plus some inspired special effects, lighting and editing which belies the films low budget you have a package that should not fail. I'm sure it won't.

If all that wasn't enough then I could add that there are a number of gorgeous sexy women inhabiting the aforementioned strip club - however I'm far too much of a gentleman to mention that..........

What we have in Patient 62 is a genuinely enjoyable and exciting sci-fi action film and a thoroughly enjoyable movie experience.

The world premiere  for Patient 62 takes place in Corona California will be at 4:30 on Friday, Oct 7

You can find out more about Patient 62 at the website http://factoryfactoryentertainment.com

This article can also be found via the 5D website www.5d-blog.com. There you can find a veritable feast of blog articles, news items, pictures and and other mouth-watering salutations to the gods of the geeks and the nerds. We have now inherited the earth, you know.

There is also a newly launched forum on the website designed for ANYONE involved or interested in the Independent film industry related to genres of Sci-Fi, fantasy and horror. Feel free to register and contribute - Everyone is welcome!

In addition the 5D website now has PayPal Donate button. Any donations kindly made will be fed directly back to help with a podcast materials, competition prizes and other general costs etc. If you wish to contribute to the exciting growth of the website & blog then we here at 5D headquarters would be eternally grateful. If you would like your contribution to be acknowledged publicly then simply send a message via the website’s contact section and we’ll send you some love!

If all that was enough to entice to 5D land, should any of you fine people out there wish to advertise on the 5D website then have a look at the offer below.