One flew over the cuckoo's nest

SETTING: Mental institution, supposedly in Oregon.

RATED: R, DRAMA

QUOTES: McMurphy: Is that crazy enough for ya'? Want me to take a shit on the floor?

Young Psychiatrist: Have you ever heard of the old saying "a rolling stone gathers no moss?"
McMurphy: Yeah.
Young Psychiatrist: Does that mean something to you?
McMurphy: Uh... It's the same as "don't wash your dirty underwear in public."
Young Psychiatrist: I'm not sure I understand what you mean.
McMurphy: [smiling] I'm smarter than him, ain't I?
[laughs]
McMurphy: Well, that sort of has always meant, is, uh, it's hard for something to grow on something that's moving.

THOUGHTS: Well it has been quite a few years since I first heard of this film and just haven't gotten around to seeing  it. Now I have, what was I thinking to wait this long? Jack undoubtedly makes the part of McMurphy. The cast was utterly brilliant! this iconic film stars none other than: Christopher Lloyd, Danny DeVito, Brad Dourif, Anjelica Huston, Scatman Crothers, Louise Fletcher and of course Jack Nicholson.

SYNOPSIS: McMurphy, a man with several assault convictions to his name, finds himself in jail once again. This time, the charge is statutory rape when it turns out that his girlfriend had lied about being eighteen, and was, in fact, fifteen (or, as McMurphy puts it, "fifteen going on thirty-five"). Rather than spend his time in jail, he convinces the guards that he's crazy enough to need psychiatric care and is sent to a hospital. He fits in frighteningly well, and his different point of view actually begins to cause some of the patients to progress. Nurse Ratched becomes his personal cross to bear as his resistance to the hospital routine gets on her nerves.

CONCLUSION: This film, (if one cares) is riddled with off color words, but in my eyes it only adds to the attempt at reality. McMurphy seemingly the Gemini if you will, to our "civilized" side, creates a feeling of freedom from the "norm." A movie truly for the ages. A must see for those who like the "reality" of film.

MY RATING: 4 out of 5 for character creativity from the cast, screenplay and the use of in your face reality of the Mental Institutions of the 50's and 60's.

FILM FREAK CENTRAL: 4 out of 4, Philosophically sound, motivational, inspirational, Czech director Milos Forman's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is one of a small number of Best Picture winners to actually deserve the statuette.

Chinatown

SETTING: 1937 Los Angeles

PLOT: Jake Gittes is a P.I. who has been hired by a woman to find out where he spends his late nights. Jake is drawn into corruption and murder.

RATING: R, DRAMA, MYSTERY, 

QUOTES: [first lines]
-Jake Gittes: All right, Curly. Enoughs enough. You can't eat the Venetian blinds. I just had them installed on Wednesday.

-Jake Gittes: Hello, Claude. Where'd you get the midget?

-[last lines]
Walsh: Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown.

THOUGHTS: Nicholson in the character of Jake Gittes was prophetic. In my opinion there probably would have been no one better for the part. Mrs Mulwray played by Faye Dunaway was a good choice, I personally would liked to see someone who has a little more of a dramatic side to them, say Sophia Loren? The plot was not to much of a thriller but as mystery goes it was amiable. the reoccurring theme of the water issue in the L.A. valley is quite down to earth and believable.

SYNOPSIS: JJ 'Jake' Gittes is a private detective who seems to specialize in matrimonial cases. He is hired by Evelyn Mulwray when she suspects her husband Hollis, builder of the city's water supply system, of having an affair. Gittes does what he does best and photographs him with a young girl but in the ensuing scandal, it seems he was hired by an impersonator and not the real Mrs. Mulwray. When Mr. Mulwray is found dead, Jake is plunged into a complex web of deceit involving murder, incest and municipal corruption all related to the city's water supply.

CONCLUSION: I must say Roman Polanski did quite a good job here keeping everything grey, everyone had a dark side to them. Not necessarily one my favorites, but Jack sure makes the show. This film is a great one time watcher, with a possible second viewing with friends. Not quite a library must have. For comparison try the Black Dahlia, it was a little more intense, albeit gory.

MY RATING: 3 out of 5, Jack as mentioned above is great! Faye is good. the plot was not lackluster yet came about slowly.

CHICAGO SUN TIMES (EBERT): 4 out of 5, Roman Polanski's "Chinatown" is not only a great entertainment, but something more, something I would have thought almost impossible: It's a 1940s private-eye movie that doesn't depend on nostalgia or camp for its effect, but works because of the enduring strength of the genre itself.