Combat Shock

Actors: Martin Blank, Jim Cooney, Mary Cristadoro, Tom Desantis, Rick Giovinazzo
Studio: TROMA ENTERTAINMENT INC.
Category: DVD

List Price: $9.95
Buy New: $5.25
You Save: $4.70 (47%)


New (22) Used (6) Collectible (2) from $4.49

Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars 22 reviews
Sales Rank: 39605

Format: Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: Unrated
Region: 0
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
DVD Layers: 1
DVD Sides: 1
Picture Format: Academy Ratio
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 85 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.2 x 0.6

MPN: D9980D
ISBN: 6305281289
UPC: 790357998036
EAN: 9786305281283
ASIN: 6305281289

Theatrical Release Date: May 14, 1986
Release Date: May 25, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Combat Shock

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Customer Reviews

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5 out of 5 stars Get troma-tized    October 28, 2007
C. Christopher Blackshere (blind to reality)
YES YES YES!!!!! A sick twisted tale for you freaks out there.
Disgruntled war veteran Frankie returns home from Vietnam, only to learn the war is not over. Only the battlefield has changed, instead of the jungle he struggles on the streets in New York.
His problems start at home. His wife nags, moans, complains, whines, fusses, gripes, grumbles, cries over everything. You can hardly blame her though, their apartment is in utter shambles. Not to mention they have no food or internet(haha)
Anyways, to top it all off, they have a deformed little mutant baby(Eraserhead-esque?) Frankie tries to get a job, gets mixed up with drug dealers, and his lifereally goes spiraling out of control.
Along the way there are some pretty horrific moments of murder, torture, drug use, pre-teen prostitution...quite a lovely little jaunt. It's pretty high up on the disturbia scale, if that's your thing.

I rented this, but have every intention of buying it if the price ever goes down. That $40 price tag is really disturbing.


4 out of 5 stars Depletion Depicted    July 12, 2007
Gerald R. Mitkowski (New York)
I have a fondness for low budget films. I also have a fondness for Staten Island. Here you would have a depiction of both, in theire most torrid state of depletion. That is, a film portraying the lowest, most bereft state of humanity. Seemingly, this work is done as well as humanly possible with the funds at hand. In it's basic from, it portrays an ex-VietNam vet who loses his marbles, goes bananas and does something really bad. Certain scenes made me squirm in hideous disgust. That's good. It worked. Right up there with "Plan 9" but 10 times more violent and depraved, this one is a classic.


4 out of 5 stars Very good action horror drama mix!    March 30, 2007
John Lindsey (Socorro, New Mexico USA.)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful

A former POW (Ricky Giovinazzo) has troubled memories of his past back in Vietnam, for now he's a family man with a nagging wife and deformed child in New York City. He searches for a job to support his family as he starts to work as a drug dealer with a gang if he can get the money that he owes them and one day he goes insane.

A disturbing, bleak and interesting action horror drama that mixes three genres into one strange yet very good movie and it's also a character study. It's truly one of Troma's most serious movies, the film does center around the tragic character and contains quite a dose of drug use and gore with shocking moments, this cult flick is one of the most underappreciated films of the three genres that i recommend.

The DVD has good picture with slight grain sometimes and good sound quality with fine extras like the theatrical trailer and trailers to other Troma flicks, audio commentary, an interactive tour of the Troma building, Troma intelligence test and Troma comic samples.

Also recommended: "Cannibal Apocalypse", "Saving Private Ryan", "Men Behind The Sun", "Hostel", "The Hills Have Eyes (1977 and 2006)", "Day of the Dead", "The Toxic Avenger", "Rambo Trilogy", "Commando", "Street Trash", "Basket Case", "Surf Nazis must Die", "Battle Royale", "Mother's Day", "Terror Firmer", "Empire of the Sun", "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2", "Kill Bill", "Black Hawk Down", "Apocalypse Now", "Full Metal Jacket", "Cabin Fever", "Henry: Portriat of a Serial Killer", "Cannibal Ferox", "Cemetery Man", "Freddy Vs. Jason", "Dawn of the Dead (1978 and 2004)" and "The Exterminator".


1 out of 5 stars BORING!!! waste of money!    February 10, 2007
Matt M. Fichter
1 out of 6 found this review helpful

o.k. first let me say I love crappy movies but COME ON! This movie is a total waste of time and money. It's an hour and a half of some skanky dude that can't act walking around New York. WOW! Then in the last 3 min's of the movie he kills his whole family and then himself. This movie has no point. If you want a cool TROMA movie stick to THE TOXIC AVENGER MOVIES.


4 out of 5 stars DEPRESSIVE AND DARK    February 8, 2006
Anton Ilinski (Moscow, Russia)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

"Combat Shock" is one of the most depressive movies I've seen. It's so pitch-dark and hopeless you physically begin to feel sick. The main character Frankie is a Vietnam vet who lives in a small flat near a railroad with his always-nagging wife and a mutant baby - because the troops in Vietnam were exposed to some chemical weapons. Frankie has no job, every day he just idly wanders the neighbourhood. His family lives in extreme poverty, they are about to be evicted, they have nothing to eat, and the mutant baby is crying all the way. God... When I was looking at that baby I wanted to turn off the film and watch some comedy instead. My mood was rotten for the next few days. But I was truly amazed by the movie in general. Shot on a very tight budget, it impresses like nothing else I've seen. I didn't have a chance to see other works of Buddy Giovinazzo, but he demonstrated immense talent in this feature. After such films you start to value your simple ordinary life and realise you're utterly happy.
"Combat Shock" is a one day in life of Frankie, and during this day he descends deeper and deeper morally and emotionally right before our eyes. The climax would be just insane, I nearly had a desire to take a bottle and get drunk - to forget the last hour and a half of my life. Now, looking at the movie with a fresh eye I understand it's one of those hidden gems everyone should get acquainted with - it's really different. And don't look it's a Troma team release - this is not a usual Troma presentation. I guess it's their best edition ever.