Buddy Giovinazzo/ USA 1986/ 98 min/ 18
Not everyone has heard of Buddy Giovinazzo’s cult debut Combat Shock, originally entitled American Nightmares, a very low budget thriller chronicling the fate of a former soldier, struggling to come to terms with life in post-war America. But the film’s dark and frighteningly realistic portrayal of the loss of control through social and personal struggle is just one of the many reasons that the movie has not only survived but also remained intact following the infamous Grindhouse era.
Made in 1986, Giovinazzo’s first cut of Combat shock follows Vietnam veteran Frankie (Rick Giovinazzo) over the course of one day as he attempts to find work to support his wife Cathy (Veronica Stork) and severely deformed son. But soon Frankie realises that there is little help for a war veteran in 80s America, and resorts to a drastic methods in order to save his family from poverty.
Originally marketed as a Rambo-esque action movie by the film promoter, Combat Shock is a damning social commentary on the state of the welfare system, and the attitude towards returning Vietnam veterans in 20th century USA. Made in the years before the diagnosis and treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, the film takes a unwavering look into the mind of a psychologically damaged and emotionally drained young man, who fought hard to return home, only to find that the country he was fighting for, didn’t want anything to do with him. And it’s this sense of betrayal and dwindling support that drives the movie and makes it stand out from all the rest. Combat Shock’s message is one of hopelessness and anger, of shock and horror at the plight of an entire of generation of young men forced into poverty and, ultimately crime, in order to survive. Shocking and entirely original, this film deserves its billing as a cult classic.
- Showing as part of the FAB Fest @Filmhouse until 2nd May
- More details here