Product Description

In underground NYC director Buddy Giovinazzo’s disturbing, horrifying Combat Shock, a vet trades in the jungles of the Nam for an entirely different concrete jungle- The mean streets of New York! Exposure to torture cages destroyed his will. Agent Orange left him with a deformed child. With debts owed to vicious loan sharks, no job and no money, Frankie (Ricky Giovinazzo) wanders streets and alleyways filled with junkies, hoods, teenage prostitutes and brutality that makes war seem like recess. Combat Shock has been hailed as one of the top thirteen most disturbing movies by horror writer Stanley Waiter and this exclusive digitally mastered uncut DVD release will show you why. Nothing you have seen will prepare you for the terrifying desperation of Combat Shock. Features include an interview and commentary track by director Buddy Giovinazzo and outlaw German director Jorg Buttgereit (Nekromantik, Der Todesking).

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #76931 in DVD
• Released on: 1999-05-25
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 85 minutes

Review
Combines the New York City angst of Taxi Driver, the gritty nihilism of Fassbinder and the unfiltered dementia of Eraserhead...ONE OF THE GREAT CULT FILMS OF THE 1980s. --Shock Cinema

Review
Makes you want to slit your wrists --John McNaughton, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

Review
LIKE A BULLET TO TH HEAD...Giovinazzo's world is horrific and the movie's conclusion will never be forgotten. --Film Journal

Customer Reviews

An underrated gem! Inventive no-budget art!
"Combat Shock" is one of those rare microbudget films that has a lasting impact on its viewers. Originally titled, "American Nightmares", "Combat Shock" plays like a really grimy, amateurish version of "Eraserhead" with a little bit of "First Blood" and "Taxi Driver" thrown in. The commentary is extremely helpful, and Buddy went on to direct "No Way Home" with Tim Roth. If you're expecting an over-the-top satire Troma style, you're in for a surprise. The last 15 minutes of the movie may very well blow your mind. Also, the plotline predates "Jacob's Ladder", which is an almost exact word-for-word descendant of this sometimes cheesy, but mostly honest film of urban decay and psychopathy in the mind of a Vietnam vet. Lloyd, you sure know how to pick 'em! Buy the dvd and see what I mean. Remember, it is pretty shocking though, with that special graphic violence that will Tromatize you forever!

The waking nightmare of a Vietnam Vet
"Combat Shock" is more raw in terms of the emotional impact it has than other films in the same vein: "Platoon", "Jacob's Ladder". Which isn't to say it is better or even equals either of those films, but with a bit more of a budget and some of the cheesier aspects cut out, it very well could have.

The acting isn't exactly Oscar material but the mood the film creates is undeniable. Frankie, a Vietnam Veteran down on his luck in a major way, suffers from almost hourly flashbacks to his time in the war when he was tortured after his squad was killed (or did he kill them? this question is never answered definitively). Frankie wakes up from these nightmares to a living one: he is completely destitute of money, he has what seems to be a mutant baby (this element of the move is so whacked out--the baby looks like a miscarried ET--that you wonder if it's supposed to be funny or sickening; it's both), and a wife who constantly nags at him to call his father who he had a falling out with in order to obtain some money at least to feed his family.

Frankie is essentially a good guy, but this does not last very long. Constantly muscled by the neighborhood toughs who dress like they watched "The Karate Kid" one too many times, trying to help his deathly looking junkie friend Mike, and trying with no success to get a job, his mind slowly comes apart.

The thing is, it is never explained how Frankie all the sudden goes from being a solid guy (Rick Giovinazzo does turn in a fantastic performance here) to a homicidal maniac. The timing simply isn't right. He mugs a woman after an extremely rough day, massacres the thugs who have been tormenting him, kills his wife and bakes the baby/thing in the oven, treating himself to some rotten milk before blowing his head off. The movie is so believable up to this point that it is actually hard to watch.
There is not an ounce of hope in this film. Frankie is on a downward spiral from the time he wakes up till the time the movie ends and catches no breaks whatsoever.

This is not standard Troma fare, fortunately. This is undoubtedly the best movie they ever made, which wouldn't be saying much normally, but "Combat Shock" stands on it's own. If you're in the mood for an "Apocalypse Now" type film with a Grade Bish flavor, this is a must.

An excellent low budget shocker!
Boy, is this a downbeat movie. If you're looking for something redemptive, look elsewhere. From the opening Vietnam sequence full of gore to the sorrowful conclusion, Combat Shock is a nightmarish trip through a warren of haunting images and sounds.

Frankie came back from Vietnam and has had nothing but trouble. He has a deformed baby, a nagging woman, and no job. He is also in dutch with a loanshark. Frankie walks the desolate streets of the slums, wondering what he's going to do. He eventually explodes in a fit of despair and rage, resulting in some bloody and gory scenes.

What makes this movie so effective is the voiceovers and the flashbacks of Frankie. They are truly haunting and they give the film great atmosphere. So do the settings, especially Frankie's apartment, which is so gritty and sleazy looking that I felt like taking a shower after watching the movie. It's that sleazy!

This movie will bring you down, so don't watch it on a rainy day or if you're depressed. If you aren't exhausted at the end of the film, there might be something wrong with you. This is distributed by Troma, so look for some nifty trailers. Also, pay a little more and avoid the Extended Play tape.