Rating: 
Summary: The waking nightmare of a Vietnam Vet
Review: "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.
Rating:
Summary: An underrated gem! Lynchian no-budget art!
Review: "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!
Rating:
Summary: An underrated gem! Lynchian no-budget art!
Review: "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!
Rating:
Summary: An excellent low budget shocker!
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Death Wish meets Eraserhead
Review: Combat Shock is a very low budget Vietnam Vet revenge flick in the Death Wish mold. It is both insightful in its presentation of a man bordering on madness and relentless once the madness takes control. The film has many disturbing images of violence as well as an agent orange infected baby, all graphically displayed. The DVD presentation is excellent and includes audio commentary by the director. This is the best feature of the DVD as it explores the intricacies of producing a decent film on virtually no budget. While I recommend this film, I am not sure if most will need to view it more than once, if at all. Buy at your own risk but try to see it once.
Rating:
Summary: Combat Shock
Review: Combat Shock is absolutely the greatest movie in the history of the world. this movie is right up there with Taxi Driver, Bad lands, Criminally Insane and the Sadist Etc. Combat Shock is better than the Dirty Dozen in its own special way. This movie is ten per cent war and ninety per cent madness.I like the way the star of this movie deals with thugs, his wife and baby.This movie is absolutely riviting.
Rating:
Summary: Good Movie
Review: Combat Shock is one of those movies you watch not because it's good. but because it is interesting. The story of a man's struggle with life after the Vietnam War, and what he cannot remember about what happened. When he starts remembering it changes his life. In conclusion I would like to say Combat Shock is the best movie I have seen about a man trying to cope with life after a war.
Rating:
Summary: Ugly, Depressing Art
Review: Despite some glaring flaws, Combat Shock is an unforgettable experience and possibly the best Troma product. Take Scorsese, Ferrara, Bunuel(in his 'realist' phase), stir them up in a sewer and you might get something like this suicide inducer. Shot on a used car budget in the wilds of New Jersey, this toxic little gem is widely considered the most depressing film ever made. I might not agree, but it's pretty damn bleak and uncompromising. The story concerns twin american bugaboos, poverty and the maltreatment of combat vets. The almost absurdly downbeat script pulls no punches. Considering half of all americans are three paychecks away from the protagonist's world, this will strike too close to home for some. Most won't enjoy this grimy, gory, spin down life's drain, but Combat Shock is the type of film that Hollywood could never produce. I, for one, wish Buddy Giovinazzo would make more movies.
Rating:
Summary: Ugly, Depressing Art
Review: Despite some glaring flaws, Combat Shock is an unforgettable experience and possibly the best Troma product. Take Scorsese, Ferrara, Bunuel(in his 'realist' phase), stir them up in a sewer and you might get something like this suicide inducer. Shot on a used car budget in the wilds of New Jersey, this toxic little gem is widely considered the most depressing film ever made. I might not agree, but it's pretty damn bleak and uncompromising. The story concerns twin american bugaboos, poverty and the maltreatment of combat vets. The almost absurdly downbeat script pulls no punches. Considering half of all americans are three paychecks away from the protagonist's world, this will strike too close to home for some. Most won't enjoy this grimy, gory, spin down life's drain, but Combat Shock is the type of film that Hollywood could never produce. I, for one, wish Buddy Giovinazzo would make more movies.
Rating:
Summary: The heart of darkness
Review: Forget Henry Winkler in HEROES, Jon Voight in COMING HOME, or Stallone in FIRST BLOOD. If any film released by the notorious schlock distributor Troma has a claim to art, this is it. I'm not kidding. This Vietnam-flashback psychodrama, probably the most savagely depressing film ever made, brings you inside the splintered mind of a 'Nam vet and never lets you out. (In the few scenes having nothing to do with him, we see guys even worse off than he is.) The film is best described as a cross between ERASERHEAD and the last two hours of THE DEER HUNTER. Frank Dunlan (Ricky Giovinazzo) has blocked out his painful memories of combat - captivity, torture, atrocity, the works - but they keep creeping up on him. Unskilled and unwashed, he can't hold a job. This annoys his wife Kathy (Veronica Stork), who must take care of their baby - which has been mutated by his exposure to Agent Orange. Frank spends his days standing on unemployment lines, avoiding loan sharks, and hanging out with heroin addicts. This is the best Harvey Keitel/Abel Ferrara movie they never made; if you appreciated BAD LIEUTENANT, you've got to see this. The last reel (if you're still with it by then) will leave you in a sickened stupor. Sometimes low-rent and amateurish, but it gets under your skin in ways that a more polished movie never could. The DVD includes often amusing commentary by director Buddy Giovinazzo, always eager to goof on his own movie; he's not one of those gasbags who go on and on about how brilliant their film is and what every scene signifies. NOT FOR EVERYONE! - but an unforgettable ride for those who feel that movies should be more than Tom Hanks acting cute.
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