The United States is more or less a loony bin these days, primarily due to the thinking of the Left. The 1979 Winter Kills is directed and screenwritten by William Richert, adapted from a novel by Richard Condon. Herein, too, the U.S. is more or less a loony bin, primarily due to the actions of political who-knows-what-they-are—the actions, in fact, of assassins.

But the film is as preposterous as it is convoluted. On the other hand, there is a lot of enticing footage. Pa Kegan is the immoral and insensitive Joe Kennedy of the film, and in the finest sequence here, Kegan’s son Nick (Jeff Bridges) rides a fast horse to several nice spots in order to vent his frustration over Pa. Comedy and tragedy in wild WK, however, fail to blend well. The movie bombs.