Shock Corridor (1963)

Though he often worked within and outside the studio system, director Samuel Fuller was essentially banished from Hollywood after 1963's lurid Shock Corridor and 1964's Naked Kiss. Now widely recognized as one of his best films, Corridor is an uncompromising, idiosyncratic depiction of the seams that threaten to tear American apart. Fuller had worked as both a crime reporter and a pulp novelist, and he often translated the sensationalism of those fields to his movies. Corridor in particular featured extremely stylized direction, dialogue, and acting; at the time of the film's release, its anything-for-an-effect aesthetic struck some viewers as preposterous and inflammatory. French critics and filmmakers, however, embraced Fuller's unique style, and many notable filmmakers have since claimed Fuller as an influence, including Martin Scorsese, Jim Jarmusch, Wim Wenders, and Quentin Tarantino. ~ Brendon Hanley, All Movie Guide