Shell Shock (1964)
* 1/2 (out of 4)
Set during WWII, Rance (Beach Dickerson) loses out on a promotion and is outraged that someone under him, Johnny (Carl Crow) gets a metal for bravery. After an event in the field has Johnny freaking out, Rance decides to try and prove that he's actually a coward.
Director John Hayes would later make GRAVE OF THE VAMPIRE, which is probably the film he will always be remembered for. He made several exploitation pictures in his time and those films are better remembered than SHELL SHOCK. This film is a pretty boring one and that keeps it from reaching any sort of entertainment but at the same time I can at least tip my hat to the director for at least trying to do soemthing different.
The movie is trying to take a look at battle fatigue and the impact that war can have on someone's mind. All of that is well-understood but sadly the film just doesn't capture any of that for a number of reasons. For starters, the budget is so low that it's obvious they are shooting in California and this hurts the picture. What hurts it even worse is that everyone, whether they are American or Germany, are being played by American actors. Realism is certainly taken away.
Dickerson is decent enough in his role and it's nice seeing him in the lead. Many of the supporting performances are a bit below par. The film also suffers from being way too slow and the story just never comes to life or grabs your attention. SHELL SHOCK might have had its heart in the right place but the end result is a mess.
* 1/2 (out of 4)
Set during WWII, Rance (Beach Dickerson) loses out on a promotion and is outraged that someone under him, Johnny (Carl Crow) gets a metal for bravery. After an event in the field has Johnny freaking out, Rance decides to try and prove that he's actually a coward.
Director John Hayes would later make GRAVE OF THE VAMPIRE, which is probably the film he will always be remembered for. He made several exploitation pictures in his time and those films are better remembered than SHELL SHOCK. This film is a pretty boring one and that keeps it from reaching any sort of entertainment but at the same time I can at least tip my hat to the director for at least trying to do soemthing different.
The movie is trying to take a look at battle fatigue and the impact that war can have on someone's mind. All of that is well-understood but sadly the film just doesn't capture any of that for a number of reasons. For starters, the budget is so low that it's obvious they are shooting in California and this hurts the picture. What hurts it even worse is that everyone, whether they are American or Germany, are being played by American actors. Realism is certainly taken away.
Dickerson is decent enough in his role and it's nice seeing him in the lead. Many of the supporting performances are a bit below par. The film also suffers from being way too slow and the story just never comes to life or grabs your attention. SHELL SHOCK might have had its heart in the right place but the end result is a mess.