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Queenpins has arrived in theaters and on Paramount+, telling the story of the countrys largest counterfeit coupon scam. The only real-life individual you could say was better off after the case than before, is the man who cracked the case. In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. "We're Robin Hood," the queenpins reassure themselves. -Investigative Consultants. Though the pair face forty-years-to-life, the companies that they victimized clandestinely press the courts for leniency to avoid bad press, resulting in ten days imprisonment plus one year of probation for JoJo and eleven months incarceration (parole eligible in eight) for Connie. In reality, thewomen seemed to have a better grasp of how to stay under the radar than the movie portrays, which enabled them to avoid police detection for so long. Bebe Rexha is the tech genius, Tempe Tina. Ramirezs case was back before a judge as recently as July, when her probation officer reported she was falling behind on her share of the nearly $1.3 million in restitution payments she and her cohorts were ordered to pay. "[11] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 45 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". For her first film since Frozen II (the 10th highest-grossing movie of all-time . They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to. I'd recommend this film for unwinding on a Friday night after a long week. Neither of them responded to requests for comment about their case, and how or whether they have managed to move on from it. On the other side we have faceless and barely acknowledged corporations (always a convenient bad guy) and an LPO (loss prevention officer, a fancy title for private security). As far as the real women involved, stars Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste admit that they never actually met or spoke to the actual minds behind the crime to learn what sparked it. Ramirez pleaded guilty to illegal control of an enterprise, counterfeiting and fraud. Bud is a Certified Protection Professional (CPP) and an industry veteran. The character mainly functions to forward the plot and as the other half of the "buddy-cop" duo with Ken Miller (Paul Walter Hauser). Included in the seizures were $25,000,000 worth of fake coupons, 22 assault weapons, and 21 vehicles including a 40 foot boat. No, not at all, Bell told TheWrap. Shecan next be seen in the indie film Silent Night and later inThe Sandman TV series. But thats just Connie and Jojo. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to. Along with paying Procter & Gamble millions of dollars, Ramirez had to serve jail time. In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. Thecomedy Queenpins features a talented cast coming together to tell a crazy true story. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, July 2012, police in Phoenix, Arizona arrested three women, Queenpins Trailer: Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste Are the Robin Hood of Coupons (Video), Netflixs The Sandman TV Series Casts Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death. And I think it comes from loneliness and feeling isolated and kind of under-utilized or under-appreciated. "These aren't 50-cent-off coupons. Paul Walter Hauseras Ken Miller -Paul Walter Hauser plays Loss Prevention Officer Ken Miller, whoserather unexciting job takes a turn when he discovers the fake coupon scheme. And it seems like the makers of the movie share this sentiment. In May 2019, it was announced Kristen Bell and Leslie Jones had joined the cast of the film, with Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly directing from a screenplay they wrote. The film's largely painful humor is informed by the mistaken belief that the main characters' criminal enterprise is inherently quirky. But the coupons were high-quality counterfeits. Aron and I were immediately drawn to the story and had to understand it more, Pullapilly said. While it's hard to know how many customers knew they might be engaging in criminal activity, there were a few red flags that should have at least made them suspicious. 'We gotta steal these coupons and sell them to families who really need them. The Arizona coupon ring's leader, Robin Ramirez, and her accomplices, Marilyn Johnson and Amiko Fountain, were arrested in July of 2012. The comedy Queenpins is inspired by the largest coupon scam in U.S. history. The coupons were sold on a site called Savvy Shopper Site, to which interested parties had to be referred or invited directly to use. Her ancestry is Polish (mother) and German, English, Irish, and Scottish (father). They also turned to the Coupon Information Corporation. Fountain and Johnson both still live and work in the Phoenix area, in professions that have nothing to do with coupons. Lets break it down. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Here's the cast and character guide and the real-life counterparts. She really likes to watch out the window as we land and it helps calm her down. she says. Once there, buyers would have access to an array of high-dollar coupons. No Offense, But These 2 Big Retailers Aren't The Cheapest Ad MoneyWise. I went to the detectives and I said, we have what appears to be a large multimillion-dollar, maybe hundreds of millions of dollars, theft affecting over 240 victims, the now-retired Lake told Coupons in the News. She was sentenced to two years in prison, with credit for 287 days served, and seven years of supervised probation. But thats just Connie and Jojo. 