I’ve run into my share of mildly sadistic nursing staff during my two stints in the looney bin.

I remember one huge bloke from South Africa with the creepiest dead eyes ever, he sometimes still pops up in my nightmares. The absence of reason (however skewed or temporarily distorted) is a terrifying thing as it renders all communication tenuous in the extreme.

I felt like watching One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest and have to admit the performance of the actrice playing Nurse Ratchet is an impressive one. She initially seems as cool as a cucumber or rather as cold as ice.

And of course Jack Nicholson nails this part. There are many heart breaking scenes but this is one of my favourites. It’s not that easy to keep the human spirit down: