A sublime exploitation film with Hawskian dynamics, John Carpenter's
second outing is a great, punchy success in its tension and economy. As a
gang of anarchists (scarier than many of this director's more
supernatural monsters) besiege a defunct police station, the
mismatched group of people inside must use every available resource
for survival. Crisp, endlessly rewatchable and oddly beautiful, this
is top form for Carpenter as both director and composer.
