While the plot, following a police officer and a convicted murderer joining forces to defend a precinct against a mysterious gang of criminals, might sound simple – you would be fooled to think so. The film’s many layers, top acting performances, plot twists, tense atmosphere, superior directing, and unforgettable soundtrack have earned it a place amongst the best feature films in the 1970s, which is considered to be perhaps the most successful decade in contemporary US cinematography. Made on a ridiculously low budget by today’s standards, this action thriller by John Carpenter was not well received at the time of its release in 1976. Since then, however, it has become a genre classic, and rightfully so.
John Howard Carpenter rođen je 16. siječnja 1948. godine i tijekom uspješne filmske karijere dokazao se kao redatelj, producent, glumac, scenarist i skladatelj radeći s najvećim zvijezdama svog vremena i stvarajući nezaboravna djela filmske umjetnosti koja nadilaze žanrovski okvir. Njegov talent nije bio odmah prepoznat kod kritike i publike, ali je s vremenom stekao reputaciju majstora filmskog zanata filmovima Napad na policijsku stanicu (1976.), Noć vještica (1978.), Magla (1980.), New York 1999 (1981.), Stvor (1982.), Oni žive (1988.) i nizom drugih.