I saw this early 80s low-budget Canadian exploitation thriller virtually by accident: I saw a trailer and noticed some of its resemblance to John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13, complete with neon lighting, a synth-heavy score, and the concept of people trapped in a single location (for Carpenter's film, it was a police station, for Siege it's a small run-down apartment) terrorized by a violent street gang. That said, it was exactly my kind of nasty neon 80s thriller, and a criminally underrated gem of its time.
Every scene is so tense and atmospheric, down to the nighttime setting and claustrophobia from the single location. The neon-lit 80s vibe of the film is very reminiscent of The Terminator, or as mentioned before, John Carpenter's films. The pair of gritty, unpolished grainy cinematography, with an incredible synth score, this is exactly the kind of 80s thriller atmosphere I love. It takes a little while to get going, but when we get to the action sequences, it's an intense battle for survival. The story takes place in the midst of a police union strike, so you get no authority to trust as the survivors fend for themselves, as cops are way more concerned about the PD itself than actually protecting people.(ACAB). And the gang itself consists of random hoodlums, all extremely homophobic. The writers don't attempt to get you to sympathize with the gang in any way: they aren't overly scary and badass like in other action films and thrillers, there's no past trauma or Vietnam War subtext, they're just vicious bastards reveling in their far-right agenda. Their leader is an older mafioso, so they're just one part of the gang hierarchy, and they have a very QAnon-esque "New World Order" conspiracy theory to follow. It's scary how an early 80s Canadian B movie can still be relevant today.
I wouldn't say it's a perfect film, and it's not quite as great as Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13. Some of the acting is a little hammy coming from the gang members, excusable for a very low-budget movie, and the one main female character isn't too well-written: she doesn't get much to do until the finale, and not to give anything away, but her "final girl" moment is not completely satisfying. That said, this is a great, underrated gem of early 80s cinema that more people should see. I would recommend it highly to fans of colorful 80s films and the work of John Carpenter. Only this year it got re-released and restored in HD, so this really was a forgotten film for a while; let's be thankful that these formerly-forgotten films get the wider release and recognition they deserve.
I saw this early 80s low-budget Canadian exploitation thriller virtually by accident: I saw a trailer and noticed some of its resemblance to John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13, complete with neon lighting, a synth-heavy score, and the concept of people trapped in a single location (for Carpenter's film, it was a police station, for Siege it's a small run-down apartment) terrorized by a violent street gang. That said, it was exactly my kind of nasty neon 80s thriller, and a criminally underrated gem of its time.
Every scene is so tense and atmospheric, down to the nighttime setting and claustrophobia from the single location. The neon-lit 80s vibe of the film is very reminiscent of The Terminator, or as mentioned before, John Carpenter's films. The pair of gritty, unpolished grainy cinematography, with an incredible synth score, this is exactly the kind of 80s thriller atmosphere I love. It takes a little while to get going, but when we get to the action sequences, it's an intense battle for survival. The story takes place in the midst of a police union strike, so you get no authority to trust as the survivors fend for themselves, as cops are way more concerned about the PD itself than actually protecting people.(ACAB). And the gang itself consists of random hoodlums, all extremely homophobic. The writers don't attempt to get you to sympathize with the gang in any way: they aren't overly scary and badass like in other action films and thrillers, there's no past trauma or Vietnam War subtext, they're just vicious bastards reveling in their far-right agenda. Their leader is an older mafioso, so they're just one part of the gang hierarchy, and they have a very QAnon-esque "New World Order" conspiracy theory to follow. It's scary how an early 80s Canadian B movie can still be relevant today.
I wouldn't say it's a perfect film, and it's not quite as great as Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13. Some of the acting is a little hammy coming from the gang members, excusable for a very low-budget movie, and the one main female character isn't too well-written: she doesn't get much to do until the finale, and not to give anything away, but her "final girl" moment is not completely satisfying. That said, this is a great, underrated gem of early 80s cinema that more people should see. I would recommend it highly to fans of colorful 80s films and the work of John Carpenter. Only this year it got re-released and restored in HD, so this really was a forgotten film for a while; let's be thankful that these formerly-forgotten films get the wider release and recognition they deserve.
