One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest 2-disc
02-22-03, 10:21 PM
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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest 2-disc
How is the 2-disc of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,the picture, extras, and all that. I just this movie for the first time last week and instantly saw why this is regarded as being such a classic film. So what are your thoughts on this dvd for this great film?
02-22-03, 11:28 PM
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I personally didn't like the film but here is a review from dvdfile.com
Originally released on DVD back in 1998, Warner has gone back to the original source elements and presents One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in a newly remastered 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. The effort appears to have been worth it, as the results are a noticeable improvement over all past home video versions of the film.
The previous DVD was marred by frequent patches of dirt and plenty of print blemishes, which have been largely cleaned up. Blacks are also much more solid, with less fading and contrast is sharper and consistent. The most noticeable improvements, however can be seen in the colors, which are more vibrant and clean and reveal new, subtle shadings in Haskell Wexler's cinematography, such as his delicate use of reds and green. Fleshtones are also improved, appearing more natural and with less of a tendency to veer towards the reds than on the previous DVD.
However, this transfer still reveals some limitations to the source material, namely a soft look and the occasional loss of fine detail. I also noticed a slight bit of edginess that indicates some form of edge enhancement may have been utilized, but it is quite minor. This has a very smooth film-like appearance, with no digital compression artifacts to mar the presentation. Any slight drawbacks aside, this is certainly the best this film has ever looked on home video - just check out the old film clips in the included documentary for proof on just how far we've come since the laserdisc days!
Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?
Featuring a new 5.1 Dolby surround track, this is a simple, understated sound mix that is not particularly aggressive but suits the film just fine. Sparse and minimal, the most pronounced elements are the dialogue, and composer Jack Nitzche's haunting score. Dynamic range is just average, with a dated, thin sound throughout that lacks warmth and depth. Thankfully, however, the elements have been cleaned up considerably compared to the old laserdisc, with little in the way of distracting hiss and dropouts, which renders dialogue clear and discernible throughout.
Despite the 5.1 encoding, this is not a very active mix. There is some localization of the score to the rears and few minor effects, but little in the way of real discrete action. Stereo separation among the front soundstage is fine, but imaging from front to back is weak, with the surrounds a bit distracting as they kick in only infrequently. Due to the limited recording technology of the time, the .1 LFE has little to do, and this soundtrack barely reaches any low frequencies at all. But for a film now 25 years old, this is a perfectly adequate mix. Given the subject matter, let's just be thankful for the lack of any sonic gimmicks or studio trickery.
Also included is a French mono track, English, French and Spanish subtitles, and English Closed Captions.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There?
At last, Warner has finally released a special edition of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, long one of their most requested titles on DVD. Laserdisc connoisseurs will likely already be familiar with the excellent Pioneer Laserdisc special edition released back in the mid-90's, which remains much beloved among fans. But instead of porting over the exact same contents, Warner has reconstituted those elements to create something both old and new at the same time. The experiment, however, isn't entirely successful.
First up is the screen-specific audio commentary, which takes the Milos Forman track from the original laserdisc and splices in previously recorded interviews with producers Michael Douglas and Saul Zaentz. Aside from Douglas being poorly recorded (background noise distracts throughout), this redone commentary is actually more informative and inclusive than the Forman solo track. Originally produced as a stage play with mixed results by Douglas' father Kirk, the road to the screen was long and often disastrous, and the four-month, isolated film shoot taxing and tension-filled. The best films seem to be born out of the most trying conditions, and this is a great story that's almost as fascinating as the film itself. Forman, Douglas and Zaentz are highly intelligent, articulate speakers, making this a must listen.
Also ported over from the previous laserdisc - sort of - is the "new" documentary The Making of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. The original laserdisc doc "Completely Cuckoo" ran almost 90 minutes and was produced and directed by Charles Kislyak; this abbreviated version runs 48-minutes, bears the credit "Based on the documentary Completely Cuckoo," and was produced by Jonathan Halperin and edited by Stephanie Mechura Challberg. For those unfamiliar with the original, this version will work just fine, but completists will likely be disappointed: with nearly 45 minutes now missing, essential background and many of the supporting players are largely absent, such as the poignant reflections from the real life workers at the Oregon State Hospital where the film was shot. Also odd are some of the editorial choices, as some of the interviews left in replicate the audio commentary almost precisely, which can get redundant. The pace may be improved, but at what cost to the emotional punch of the piece?
