Oddly enough a mate and I were talking about that movie (and that scene) just last night.
It's always been a favourite of mine. I've often described it as a stripped down, urban version of Rio Bravo. It's quite an unsettling film in many ways.
That soundtrack too? Absolute minimalist electronic genius from Carpenter. Such an effective use of a slightly varying repetitive hook.
The remake was much better than I expected too, although as usual doesn't hold a candle to the Carpenter original.