ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13

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JOHN CARPENTER: THE SHAPE OF DREAD, PART I

ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 came out of nowhere in 1976 and hit like a brick. John Carpenter was twenty-seven years old, working with a hundred thousand dollars and a crew that could fit in a single room, trying to make a siege film that felt as visceral and relentless as the Hollywood pictures he grew up on. It's the film that announced a major filmmaking voice — and the one we're starting with as we kick off John Carpenter: The Shape of Dread, our deep dive into the career of one of genre cinema's most singular directors. We cover the full production history of Carpenter's breakthrough — how a rundown police station in Venice, California became one of the most efficiently terrifying locations in independent cinema, and how a young director with almost nothing to work with proved that momentum and craft can outrun any budget.

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PART 1:

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Part 2:

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Credits

Directed by John Carpenter
Written by John Carpenter
Starring Austin Stoker | Darwin Joston | Laurie Zimmer
Music by John Carpenter
Cinematography by Douglas Knapp
Edited by John Carpenter

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Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne & Justin Bishop.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

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