Assault on Precinct 13 | Collector's Edition | Blu-ray

John Carpenter's first feature out of film school introduced the essential ingredients of his style from minute one. A musical hook creates an instantly memorable score, driving the tension for every second of this small cast, small setting action movie.

Essentially a chamber drama turned siege movie, Carpenter channels classic western filmmaking to tell the tale of a small band of police officers and convicts, forced to work together to fend off a gang invasion in urban LA. What's scarier than the marauding dispossessed? Teamwork.

Darwin Joston delivers the film's standout performance. But this is mostly all about style and tension. An excellently paced and produced low-budget thriller, that executes a simple premise with laser focus.