Das Ende (1976)

Das Ende: Directed by John Carpenter. With Austin Stoker, Darwin Joston, Laurie Zimmer, Martin West. An unlikely partnership between a Highway Patrol Officer, two criminals and a station secretary is formed to defend a defunct Los Angeles precinct office against a siege by a bloodthirsty street gang.

“I long for the days when John Carpenter was ingenious enough to make such excellent films as his classics like Halloween, Escape From New York, and of course, The Thing. Heu0026#39;s gone way downhill since those glory days but thankfully he built himself enough of a legacy that the aforementioned films will be the oneu0026#39;s he is known for, along with a little film called Assault of Precinct 13. This is one of Carpenteru0026#39;s very first films, made back in 1976. It tells the story of a group of people holed up in a police station that is under siege by a ruthless South Los Angeles gang. It is a wicked film full of intense action, riveting suspense, and an incredible score written by Carpenter himself. It is a brief 90 minute flick that has a very low budget indie feel to it, but this only adds to the experience which makes this film into something truly remarkable.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eItu0026#39;s hard to place exactly why I love this film. It is one of those that seems like it shouldnu0026#39;t be nearly as enjoyable and excellent as it is. Thereu0026#39;s plenty of cheese and its a very small scale low budget flick that doesnu0026#39;t possess any kind of pizazz, no remarkable production value, and no big name stars to carry the film. But it might just be all of these things that combine to make this film so much fun and so incredibly compelling. Carpenter makes the most out of what little he has and makes a uniquely awesome film. Herein lies a style that you either love or hate. If you can stand low budget action then you should love this film, as I do. If you long for something bigger then chances are you wonu0026#39;t get much out of this. Itu0026#39;s a matter of personal preference, but my preferences make me enjoy this film almost too much.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSomething else that makes this film work is its overall tone. Itu0026#39;s a very serious and hard hitting film. It is brutal and unapologetic when it comes to the level of violence, and it doesnu0026#39;t hold back. The immense darkness of the film makes us believe in what we are seeing and draws us deep into the filmu0026#39;s driving emotion and sincerely intense action. This film is not satire, itu0026#39;s not a farce, itu0026#39;s not a parody. It is itu0026#39;s own type of film, managing to be utterly serious and absolutely wicked. This is a must see whether you are a John Carpenter fan or not.”