Combat Shock (1984)

A dangerously disturbed Vietnam veteran struggles with life 15 years after his return home, and slowly falls into insanity from his gritty urban lifestyle.

Director:

Buddy Giovinazzo

Writer:

Buddy Giovinazzo (as Buddy G)

Stars:

Rick Giovinazzo, Veronica Stork, Mitch Maglio

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rick Giovinazzo	...	Frankie Dunlan (as Ricky Giovinazzo)
Veronica Stork	...	Cathy Dunlan
Mitch Maglio	...	Paco - Gang Leader
Asaph Livni	...	Labo - Gang Member
Nick Nasta	...	Morbe - Gang Member
Michael Tierno	...	Mike - Junkie
Arthur Saunders	...	Pimp
Lori Labar	...	Lead Prostitute / Vietnamese Woman
Jim Cooney	...	Interogating GI
Ray Pinero	...	Welfare Worker
Leo Lunney	...	Frankie's Father
Eddie Pepitone	...	Terry - Strung-Out Junkie (as Ed Pepitone)
Martin Blank	...	Doctor
Bob Mireau	...	Security Guard
Tom Desantis	...	Man Behind Frankie

Storyline

Frankie is a war vet whose life sucks. He has no money, a nagging wife, junkie friends, and a deformed baby. This is the story of one day in his pathetic post-war life.

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Plot Keywords:

splatterpunk | heroin | syringe | iv drug use | baby in oven | 

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Taglines:

Fighting, killing, maiming. Agent Orange and the torture cages were the easy part!...

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Thriller | War

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The baby's voice is Buddy Giovinazzo's voice sped up and played backwards.

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Goofs

When Frankie inspects the revolver drum magazine after loading it, some of the cartridges have a dent in the primer made by a firing pin, meaning that they've already been fired.

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Quotes

Frankie Dunlan: I see it all so clearly now.

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Alternate Versions

The original DVD version released by Troma is missing several scenes, most notably the scene where Frankie drinks sour milk toward the beginning and several trims throughout the film, especially noticeable during the film's climax. These scenes were intact for the unrated Troma VHS release in the late 1990s, which is currently the only way to see the uncut version of the Troma theatrical edit. Buddy Giovinazzo confirmed that he did not sanction any of these edits in an interview with Troma fan webmaster Justin Channell in January 2004, though Troma president Lloyd Kaufman adamantly claimed there was no missing footage in an interview later that year. The same version of the "theatrical cut" is present on the 2-disc DVD edition released in 2009 (which also includes the full-length original "American Nightmares" cut), likely to allow the inclusion of the initial release's commentary track.

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Connections

Referenced in 42nd Street Memories: The Rise and Fall of America's Most Notorious Street (2015)

User Reviews

A gritty film about a Viet-Nam veteran who cannot adjust to civilian life.

Combat Shock (1986) was a low budget film about a battle scarred veteran who just cannot erase the memories of his horrific experinces in Viet-Nam. He's also having a hard time adjusting to civilian life. The economy is in the dumps and unemployment is at an all time high in his area. With a family to support and no hope, the surrounding environment and his family's fianancial problems begin to take a toll upon his sanity and well being.

Buddy Giovinazzo has created a grim and gritty look about life in the inner city and for those veterans who were one of the few to escape from the bloody jungles of Viet-Nam seemingly unscathed. But he has wounds that are not visible to the naked eye. Abandoned by society and the government that he served, he represents a lot of people who were ignored when they returned back to the "world".

I have to recommend this film for people who want to see a another side of life. One where people struggle to survive by preying on the weak. They can also bear witness to the life that surprisingly many Viet-Nam era veterans lived with when

their tour of duty and time with the military was completed. According to several interviews with the director, he has stated that he did a lot of research on the topic. A perfect companion piece to this film would be "Deadbeat by Dawn".

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site for the - anniversary DVD

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 May 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

American Nightmare

Filming Locations:

Port Richmond, Staten Island, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

2000 A.D. Productions, Troma Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min 97 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1