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Ghost Canyon

'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: Ultimate'
(Jack Nicholson, William Redfield, Brad Dourif, Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd, et al / 2-Disc DVD / NR / (1971) 2010 / Warner Bros.)

Overview: A nice rest in a state mental hospital beats a stretch in the pen,right? Randle P. McMurphy (Jack Nicholson), a free-spirited con with lightning in his veins and glib on his tongue, fakes insanity and moves in with what he calls the "nuts." Immediately, his contagious sense of disorder runs up against numbing routine. No way should guys pickled on sedatives shuffle around in bathrobes when the World Series is on. This means war! On one side is McMurphy. On the other is soft-spoken Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), among the most coldly monstrous villains in film history. At stake is the fate of every patient on the ward.

DVD Verdict: So I watched this gem of a two-disc, but boxed-bountifully with other goodies Collector's Edition last night and loved it more than the first time I viewed it probably five years ago! And, if you don't know, and before we begin, it swept all five major Academy Awards in 1975 (Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay) and was truly well deserved.

A crook manages to get off a work farm and sent to a mental institution for evaluation. R.P. McMurphy, played by Jack Nicholson endeavors to shake things up around the ward and show the men there that they aren't nearly as crazy as they think they are. Some of his shananigans include gambling, watching a fake world series game, hi-jacking a bus with inmates on it to go fishing, and sneaking girls and booze into the ward at night.

When he discovers that antagonizing Nurse Ratched, played by Louise Fletcher, could get him committed and only permit him to leave on her time instead of his own, he decides to plan an escape. The constant battle for control on the ward is very entertaining and at times heart breaking.

Jack Nicholson's energy and improvised antics never fail to entertain and engage your attention throughout. When he isn't performing for the others, he manages to be quite an sympathetic fellow trying to better the lives of people around him through his crude techniques. The Nurse is amazingly calm, strict, and has a never-ending tact for digging to the core of the patients' defenses to maintain control and keep them miserably docile. She rarely raises her voice and yet it's obvious she doesn't need to in order to get people to listen to her.

The supporting cast is also amazing featuring Danny DeVito and Christopher Lloyd among others. They deviate back and forth from being vacant, hysterical, and occasionally have sane moments that make them very human. In particular, the Chief (Will Sampson) who has convinced everyone that he is deaf and dumb goes on a journey back to communication and the real world with McMurphy's help. The ending is happy and tragic all at the same time, but I won't say why for those of you who haven't gotten to view it yet.

In conclusion, this is one of my favorite Jack Nicholson movies. The Collector's Edition has some nice goodies: a 52 page hard-bound book, reproduction of the original press book, a 52 card deck, 4 mini-reproduction of the original worldwide theatrical posters and 6 cast/character photos. A great package for a great movie that received 5 Academy Awards. This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.85:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs.

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