The first film to shine a light inside a modern-day Bedlam, the Massachusetts State Hospital for the Criminally Insane — the sort of place that was once jokingly looked down upon as a “laughing academy” or “nuthouse.” It also marked documentarian Frederick Wiseman’s first crack at chronicling the brutalizing effects of American institutions on professionals and patients alike. It had been a good 45 years since a high-school film class introduced me to Wiseman’s debut, and I didn’t need a second screening to refresh the gallery of achingly unforgettable images that it impressed on my young brain. This movie helped to pave the way for the dozens of Eyewitness News/Geraldo-esque exposes that followed, but none could match the masterfully subtle manipulation or raw intensity of Wiseman’s viewpoint. It remains difficult to watch, but consider taking advantage of this rare revival of a master’s early work. (1967) — Scott Marks
This movie is not currently in theaters.