Rent Winter Kills (1979)

Winter Kills but not as much everyone else in this film... - Winter Kills review by Strovey

Apparently actually filmed in 1975 but not put together enough to be released until 1979 due to money and production problems Winter Kills is a singular and unique paranoid conspiracy thriller, basically a wackier JFK before Oliver Stone even thought about making stuff up about that president. With entirely fictional characters and set up, Joe Diamond is not Jack Ruby surely, Winter Kills is a plausible and possibly more so than some of the things I have seen written and filmed about Kennedy’s murder.

Interesting, tonally odd, serious in some places and purposely silly in other places Winter Kills has a backstory all of its own which in some ways is stranger, more violent and conspiracy-filled than the actual fiction.

What you get with Winter Kills is a fun romp with deception, murder and big money. A young Jeff Bridges fronts up the film and is superbly counterpointed by his on-screen father John Huston, a well-regarded director in his own right, showing here that he can act as well as his behind-the-camera work given the right role.

The supporting cast, some who only seem to have been flown in for a few scenes, all prop up a reasonably ludicrous story that nowadays if you voiced it half the world, including lots of British ex-professional footballers, would believe instantly. At points we get Antony Perkins, playing a deliciously silly role that some people believe actually exists in the real world right now, Sterling Hayden, Eli Wallach, always good value, Toshiro Mifune and even Elizabeth Taylor. All these people popping up, doing their stuff and leaving make you grin if you love films. Hayden seems to be having a ball as the tank owning nutter – or these days a normal bloke.

The more we get into the story, the more Jeff Bridges chases after the gloriously attractive Belinda Bauer, whose orgasm proves she could have a career in porn if all else fails, and she certainly looked great nude, sorry, but she really did, the more people die as soon as they give some interesting information, the more you know this is a black-hearted comedy that a lot of people watching then, and definitely watching now would take seriously.

The mob, political and family influence and the film industry all play a part in the conspiracy in a wacky and sort of complex way and let us just leave it at that.

The problem Winter Kills has, and its troubled production may well have contributed, is director Reichert cannot quite get the balance or mix correct, so going from one plot point can be daft and even funny and then suddenly someone is murdered or you are told they are in a ‘straight’ thriller way. Whatever you see on the screen though you are entertained and it has to be said you are not going to be bored.

All of the actors give solid displays, which is great considering the problems with pay and other important things that happened during the filming and the whole story is anchored by Bridges's likeable and sincere portrayal of Nick, the man stuck slap-bang in the middle of the subterfuge and even though it is against his better nature he takes it on.

Winter Kills is an inconsistent and not so well-known conspiracy thriller, clearly a take on the JFK assassination but with all the names changed and is present in a unique and fun way, perhaps very seventies it still stands up today, if a little disjointed and tonally variable. Nevertheless, the story is fun, everything gets to the point and does not meander the lead roles are played with some aplomb.

If you find Winter Kills on some streaming channel or a cheap film hire I recommend watching it, just remember in the seventies it was made a fun, madcap take on a real murder or a real president, it is not a documentary and nothing you see is ‘fact’.

Just enjoy Jeff Bridges and the entertainment.

disappointing; a waste of good actors and a potentially interesting plot. - Winter Kills review by tm

Jeff bridges tries in vain to save this awful film. yes it has a cult following but why?

the director obviously had no confidence in his own ability or courage to take this film seriously and went for comedic thrills. he achieved neither suspense nor humour; just some awful and clumsy slapstick.

ah well. a couple of hours wasted.

good thing he made little else.

has some curiosity value

executive action (with Burt Lancaster) explores the same territory; much better .