Frankie Dunlan returns from Vietnam to find his life a festering sewer of poverty, hopelessness and violence. His wife is pregnant and hungry, his one year old son is sick and horribly deformed from exposure to Agent Orange, to make matters worse, they're all being evicted from their run-down hell hole apartment. Frankie roams the streets looking for work but he's accosted by a street gang and beaten up, his family is threatened unless he pays back a debt long overdue. His childhood friend is a strungout junkie, aborted fetuses litter the alleys, underage prostitutes work the streets; the entire society has flushed itself down the toilet. Yet Frankie doesn't give up hope; maybe there's a job at the unemployment office, maybe his father will help; not a chance! At the end of the day Frankie goes home where his wife confronts him with the facts. She can't take it anymore and wants out. That's when Frankie has an inspiration, a way out of the horror. In a tender, warm hearted, feel-good story of justice and redemption, Frankie finally makes his peace.
Extras - Two cuts of the film - Original Never Before Seen Director’s Cut titled American Nightmares & Troma Theatrical Cut titled Combat Shock / Audio Commentary with director Buddy Giovinazzo and Jorg Buttgereit / 'Post Traumatic - An American Nightmare' Featurette / Rarely seen short works of Buddy Giovinazzo / New interview with Buddy Giovinazzo conducted by Lloyd Kaufman in Berlin / Hellscapes - A look at locations in Combat Shock as they appear today / Original press and still gallery / Original theatrical trailers
|
