Episode 260: WINTER KILLS (1979)

We’re kicking off 2024 (THE YEAR OF THE #BIG #BALLER - "Let your nuts hang!") with William Richert’s gonzo political paranoia thriller WINTER KILLS! It’s kind of funny, but not funny enough to be a laugh-out-loud comedy. It’s kind of serious, but not serious enough to demand attention. Riding behind the unluckiest motorcade in American history, WINTER KILLS pitches Jeff Bridges as Nick Kegan, the half-brother of the late president, who’s suddenly clued into a vast conspiracy – and then promptly given the run-around from literally everyone. Along his circuitous route to the truth, he meets the archetypal figures: The lusty femme fatale, the omniscient information broker, the trenchcoat Italians, the horny capitalist dad who couldn’t POSSIBLY be pulling the strings. Depending on your point of view, it’s either a unique parody or kind of boring – but nobody can say it doesn’t try. This film was presented at the Trylon by the Cult Film Collective: https://cultfilmcollective.com/ “Slapstick for Paranoids” by Cole Seidl for Perisphere, the Trylon blog: https://www.perisphere.org/2023/12/29/slapstick-for-paranoids/ “Winter Kills: If You’re Not Paranoid, You’re Not Paying Attention” by Bob Aulert for Perisphere, the Trylon blog: https://www.perisphere.org/2024/01/04/winter-kills-if-youre-not-paranoid-youre-not-paying-attention/ Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/trylovepodcast and email us at trylovepodcast@gmail.com to get in touch! Buy tickets and support the Trylon at https://www.trylon.org/. Theme: "Raindrops" by Huma-Huma/"No Smoking" PSA by John Waters. Closing audio: Just the whole original trailer for the theatrical release of WINTER KILLS. Timestamps 0:00 - Episode 260: WINTER KILLS (1979) + Aaron is hungover 11:11 - The episode actually starts + the Apologia Corner 14:23 - The Patented Aaron Grossman Summary 16:13 - Biting satire or garbage? 27:39 - Sublime comedic sensibility or debilitating cynicism? 40:28 - The MGS2ification of WINTER KILLS 55:15 - The Junk Drawer 1:05:31 - Good Grief, Give Me a GIF! 1:12:42 - Cody’s Noteys: 2024 Movie Resolutions