A dangerously disturbed Vietnam veteran struggles with life 15 years after his return home, and slowly falls into insanity from his gritty urban lifestyle.
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Title: Combat Shock (1984)
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Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Rick Giovinazzo | ... | Frankie Dunlan (as Ricky Giovinazzo) | |
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Veronica Stork | ... | Cathy Dunlan |
| Mitch Maglio | ... | Paco - Gang Leader | |
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Asaph Livni | ... | Labo - Gang Member |
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Nick Nasta | ... | Morbe - Gang Member |
| Michael Tierno | ... | Mike - Junkie | |
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Arthur Saunders | ... | Pimp |
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Lori Labar | ... | Lead Prostitute / Vietnamese Woman |
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Jim Cooney | ... | Interogating GI |
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Ray Pinero | ... | Welfare Worker |
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Leo Lunney | ... | Frankie's Father |
| Eddie Pepitone | ... | Terry - Strung-Out Junkie (as Ed Pepitone) | |
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Martin Blank | ... | Doctor |
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Bob Mireau | ... | Security Guard |
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Tom Desantis | ... | Man Behind Frankie |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
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. Written by Josh Pasnak <chainsaw@intouch.bc.ca>
Taglines:
Fighting, killing, maiming. Agent Orange and the torture cages were the easy part!...Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Edit
See more on IMDbPro »
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
14 May 1986 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
American Nightmare See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$40,000 (estimated)Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
| (director's cut)Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
Edit
Did You Know?
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. See more »Alternate Versions
Original theatrical version was called "American Nightmares" and is 100 minutes long. See more »
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If you want to see a very effective, considerably penniless drama filled with horror and despair you can't go past the Troma released "Combat Shock". Looking at the cover artwork, it doesn't do it any justice because it's far more than just an exploitative actioner but a thoughtfully raw and unsettling psychological character piece on the struggle to cope with the hardship of unflinching reality that faced Frankie a Vietnam Vet returning back to a decayed society that just doesn't care. It's a dog eat dog world. Other than the nightmares and flashbacks that plague his mind, he finds himself still battling a war and trying to survive along with his wife and baby son (which is a disturbing sight); only the jungle this time is in his own backyard. An urban jungle --- where pimps and thugs rule the nest. Nothing seems to go right, even when he tries it goes from bad to worse with no real luck and the powerfully downbeat finale is hard to wipe from your mind. It's as depressing as you can get, because the story actually gets your into this character's mindset making you feel every bit of pain and torture. There is some action and violence, but like I mentioned earlier it's more than just that. Ugly to look at with its seedy shot on locations, but the script emotionally unfolds slowly and remains captivating in its bleak intensity. Sometimes it might lull about with the spaced-out central character's aimless wandering, but it grimy edginess just sticks with you. Although the accompanying electronic score does amplify some oddly sounding cues. Performances are credible and Ricky Giovinazzo moodily solitude turn is picture-perfect as Frankie. Director/writer/producer Buddy Giovinazzo straight-up compact handling is tough and unsparing, making the production a true labour of love. Primitive, but challenging entertainment.
"I can't go home empty handed tonight"