Assault on Precinct 13 Blu-ray

Assault on Precinct 13

 (1976)

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller



This taut action flick from writer-director John Carpenter pits an understaffed police station against a bloodthirsty gang's angry horde gathering outside the precinct's walls. Before Carpenter hit pay dirt with slasher and sci-fi fare (Halloween, Escape from New York), he directed several low-budget, suspenseful thrillers. Assault on Precinct 13, co-starring Austin Stoker and Darwin Joston, is among his best.

For more details about Assault on Precinct 13 on Blu-ray, see the Assault on Precinct 13 Blu-ray Review

Starring: Austin Stoker, Gilbert De la Pena, Darwin Joston, Al Nakauchi, Laurie Zimmer
Director: John Carpenter

Assault on Precinct 13 Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


Assault on Precinct 13 is encoded using the AVC codec, with a bitrate that averages 20 MBPS. Considering the age of the film, and it’s low-budget roots, I expected a problematic transfer, and that is exactly what I witnessed in the first scene of the film. Thankfully, that is not the case throughout the feature. The opening sequence is set at night, with a camera following a group of six gang members down an alley. Detail was completely lost in the shadows, and you could see black splotches where the transfer was unable to render the various shades of black. After that initial sequence, the video quality takes a 180 degree turn, and looks incredible. Daytime scenes fair the best, with a high level of detail, excellent color saturation, and no visible artifacting or edge-enhancement. I’d expected to see more grain in a film of this age, so there may have been a touch of DNR applied to the picture, but even if that was the case, it did not create the waxy facial textures I’ve seen on other films that incorporated the controversial use of DNR. Night-time sequences don’t look as good as their day-time counterparts, but following the initial scene they are substantially better. There’s still a loss of shadow detail at night, and blacks could have been deeper. Contrast wavers from scene to scene, with some shots showing nice differentiation, and others appearing like a black sheet with only the brightest portions of the picture shining through. I don’t mean to be overly harsh on the video quality, since most of the problems I’m describing are likely present in the source material, and were simply not touched up for the remastering of this film. Bottom line, if you like the film enough to own it, you will not be disappointed by the transfer, and this is probably the best this film will ever look short of a complete frame by frame remastering.

One other thing worth mentioning, is an awful scene around the 55 minute mark of the film (screenshot #12). Black levels, contrast, colors, and detail all look subpar compared to the rest of the film. Fortunately, this scene is under a minute in length, so it shouldn’t detract from your overall viewing experience. Other than that scene, and the initial scene of the film, Assault on Precinct 13 on Blu-ray offers a nice upgrade over previous releases of the film.

Assault on Precinct 13 Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


In a welcomed move, Image has upgraded the original mono track to a lossless mix in DTS-HD MA 5.1, that should please original audio purists as well as those that favor the inclusion of a surround mix. When I say both camps should be happy, I’m referring to the lossless tracks ability to add a little spacial separation without muddling with the films mono roots. I’m not the type that feels every film should be remastered to offer a surround sound audio experience, but when a remaster can add heightened intensity to the viewing experience, while still staying true to the source material (by not tampering with volume levels or using hokey tricks to inappropriately simulate surround sound), I say go for it. Such is the case with Assault on Precinct 13. Dialogue is still front heavy, but the action sequences fill the room with effects that still sound appropriately dated (and admittedly cheesy at times), but add a greater feeling of immersion in the film. Beyond the use of surrounds, detail in the track is excellent, with every gunshot exhibiting the pop that filmgoers have been unable to fully appreciate since the film’s theatrical release. Carpenters trademark synthesizer music is a little bright and blaring at times, but again, I feel this is representative of what he was going for, and is accurately portrayed in the track. For those of you that still prefer the untampered original audio (which I can appreciate), Image has included the mono track in Dolby Digital 2.0. I spot checked the mono track with the lossless track, and I doubt purists will be upset with the track, though I found it to be a little bright, and somewhat less crisp than the lossless track.

Assault on Precinct 13 Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Image Brings More to Blu-ray - October 6, 2008

Assault on Precinct 13 Blu-ray, Forum Discussions

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