Siege

"Today, their city. Tomorrow... yours!"

1983 1h 24m EN

😐

6.1

MID

⭐

6.6

IMDB

★6.1TMDB · 39★6.6IMDB · 1,364

ThrillerActionCrimeDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

During a police strike in Nova Scotia's capital city, a gang of hoodlums end up unintentionally causing the owner of a gay bar to be killed. This escalates into a string of murders with a lone survivor trying to not be next.

“Today, their city. Tomorrow... yours!”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Tom Nardini
Horatio
Brenda Bazinet
Barbara
Daryl Haney
Chester
Terry-David Després
Daniel
Jack Blum
Patrick
Keith Knight
Steve
Doug Lennox
Cabe
Jeff Pustil
Goose

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Paul Donovan
Writers: Paul Donovan
Languages: English
Countries: Canada

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

84 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

43 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Paul Donovan, shot by Les Krizsan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Peter Jermyn. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ian McBride shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Tom Nardini and Brenda Bazinet and Daryl Haney carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Today, their city. Tomorrow... yours!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0086276 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Paul Donovan directs. Les Krizsan behind the camera. Peter Jermyn scores. Ian McBride cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Canada. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

184 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
243 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Paul Donovan, shot by Les Krizsan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Peter Jermyn. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Ian McBride shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Tom Nardini and Brenda Bazinet and Daryl Haney carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Today, their city. Tomorrow... yours!".
8IMDB entry: tt0086276 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 39 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 8 themes, including "sniper", "escape", "chase", "assault".

The technical file

Cinematography: Les Krizsan
Original score: Peter Jermyn
Editing: Ian McBride
Production design: Malachi Salter
Makeup / hair: Carolyn Van Gurp
Runtime: 84 min · 1h 24m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Siege (1983)
IMDB rating: 6.6/10 · 1,364 votes
MPAA: R

Also by

Paul Donovan

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

GrindhouseDJ702018-04-17
★ 10/10
Overlooked classic grindhouse thriller... I first rented this out under the title Siege back in the 80s. This film needs an official release desperately. Cannot believe that it hasn't been done already. Siege motors along at a fast pace, no lulls, just scene upon scene of intense cat and mouse between a gang of murderous thugs and a group of people (in what looks like the most rundown n scuzziest building ever) who take in a survivor from the gangs previous assault. Shade of Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13 and a cheeky wink towards Escape From New York, the gang take on more than they bargain for when the ever resourceful victims strike back. Solid acting all round and a sucker punch of a twist at the end. This is a must see..! Classic grindhouse..! Trivia: The Japanese cut of the film has a further 7 minutes of 'daytime' footage which has never been released outside of Japan.
Chandler Danier2025-03-07
This movie is really cool. It's a gem you'd find on CBC late night when they'd sometimes show boobs in German incest movies. The sounds, siege, cars, unique city, costumes, 80s gay scare and wacky characters with technofuturetechnology make this a must see if you're into that stuff. If you want precise tactics, believable outcomes and a tight film, go away. You're not welcome to Self Defense/Siege.

Production companies