Combat Shock (1986) 7/10

Over the years Troma has become synonymous with low-budget and cheesy, and well...crap. Although Combat Shock was distributed by Troma, it is neither cheesy nor crappy. It is low-budget but does alot with its little funding.

Combat Shock is about Frankie, who's come home from Vietnam a broken and jobless wreck. His wife gave birth to their first child but the child is horribly deformed from all chemicals Frankie was exposed to during the war. Most of the film takes place in a single day as Frankie braves the dangerous ghetto looking for work to feed his family.

Combat Shock was supposedly made for about $40,000 which is quite a feet considering the high action content found in the film. I'm sure most of the budget went straight to the film stock, it being made before the digital revolution. The film is bleak and gives a very jaded look at the life of the Vietnam veteran. Frankie gains no usable skills for civilian life and can only get manual labor work, work that's not available. The acting is pretty descent and the pacing is fairly quick as well. The most startling thing about the film is the environment in which it was shot. They actually shot in some anonymous ghetto out in New York and the streets are filled with debris, graffiti and long over grown grass. Its the perfect setting for the film. Sometimes its hard to believe that places that dilapidated and people that downtrodden exist here in the U.S. and its good to be reminded of how tough life can be.

Combat Shock is a powerful film that was made on a shoestring budget. Even though the budgetary shortcomings are obvious here, it doesn't detract from the all too real struggle that unfolds. Recommended.

Gore-mild

Nudity-none

Overall - 7/10