Rating: R
Starring:
Jack Nicholson as R.P. McMurphy
Louise Fletcher as Nurse Ratched
Michael Berryman as Ellis
Peter Brocco as Col. Matterson
Dean R. Brooks as Dr. Spivey
Alonzo Brown as Miller
Scatman Crothers as Turkle
Mwako Cumbuka as Warren
Danny DeVito as Martini
William Duell as Jim Sefelt
Josip Elic as Bancini
Lan Fendors as Nurse Itsu
Nathan George as Washington
Ken Kenny as Beans Garfield
Mel Lambert as Harbor Master
Sydney Lassick as Charley Cheswick
Kay Lee as Night Supervisor
Christopher Lloyd as Taber
Dwight Marfield as Ellsworth
Ted Markland as Hap Arlich
Louisa Moritz as Rose
William Redfield as Harding
Philip Roth as Woolsey
Will Sampson as Chief Bromden
Mimi Sarkisian as Nurse Pilbow
Vincent Schiavelli as Fredrickson
Mews Small as Candy
Delos V. Smith Jr. as Scanlon
Tin Welch as Ruckley
Brad Dourif as Billy Bibbit
Directed by Milos Forman
Special Features:
“Includes the Original Theatrical Masterpiece with Commentary by Director Milos Forman, Producers Michael Douglas and Saul Zaentz Providing Scene-by-Scene Insight into the Creative Choices Made in Creating This Timeless Film Revealing Additional Scenes Theatrical Trailer
BONUS DISC WITH 2 MIND-EXPANDING EXTRAS:
First Time on DVD Completely Cuckoo, Comprehensive 87-Minute Retrospective in Its Full Original Length – Michael Douglas, Milos Forman and Ken Kesey Describe How a Movie Landmark Was Made with Actors and Real Patients in an Actual Mental Hospital
Asylum: An Empty Nest for the Mentally Ill? – Michael Douglas Explores the Shocking Parallels Between This Movie and the State of Mental Health Care Today
PLUS PRODUCTION COLLECTIBLES!
48-Page Commemorative Book
Reproduction of the Original Press Book
52-Card Deck of Cast-Inspired Playing Cards
4 Mini-Reproductions of Original Worldwide Theatrical Posters
Cast/Character Photo Cards”
Other Info:
Fullscreen (1.33:1)
DTS Surround Sound
French and Spanish Subtitles
Running Time: 133 Minutes
The Details:
The following is the official description of the film:
“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.”
“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” is rated R.
Mini-Review:
“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” is one of those movies I always intended to watch but never got around to viewing. I knew Jack Nicholson was in it and Nurse Ratched was evil, but that was about the extent of my knowledge on the film. I didn’t realize that a young Michael Douglas produced it. The story of how his father Kirk Douglas originally bought the rights and starred in the play was an interesting part of the bonus features. I also didn’t realize that it was Christopher Lloyd’s first film and that Danny DeVito, Brad Douriff, Scatman Crothers, and Vincent Schiavelli all starred in it. It was an eclectic cast and each brought their unique characters to life in a memorable way. I was also impressed with Jack Nicolson. His performance as a sane man driven mad by his environment was well done. You also see why Tim Burton considered him for the role of Joker in “Batman.” Every once in a while you see echoes of the character in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” Louise Fletcher was also memorable as Nurse Ratched. I expected her character to be more overtly evil than she was. Ratched’s tactics were more in the form of subtle mind games and control for power over the patients. She’s one of the most subtle villainesses in movie history.
If you’re an already established fan of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” then this collection is one you’re going to want to check out. It contains a packet of playing cards (not the X-rated ones from the film) featuring pictures of the cast. It also contains a “Patient File” with photos of the cast, a hardback book with a candid account of the making of the film, and postcards of the movie posters. On the DVD, there’s a full length documentary on the making of the movie. Like the book, it is quite candid about the battles between author Ken Kesey and the producers. Kesey also talks about how he was high on mescaline while writing parts of the book. You hear about all the actors that turned down roles, how they persuaded an actual mental hospital into letting them film there, and more. It’s an hour and a half long and features interviews with many of the cast and crew. Conspicuously absent are Jack Nicholson and Will Sampson who was likely dead at the time the documentary was filmed. Another bonus feature is “Asylum: An Empty Nest for the Mentally Ill?”. Michael Douglas talks about the filming of the movie more and they talk about the current state of mental hospitals in the US. Rounding out the bonus features are a few deleted scenes, trailers, and a commentary by the creators.
