Combat Shock

Interesting film and a beautiful example that with Trom's works it wasn't just about the effects, but sometimes also about the content. True, this is not Kaufman's piece, so it's not as twisted. This is a very powerful spectacle about how war truly affects a person. Yes, it's a bit similar to "Jacob's Ladder," there are elements here from other similar films as well, but it doesn't matter at all because, thanks to its rawness, this is something a bit different and very intense. Plus, I probably won't be the only one who, thanks to the child and dysfunctional marriage, will be reminded of Lynch and his "Eraserhead". (26.05.2014)

Combat Shock is a horror drama reminiscent of a very sleazy and uncomfortable mix of The Deer Hunter and Eraserhead - with a bare plot, amateur actors, and bizarre eighties music. I would not label Troma's influence for that as Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman only got involved with Combat Shock during post-production, until then it was very much an independent movie. A sort of journey through the street-life charged with contemporary social criticism. The Vietnam war, poverty, prostitution, drugs, in other words, America in the “best” light. Where it is all heading is quite clear right from the beginning, yet with its rawness and authentically wretched setting, it can draw audiences in nicely. (04.04.2019)