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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

 

directed by Milos Forman
USA 1975

 

The film version of Ken Kesey's novel, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, is perhaps the ultimate antihero movie of the 1970's. As R.P. McMurphy, Jack Nicholson delivers a performance as convincing as his character is irresistible. McMurphy is a merry trickster who does not adhere to anyone's rules but his own. He gets himself out of a penal work farm and into the easier pace of a mental institution by pretending to be crazy. When McMurphy challenges the authority of his ward's uberboss, Nurse Ratched, it is only a matter of time before he learns that the system is far more powerful than he or the audience imagined.

Cuckoo's Nest was released the same year as Jaws. It was the beginning of an era of the blockbuster movies that also marked the end of an experimental decade of character driven films that often focused on a lone protagonist trying to make their way in a hostile world. Many in the cast of then unknown actors such as Danny Devito, Christopher Lloyd and Brad Dourif would go on to become recognizable faces in movies and television. It would also firmly establish Jack Nicholson as one of the top film actors of his generation. In more ways than one this is a true classic.

Highly recommended!

Excerpt from Dragan Antulov's review located HERE

 

Posters

 

 

Theatrical Release: November 19, 1975 (USA)

Reviews                                                               More Reviews                                                            DVD Reviews

 

Comparison:

Warner (original) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Warner - Region FREE - Blu-ray

(Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Warner - REGION FREE - Blu-ray - RIGHT)

Box Covers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Distribution

Warner

Region 1 - NTSC

Warner - REGION FREE Blu-ray
Runtime 2:13:16 2:13:42
Video

1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 6.10 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1.78:1 Aspect Ratio 
Single-layered (25 Gig) 1080P, VC-1 encode

Audio English (2.0 Dolby Digital), Frenc (2.0 Dolby Digital)

English: Dolby Digital 5.1, DUBs: French: Dolby Digital Mono, Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono, German: Dolby Digital Mono, Italian: Dolby Digital Mono 

Subtitles English, French, Spanish, none English SDH, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, none
Features Release Information:
Studio: Warner

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen letterboxed - 1.85:1

Edition Details:
• text bios etc.

• Pan and scan version on the opposite side of the single-layered disc

DVD Release Date:
December 17th, 1997
Snapper Case

Chapters 33

Release Information:
Studio: Warner

Aspect Ratio:
Original - 1.78:1

1080P Single-layered, VC-1 encode

Edition Details:
• Audio Commentary by Director Milos Forman, Producers Michael Douglas and Saul Zaentz
• Behind the Scenes Documentary The Making of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
• Additional Scenes (about 2 minutes each)
• Theatrical Trailer

 

DVD Release Date: July 15th, 2008
Book Style Custom Blu-ray case (see photo)

Chapters 34

 

 

 

Comments

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were obtained directly from the Blu-ray disc.

Well, a silly comparison maybe, but I included the original SD release side-by-side for a couple of reasons. A popular misconception is that I own all commercially produced DVDs - but, in fact, I do not own the Two-Disc Special Edition of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest released in September 2002 - wonderfully reviewed by fellow Beaver-ite Gregg Ferencz HERE. Secondly, I thought it might be interesting to see how far home theater software presentations have come in a little over a decade.

Firstly, it's not that I don't appreciate it, but the custom book-style case (see image below) that the Blu-ray comes in makes it even more awkward for the shelving although it is only marginally taller than a standard Blu-ray case. the book attached to the case is quite nice though with wonderful photos and the some reviews, introduction and bios of the director and some cast.

Let's get the dismissal of the original snapper cased release from 1997 out of the way. We can see it is cropped, pictureboxed, vertically compressed a shade, has damage marks, chroma visible, non-anamorphic, colors pale and washed-out and it is a fraction of the resolution of the Blu-ray.

The Blu-ray however is not perfect. There is some existing noise. I suspect the single-layering - the film actually takes up about 17 Gig - may have created a similarly produced image from being dual-layered. This would be due to the original source elements (the film is 33 years old!). Obviously, in comparison to the original SD it has had some heavy cleaning and colors are brighter, skin-tones more true - detail far in advance of anything we have seen from this film on home video. Contrast is also top notch - whiter whites and pitch black levels. Yes, the image is very clean, and I suspect it looks about as good as it can on this new medium. It comes to life a bit in this new format. Visually, I was very pleased although it is not of modern cinema transfer standard with striking brilliance.

The 5.1 channel audio is competent but rarely shows any pronounced separations. It's clear and supports the dialogue very consistently. There are some mono DUBs and the Blu-ray offers a host of subtitle options preparing this for world-wide sales (it is REGION FREE!).

The supplements are duplicated from the SE and I'll quote Gregg - "A commentary from Milos Forman brought over from the Pioneer Special Edition laserdisc and spliced in previously recorded interviews with producers Michael Douglas and Saul Zaentz is well worth the time. The eight unused scenes are presented in letterboxed 4:3 and are a nice addition, particularly the extended sequence between McMurphy and Dr. Spivey. The 47 minute making of documentary is an edited version of the 86 minute Charles Kiselyak film, Completely Cuckoo, which was also on the aforementioned laserdisc and focused as much on Ken Kesey's role as the author of the book on which the film is based as on the movie. The present version focuses solely on the movie and eliminates all the Kesey footage." None of the Blu-ray extras are in HD.

I felt like I was watching a 35 mm print in my basement when I viewed this Blu-ray. Due to the source print the presentation had a real earthy quality that seem totally appropriate for the film. It looked as good as I have ever seen One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. It is as powerful as ever. I wonder what we'll be saying 10 more years from now?   

 -Gary Tooze


Blu-ray package

 

 

DVD Menus
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Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Warner - REGION FREE - Blu-ray - RIGHT)
 

 

 

Screen Captures

(Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Warner - REGION FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM)

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

 


(Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Warner - REGION FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM).

 

 


(Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Warner - REGION FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM)

 

 


(Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Warner - REGION FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM)

 

 


(Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Warner - REGION FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM)

 

 


(Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Warner - REGION FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM)

 


(Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Warner - REGION FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM)

 

 

 


(Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Warner - REGION FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM)

 

 


(Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Warner - REGION FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM)

 

 


(Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Warner - REGION FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM)

 


(Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Warner - REGION FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM)

 


 

Report Card:

 

Image:

Blu-ray

Sound:

Blu-ray

Extras: Blu-ray
Menu: Blu-ray

 
DVD Box Covers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Distribution

Warner

Region 1 - NTSC

Warner - REGION FREE Blu-ray


 





 

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Gary Tooze

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