antoniocasaca123 I just saw the movie and still do not know what to think. It's an uncomfortable movie, no doubt nothing is "light" in the film. The scenes with the crazy 3 who witnessed the murder leading our protagonist to the mentally ill hospital are very well done. The Negro to repudiate his race and to wear the "uniform" of the Ku Klux Klan is a scene that he does not forget. On the one hand, this film is more disturbing than the Oscar-nominated "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest", made 12 years later. On the other hand, there are certain scenes of the film that seemed to me that they did not have the proper sequence, as for example the protagonist begins to convince that his girlfriend is his sister. Well, the film does not leave us indifferent, not at all, and this is already a great merit. From Samuel Fuller, I had seen "the big red one" and "the white dog", films that I liked a lot. This also I think I liked, but I'm still "absorbing" the movie.

zardoz-13 "Naked Kiss" writer & director Sam Fuller's stark melodrama about a single-minded newspaper journalist who poses as a mental patient to expose a murderer is unforgettable. Mind you, you may experience a little Catatonic schizophrenia after watching this gripping mystery thriller. Reportedly, Fuller lensed "Shock Corridor" in ten days, and he plunges us into a psycho ward and all the ways that modern medicine had of helping the unhinged. The gallery of unusual characters that our protagonist encounters in this 101 minute masterpiece is stunning in its diversity. The cast is good, especially James Best of "Dukes of Hazzard" fame. Foremost, the African-American inmate (Hari Rhodes) who believes that he belongs to the Klu Kux Klan is truly memorable. The first time that we see him, he is carrying around a protest sign with the N-word on it. Undoubtedly, this was a controversial role to take at the time. You can see a laundry list of social ills as well as issues addressed in this opus. Ultimately, the beauty of this film lies in its utter simplicity. The surprise ending is the stuff that genuine horror chillers are made, but savvy viewers may be a step ahead of Fuller as he weaves his intricate tale with lots of symbolism and commentary to its inevitable conclusion. Aside from an office at a newspaper and back stage at a burlesque theater, "Shock Corridor" takes place entirely in a mental ward, primarily on the so-called 'street' or shock corridor where the patients hang out during the day when they are not confined to their rooms. Presumably, Fuller pared down the production budget to absolute essentials and the film has a bare-bones, efficient look. Nothing about "Shock Corridor" is remotely glamorous. This isn't an easy film to watch because it is so brutal. Of course, although it was produced back in 1963, the film still manages to pack a wallop.Newspaper reporter Johnny Barrett (Peter Breck of ABC-TV's "The Big Valley") wants desperately to win a Pulitzer Prize, and he convinces everybody including his newspaper editor than he can masquerade as a nut-job and uncover the killer that the police could not find. Johnny's beautiful stripper girlfriend, Cathy (Constance Towers of "The Horse Soldiers"), is against the scheme. She doesn't like it because she thinks that Johnny will lose his mind while he is in the facility. Sure enough, nobody listens to her. Meanwhile, against her better judgment, she cooperates with Johnny and the newspaper. She informs the authorities that she is really Johnny's sister and that he has been harassing him about sex. Once the medical experts get their hands on Johnny, he has to survive only the electro-shock therapy that they dole out to him but also the loonies in the ward. Johnny struggles daily to extract the information from his fellow inmates. At one point, no doubt to give the picture dimension, Fuller stages an assault in the nympho ward where our hero tries to escape and finds himself mobbed by a group of desperate dames. Primarily, Johnny associates as possible with the patients who were present in the room when the other patient was killed."Shock Corridor" is unrelenting stuff! The irony is evident throughout.

wes-connors Hoping to win a "Pulitzer Prize" for his efforts, ambitious reporter Peter Breck (as John "Johnny" Barrett) goes undercover as an inmate in an "insane asylum." His attractive blonde girlfriend Constance Towers (as Cathy) agrees to pose as Mr. Breck's sister. Their story involves Breck making violent incestuous advances, deep-rooted in a fetish for Ms. Towers' braids. Breck's mission is to meet and interview three lunatics who witnessed a murder in the asylum, but have been unable to reveal the killer's identity. First up is stressed-out Korean War veteran James Best (as Stuart), who thinks he's a Confederate general in the Civil War. Next, Breck befriends Black riot leader Hari Rhodes (as Trent), who organizes Ku Klux Klan raids in the corridor. Last clues are provided by nuclear bomb genius Gene Evans (as Boden), who would rather be coloring with his crayons. It soon becomes apparent that Breck may have to risk his own sanity to solve the crime...This insane story was written, produced and directed by Sam Fuller. While the depiction of sanitarium and staff may be slightly off kilter, it hardly matters. The characters are a reflection of the "diverse" United States, with characters representing past, present and future. Women are portrayed with singular purpose, but are ultimately worth as much as anyone on screen. Other memorable characters include smooth-talking psychiatrist Philip Ahn (as Fong) and overweight opera singer Larry Tucker (as Pagliacci). Color stock footage looks like color stock footage, unfortunately, and a certain stripper would have made a better impression visiting Breck's bed later in the running time. Yet, the smallish budget gives it an edge, and highlights an imaginary thunderstorm. Small flaws do not detract from the "Shock Corridor" viewing experience as Mr. Fuller plays with your mind. He shows where American journalism is going – if it isn't already there.******** Shock Corridor (9/11/63) Samuel Fuller ~ Peter Breck, Constance Towers, James Best, Hari Rhodes

nsll Sam Fuller isn't for everyone, but if you can tolerate writing and performances that are way over the top and don't even attempt to be realistic - i.e. melodrama in the extreme, then Fuller may delight you as much as he does me. Shock Corridor is his hands down masterpiece and for me one of the greatest films ever made. Though the first 10 min are terribly wordy and slow once underway it is incredibly powerful. Its surreal structure and complex use of displaced sound and image were way ahead of its time (pre 8 1/2) and must have left the B movie audience it was meant for completely confused. The story I heard was that the final thunderstorm was shot on a stage that wasn't waterproofed and he left town for a while after the shot. I've seen it many times and always end feeling shaken and disturbed. Try to find a version that has the original dream scenes in color. Fullers trio of 1960's films - Underworld USA, Shock Corridor and The Naked Kiss are all brilliant Noir, powerful indictments of American society and pretty much over the top insane. Not to be missed.