Assault on Precinct 13: John Carpenter film gets 4K restoration and returns to theatres

Earlier this month, a 4K restoration of director John Carpenter‘s 1976 action thriller classic Assault on Precinct 13 played at the Globe Cinema in Calgary for three days. Now the 4K restoration is set to reach more theatres across the U.S. and Canada, rolling out over the next two months! The American Genre Film Archive is responsible for this 4K theatrical re-release, and the company’s theatrical director Bret Berg had this to say about it: “It’s an honor to represent Carpenter’s legacy, given how much personal joy his work has created for us. When it’s something as iconic as Precinct 13 – akin to the heartstopping majesty of Halloween – we’re driven to get this taut masterwork in front of as many audiences as we can. Big thanks to the CKK Corporation for shepherding this new restoration.”

Written and directed by Carpenter, Assault on Precinct 13 combines the template of Night of the Living Dead with the spirit of Rio Bravo to forge a movie like no other. The story follows a group of police offers (including the mighty Austin Stoker) and convicts as they join forces inside a soon-to-be-closed L.A. police station. The reason? They must defend themselves against Street Thunder, a vicious gang who have taken a blood oath to kill someone trapped inside the precinct. Combining gritty action with arthouse style, Assault on Precinct 13 features powerful Cinemascope compositions, a pulsing synth score, and an immersive mood that only Carpenter can deliver.

Austin Stoker is joined in the cast by Darwin Joston, Laurie Zimmer, Martin West, Tony Burton, Charles Cyphers, Nancy Loomis, Peter Bruni, John J. Fox, Marc Ross, Alan Koss, Henry Brandon, Kim Richards, Frank Doubleday, Gilbert De La Pena, Peter Frankland, Al Nakauchi, James Johnson, and Gilman Rankin.

The 4K restoration of Assault on Precinct 13 will be screening at the following theatres:

week of 1/20 – Gateway Film Center / Columbus, OH
week of 1/20 – Screenland Armour / Kansas City, MO
week of 1/20 – Majestic Theaters Tempe / Phoenix, AZ
week of 1/20 – Music Box / Chicago, IL
week of 1/27 – The Beacon / Seattle, WA
week of 1/27 – Somerville Theater / Somerville, MA
week of 1/27 – Plaza Theater / Atlanta, GA
week of 1/27 – Charlotte Film Society / Charlotte, NC
1/22 – Digital Gym / San Diego, CA
1/26 – Crosstown Arts / Memphis, TN
starting 1/26 – Rio Theatre / Vancouver, BC
1/27 – 1/30 – Frida Cinema / Santa Ana, CA
1/29 – 2/1 – Metro Cinema / Edmonton, Canada
throughout Feb 2023 – Winnipeg Film Society / Winnipeg, Canada
2/3 – Charles Theater / Baltimore, MD
week of 2/3 – Alamo Drafthouse DTLA / Los Angeles, CA
week of 2/3 – Alamo Drafthouse Lower Manhattan / NYC
week of 2/3 – Alamo Drafthouse New Mission / San Francisco, CA
week of 2/3 – Alamo Drafthouse Park North / San Antonio, TX
week of 2/3 – Alamo Drafthouse Raleigh / Raleigh, NC
week of 2/3 – Alamo Drafthouse Sloans Lake / Denver, CO
week of 2/3 – Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar / Austin, TX
week of 2/3 – Alamo Drafthouse Staten Island / NYC
week of 2/3 – Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers / Yonkers, NY
week of 2/3 – Mayfair Theater / Ottawa, ON
week of 2/3 – Hollywood Theater / Portland, OR
week of 2/3 – Cinema Arts Centre / Huntington, NY
2/6 – Nitehawk Prospect Park / NYC
2/17 – 2/18 – Late Nite Grindhouse / St. Louis, MO
2/25 – University of Wisconsin Cinematheque / Madison, WI
week of 3/10 – Ragtag Cinema / Columbia, MO
3/17 – 3/19 – Trylon Cinema / Minneapolis, MN

If you’re a theatre manager who would like to show Assault on Precinct 13 at your place, you can get in contact with the American Genre Film Archive HERE.

Will you be going to see the 4K restoration of Assault on Precinct 13 on the big screen? Let us know by leaving a comment below! It’s an awesome movie, I would love to see it in a theatre.