Yet even in "greatest hits" form, like the commentary the doc is still, in many ways, a breath of fresh air. Shot largely on film, it has a timeless, retro feel largely absent from most of today's glossy, shot-on-video productions. Adding to the vintage quality is another rarity, those enjoyable "recreations" of antecedents (Milos Forman was living at the Sunset Marquis? Cut to stock footage of bellboys welcoming us to the actual hotel!) and plenty of grainy behind-the-scenes footage and interviews. Participants include director Milos Forman, producers Saul Zaentz and Michael Douglas, screenwriter Bo Goldman, and actors Danny DeVito, Vincent Schiavelli, Christopher Lloyd and Oscar-winner Louise Fletcher. Now essentially a chronological overview of the production, most of the additional background on the film's troubled gestation and its ultimate Academy Award vindication - which so elevated Kislyak's piece above the standard making of - are sorely missed. But when taken as a whole with the commentary, it still rates as well above average, especially for those with no laserdisc player. Why Warner decided (or had to) edit down the documentary is anyone's guess, but at least we have a special edition of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest at all. (Warner has encoded the documentary with 13 chapter stops, although no subtitle or closed caption options are provided.)
Rounding out the package are 8 deleted scenes, accessible individually or via the "Play All" function. Oddly, the scenes are presented in anamorphic widescreen, but the 1.85:1 aspect ratio has been compressed vertically to 2.35:1. Very weird...everyone looks really fat! The quality of the scenes is also pretty splotchy, and no commentary or explanatory text is provided. Last but not least are the film's theatrical trailer in anamorphic widescreen, plus a pithy cast & crew and awards lists on disc one.
I would highly recommend it since it seems like it much better than the original release.
Originally released on DVD back in 1998, Warner has gone back to the original source elements and presents One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in a newly remastered 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. The effort appears to have been worth it, as the results are a noticeable improvement over all past home video versions of the film.
The previous DVD was marred by frequent patches of dirt and plenty of print blemishes, which have been largely cleaned up. Blacks are also much more solid, with less fading and contrast is sharper and consistent. The most noticeable improvements, however can be seen in the colors, which are more vibrant and clean and reveal new, subtle shadings in Haskell Wexler's cinematography, such as his delicate use of reds and green. Fleshtones are also improved, appearing more natural and with less of a tendency to veer towards the reds than on the previous DVD.
However, this transfer still reveals some limitations to the source material, namely a soft look and the occasional loss of fine detail. I also noticed a slight bit of edginess that indicates some form of edge enhancement may have been utilized, but it is quite minor. This has a very smooth film-like appearance, with no digital compression artifacts to mar the presentation. Any slight drawbacks aside, this is certainly the best this film has ever looked on home video - just check out the old film clips in the included documentary for proof on just how far we've come since the laserdisc days!
Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?
Featuring a new 5.1 Dolby surround track, this is a simple, understated sound mix that is not particularly aggressive but suits the film just fine. Sparse and minimal, the most pronounced elements are the dialogue, and composer Jack Nitzche's haunting score. Dynamic range is just average, with a dated, thin sound throughout that lacks warmth and depth. Thankfully, however, the elements have been cleaned up considerably compared to the old laserdisc, with little in the way of distracting hiss and dropouts, which renders dialogue clear and discernible throughout.
Despite the 5.1 encoding, this is not a very active mix. There is some localization of the score to the rears and few minor effects, but little in the way of real discrete action. Stereo separation among the front soundstage is fine, but imaging from front to back is weak, with the surrounds a bit distracting as they kick in only infrequently. Due to the limited recording technology of the time, the .1 LFE has little to do, and this soundtrack barely reaches any low frequencies at all. But for a film now 25 years old, this is a perfectly adequate mix. Given the subject matter, let's just be thankful for the lack of any sonic gimmicks or studio trickery.
Also included is a French mono track, English, French and Spanish subtitles, and English Closed Captions.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There?
