Winter Kills

The story of the filming of "Winter Kills" is just as engaging as the film itself, maybe even more so. This satirical political thriller signified the arrival of director/writer William Richert and had one of the grandest casts assembled at the time. John Huston, Jeff Bridges, Sterling Hayden, Eli Wallach, Toshir� Mifune, Ralph Meeker, Elizabeth Taylor, and Anthony Perkins; acting juggernauts all somehow agreed to be in this director's first film, but why? Is it because the subject matter is loopy and takes the piss out of powerful American political families like the Kennedys? Or, is it just because it was a hell of a script that promised plenty for these thespians to chew on? If you pick up the new Blu-ray of the film from Kino Lorber, you'll quickly understand from the special features that Richert still doesn't have the answers.

Nick Kegan (Bridges) is the son of an oil magnate named Pa Kegan (Huston), who is caught in the shadow of his U.S. President brother, who was murdered in 1960 by a lone gunman, or so everyone thought. After a dying man confesses to being the second gunman in his brother's murder, Nick is thrust into a world of political conspiracies and intrigue that puts his and his girlfriend Yvette Malone's (Belinda Bauer) lives in mortal danger.

"Winter Kills" was originally funded by two hugely successful pot dealers named Robert Sterling and Leonard Goldberg. The film went wildly over budget and Goldberg was murdered (probably for not paying his mafia debtors), and the production ceased. It was only finished after Richert and Bridges made another movie together and garnered some cash selling the distribution rights. Embassy Pictures controlled the final cut of "Winter Kills," so much of it was left on the cutting room floor and the film itself has a rhythm that succeeds in fits and starts. Richert himself has spoken to many of the scenes he wanted to include but simply had no power to control. The theatrical cut of the film only played in theaters for a weekend before the distributor pulled it, apparently because of fear of angering political institutions.

Yet, despite all the crazy setbacks, "Winter Kills" is a thoroughly engaging and hilarious dark comedy that's a bit sad in what it could have been. All of the A-grade character actors mentioned earlier chew through the script as if it was their bread and butter, which makes the proceedings a hoot to watch. Sterling Hayden, in particular, amps up the gusto in his performance to deliver something almost irreverent. And it's shot within an inch of its life by cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond.

There's a bounty of special features on the new "Winter Kills" Blu-ray that fans of the film and the history of the production are bound to love. There's a great interview with Zsigmond talking about Richert's lack of knowledge of the technical side of filmmaking, although he mentioned Richert was a master wrangler of actors and their personalities. While the film is clearly compromised, the new 4K master looks gorgeous and deserves to be seen in whatever way possible. Other special features include:

� Audio Commentary with writer/director William Richert
� "Who Killed "Winter Kills?" - Interviews with William Richert, stars Jeff Bridges and Belinda Bauer, cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond and production designer Robert Boyle
� Reunion - William Richert and Jeff Bridges reminisce about making "Winter Kills"
� Star Stories - William Richert remembers his "Winter Kills" cast
� Radio spot
� Theatrical trailer

"Winter Kills"
Kino Lorber Blu-ray
$29.95
https://www.kinolorber.com/product/winter-kills-special-edition-blu-ray