According to Reuters, Milos Forman, the Czech-born film director who found fame in Hollywood with the Oscar-winning classics One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Amadeus, died at the age of 86.
“Forman was born in the Czech town of Caslav on Feb. 18, 1932. He moved to the United States after the Communist crackdown on the “Prague Spring” uprising in 1968 and became a U.S. citizen in the 1970s. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, in which a psychiatric institution becomes a microcosm of the contemporary world, and Amadeus, the life of 18th-century composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart through the eyes of his rival Antonio Salieri, earned 13 Oscars between them, including those for best director to Forman. His other notable work included the rock musical Hair in 1979, Ragtime in 1981 and The People vs Larry Flint in 1996, which was nominated for an Academy Award that year.
The Firemen’s Ball
In a small provincial town, arrangements and events surrounding the firemen’s annual ball, honoring a retiring fire chief, go wrong at every turn.
Taking Off
Unable to deal with her parents, Jeannie Tyne runs away from home. Larry and Lyne Tyne search for her, and in the process meet other people whose children ran away. With their children gone, the parents are now free to rediscover/enjoy life.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
The story of a man whose rebelliousness pits him against the head nurse of a mental ward and the full spectrum of institutional repression.
Hair
Fresh from the farm, Claude Bukowski arrives in New York City for a date with the Army Induction Board, only to walk into a hippie “happening” in Central Park and fall in love with the beautiful Sheila. Befriended by the hippies’ pacifist leader, Berger, and urged to crash a formal party in order to declare his love for Sheila, Claude begins an adventure that lands him in jail, Central Park Lake and finally, in the army. But Berger’s final effort to save Claude from Vietnam sets in motion a bizarre twist of fate… with shocking consequences.
Ragtime
From the E.L. Doctorow novel of 1906 America, a compelling story of human emotions and a reflection of the innocence, excitement and drama of an important time in America’s history.
Amadeus
From the vantage point of an insane asylum, aging royal composer Salieri recalls the events of three decades earlier, when the young Mozart first gained favor in the court of Austrian emperor Joseph II. Salieri was incensed that God would bless so vulgar and obnoxious a young snipe as Mozart with divine genius. Why was Salieri — so disciplined, so devoted to his art, and so willing to toady to his superiors — not touched by God? Unable to match Mozart’s talent, Salieri uses his influence in court to sabotage the young upstart’s career.
Valmont
Set in 18th century France, this is the story of two bored aristocrats, and the havoc they wreck when they decide to play games with other people’s lives.
The People vs. Larry Flynt
Based on the true story of the notorious Hustler Magazine publisher who was sued by the Religious Right and paralyzed by a fanatic’s bullet. Chronicles Flynt’s raunchy business savvy, his wildly unconventional marriage and his infamous courtroom antics.
Man on the Moon
As Comedian Andy Kaufman rose from comedy clubs to guest appearances on Saturday Night Live and a spot on the TV sitcom Taxi, his performances became more complex and dangerous — so much so that when word got out in 1984 that he was suffering from lung cancer, many fans and associates thought it was just another bizarre stunt.
Goya’s Ghosts
Near the end of the 18th century, Francisco Goya is a gifted but controversial artist whose provocative work has earned the enmity of the Spanish government as well as the Catholic Church, who hold tremendous power as the Inquisition rages. Surprisingly, Brother Lorenzo, a monk involved in the Inquisition, has hired Goya to paint a portrait of himself, and to prove he’s not in cahoots with the renegade artist, Lorenzo targets one of Goya’s favorite models as a possible heretic.
