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Last week's Movie Quiz winners

Because the 1975 film version of his novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest didn't tell the story from the viewpoint of the silent Chief Bromden, Ken Kesey claimed to never have bothered to see it. Kesey was also outspoken about Jack Nicholson being wrong for the hero, Randle Patrick McMurphy. (Jack won his first Oscar for his performance.) Speaking for everybody else in the world, the old prankster shouldn't have been so hard to please-- it's a great movie, made at a time when Nicholson could do no wrong.

(Kesey originally sold the rights to Kirk Douglas, an enjoyable but hammy leading man who was getting old even in the '60s. Besides, if Ken really wanted to bitch about a bad choice for McMurphy, check this out-- he looks like he's about to break into song, maybe "Teenage Lobotomy.")

Cuckoo's Nest was director Milos Forman's first American success, and the cast was filled with well-known character actors making early screen appearances, like Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd, and Deadwood's Brad Dourif. (Not to mention cult favorites Will Sampson, seen above with his broom, and Michael Berryman.) It also has a fine, underappreciated score by Jack Nitzsche.

And no movie ever made electroshock look less enjoyable.

If I wanted a nice welcome back present, I got it: more responses than any other quiz. So thanks and congratulations to the following: Digen Varma, Wayne A. Palmer, Joe Rosenberg, Dean E. Carlson, Peter Schilling, Ben Ellis, Vince Tuss, Eric Swenson, Carolyn Blomberg, Maggie Ripsin, Mark Gisleson, Tim McDonough, Jason Johnston, Dennis Lynch, Dave Uri, Amy Smith, Stacy Sarette, Ward Canfield, Kent Hofmeister, Darren Tobolt, Jack Sparks, Matt Melton, Fred Lorence, Matt S., Jon Colliander, Corey Anderson, Margoux May, Nick Caster, Tim Smit, Holly Roberts, and Bob Teig. And special congrats to Erica Christoffer who wins the grand prize: a Blades of Glory prize pack including a track jacket, t-shirt, and sweatband!

Wow! Such a turnout tells me that my return was a success. And way too easy!

Posted by Steve Monaco at April 23, 2007 12:42 AM

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