At last, Warner has finally released a special edition of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, long one of their most requested titles on DVD. Laserdisc connoisseurs will likely already be familiar with the excellent Pioneer Laserdisc special edition released back in the mid-90's, which remains much beloved among fans. But instead of porting over the exact same contents, Warner has reconstituted those elements to create something both old and new at the same time. The experiment, however, isn't entirely successful.
First up is the screen-specific audio commentary, which takes the Milos Forman track from the original laserdisc and splices in previously recorded interviews with producers Michael Douglas and Saul Zaentz. Aside from Douglas being poorly recorded (background noise distracts throughout), this redone commentary is actually more informative and inclusive than the Forman solo track. Originally produced as a stage play with mixed results by Douglas' father Kirk, the road to the screen was long and often disastrous, and the four-month, isolated film shoot taxing and tension-filled. The best films seem to be born out of the most trying conditions, and this is a great story that's almost as fascinating as the film itself. Forman, Douglas and Zaentz are highly intelligent, articulate speakers, making this a must listen.
Also ported over from the previous laserdisc - sort of - is the "new" documentary The Making of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. The original laserdisc doc "Completely Cuckoo" ran almost 90 minutes and was produced and directed by Charles Kislyak; this abbreviated version runs 48-minutes, bears the credit "Based on the documentary Completely Cuckoo," and was produced by Jonathan Halperin and edited by Stephanie Mechura Challberg. For those unfamiliar with the original, this version will work just fine, but completists will likely be disappointed: with nearly 45 minutes now missing, essential background and many of the supporting players are largely absent, such as the poignant reflections from the real life workers at the Oregon State Hospital where the film was shot. Also odd are some of the editorial choices, as some of the interviews left in replicate the audio commentary almost precisely, which can get redundant. The pace may be improved, but at what cost to the emotional punch of the piece?
Yet even in "greatest hits" form, like the commentary the doc is still, in many ways, a breath of fresh air. Shot largely on film, it has a timeless, retro feel largely absent from most of today's glossy, shot-on-video productions. Adding to the vintage quality is another rarity, those enjoyable "recreations" of antecedents (Milos Forman was living at the Sunset Marquis? Cut to stock footage of bellboys welcoming us to the actual hotel!) and plenty of grainy behind-the-scenes footage and interviews. Participants include director Milos Forman, producers Saul Zaentz and Michael Douglas, screenwriter Bo Goldman, and actors Danny DeVito, Vincent Schiavelli, Christopher Lloyd and Oscar-winner Louise Fletcher. Now essentially a chronological overview of the production, most of the additional background on the film's troubled gestation and its ultimate Academy Award vindication - which so elevated Kislyak's piece above the standard making of - are sorely missed. But when taken as a whole with the commentary, it still rates as well above average, especially for those with no laserdisc player. Why Warner decided (or had to) edit down the documentary is anyone's guess, but at least we have a special edition of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest at all. (Warner has encoded the documentary with 13 chapter stops, although no subtitle or closed caption options are provided.)
Rounding out the package are 8 deleted scenes, accessible individually or via the "Play All" function. Oddly, the scenes are presented in anamorphic widescreen, but the 1.85:1 aspect ratio has been compressed vertically to 2.35:1. Very weird...everyone looks really fat! The quality of the scenes is also pretty splotchy, and no commentary or explanatory text is provided. Last but not least are the film's theatrical trailer in anamorphic widescreen, plus a pithy cast & crew and awards lists on disc one.
I would highly recommend it since it seems like it much better than the original release.
02-26-03, 12:37 PM
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I just finished viewing both 2 discs and it is FANTASTIC. The transfer quality is amazing. No artifacts and vibrant colors (especially for a picture as old as this). The sound was great too... perfect for this dialogue-driven movie. The extras are plentiful. I enjoyed the deleted scenes and the "Making of" film is excellent. My only gripe: No Jack Nick. for any commentary or thoughts on the making of. 
Otherwise the set is perfect.
Otherwise the set is perfect.
02-28-03, 11:34 AM
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Decent film, excellent DVD. The original disc looked and sounded like crap, but the new one offers a serious improvement. Lotsa nice extras, too - very nice set...
http://www.dvdmg.com/cuckoosnestse.shtml
http://www.dvdmg.com/cuckoosnestse.shtml
