In his 1979 review of William Richert’s Winter Kills, Brendan Gill of The New Yorker conceded that to “make some sense of the plot” he had been forced to return to the theater after his original viewing. “The fact is that I enjoyed it even more the second time,” reflected Gill, “but I cannot pretend that I understood it any better.” The film depicts the events surrounding President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, and stars Jeff Bridges, John Huston, Anthony Perkins, Eli Wallach, and about 10 other A-listers. It was a box-office disaster. And yet many viewers, like Gill, developed an appreciation for the bizarre, surreal, and surprisingly funny thriller. For two weeks in August, the Film Forum premieres a new 35mm print of the cult classic. Winter Kills runs just under 100 minutes; don’t be surprised if you take a page from Gill and see it twice. —Jack Sullivan