'Queenpins' Plot Summary In researching the Queenpins true story, we learned that Procter & Gamble did an audit of their third-party coupon processors. When we're with Connie and JoJo, the tone of "Queenpins" is upbeat and sit-com-y, with Dolly Parton on the soundtrack telling us everything is going to be all right. The last 20 minutes lose sight of whatever point they are trying to make beyond the fun of seeing people get away with breaking the rules. Ramirez pleaded guilty to illegal control of an enterprise, counterfeiting and fraud. If you watch the movie 'Queenpins,' you will see, what I believe, is the first film in Hollywood to feature AEW in the film." Furthermore, Paul Walter Hauser reveals that he has actually had minimal wrestling training with several names from The Nightmare Factory including Anthony Ogogo, Preston Vance, and even WWE Hall of Famer Diamond Dallas . Upon realizing that they could get a coupon for a free item sent to them just by complaining to the manufacturer, they come up with a plan to smuggle and steal cases of those coupons, to then sell to people. 'Queenpins': Here's the Real Story Behind Kristen Bell's Crime Comedy Vince Vaughnas Simon Kilmurry -Vince Vaughn plays Simon Kilmurry, a U.S. postal inspector who works with Ken to investigate the coupon scam. Kirby Howell-Baptiste co-stars as JoJo Johnson, an aspiring YouTube vlogger and Connie's partner in crime. In real life, the Phoenix Police Department led the investigation with the assistance of the FBI. Howell-Baptiste previously worked with Bell on Veronica Mars and The Good Place. Queenpins tells a comedic story of two down-on-their-luck Phoenix women who discover their path to prosperity by concocting a $40 million counterfeit coupon scheme that all comes crashing down when they get caught. Now, with their story back in the spotlight, theres no escaping it, even nearly ten years later. Which brings us to Queenpins, a based-on-a-true-story comedy about the suburbanite besties behind the largest coupon counterfeit scam in U.S. history. This includes forums and any public viewing areas or websites.". Illegal couponing doesn't seem like ahigh-levelcrime, but the two women manage to grow rich off their scheme. The ring used a series of twelve different bank accounts to house their money. The True Story Behind the Movie Queenpins - Film School Rejects And I think it comes from loneliness and feeling isolated and kind of under-utilized or under-appreciated. And it does seem like Queenpinswill take a comedic look at the inequality underpinning the counterfeit coupon market. Nell Minow is the Contributing Editor at RogerEbert.com. Kristen Bell Runs A Real-Life Coupon Scam In 'Queenpins' Trailer - UPROXX It isvery pleasurable in the moment but likely to leave you feeling empty and a little queasy. Ame hissed, "Getting partnered with someone like me. Users had to be 'invited' to join the site, and fans raved about the impossibly good deals, like a coupon for a free pizza worth $7 that would cost shoppers just $1. Queenpinsdebuted in theaters on September 10, 2021. [9], Other box office grosses include Russia ($326,012), Ukraine ($221,109), Produced by Music by Siddhartha Khosla . 'They're buying bunches, and they're redeeming them in bunches.'. Preferred customers could get even better deals on better coupons. Queenpins - Chapter 1 - Elias_Pedro - Archive of Our Own At $300 a month, even if she stays current in her payments, it will take more than 120 years to pay off her share of the restitution order. Required fields are marked *. If you can get an unlimited number of those, think how this grows. Mumolo was an Academy Award-nominated screenwriter for the romantic comedy Bridesmaids. He also explained the counterfeit coupon case to Gaudet and Pullapilly, who sought him out after their curiosity was piqued when they first read about the crime. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. But I I sort of didnt approach it from an occupational standpoint, Houser told TheWrap. The opulence and the money was the equivalent of drug cartel-type of stuff. Johnson helped package and ship the coupons to customers, and Fountain placed hologram stickers on some of them to make them look more legitimate. Paul Walter Hauser's character, Ken Miller, seems to be a very loosely-inspired caricature of Bud Miller, the Executive Director of the Coupon Information Corporation (CIC). They interview people from grocery stores that the ladies frequent, almost all of whom recognize Connie due to her constantly irritating coupon usage, even successfully linking her to the "Savvy Super Saver" website as she uses its slogan while shopping. Upon realizing that they could get a coupon for a free item sent to them just by complaining to the manufacturer, they come up with a plan to smuggle and steal cases of those coupons, to then sell to people. She was born and raised in Huntington Woods, Michigan, and is the daughter of Lorelei (Frygier), a nurse, and Tom Bell, a television news director. But thats just Connie and Jojo. 17:23 EST 23 Jul 2021 Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Ken Bruce finishes his 30-year tenure as host of BBC Radio 2, Ukrainian soldier takes out five tanks with Javelin missiles, Family of a 10-month-old baby filmed vaping open up, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Hershey's Canada releases HER for SHE bars featuring a trans activist, Moment teenager crashes into back of lorry after 100mph police race. I was very excited when I saw on the front page of the script that was based on a true story. Though most of their fraudulent earnings have been confiscated, the pair have hundreds of thousands of dollars from their illegal activities stashed away, and JoJo starts a relationship with Earl and relocates to Montenegro, a non-extradition country, where the pair can immediately restart the scam upon Connie's release. The counterfeiting scheme was previously featured in the. Herreal-life counterpart isRobin Ramirez, who police considered the ringleader of the criminal operation. Much the same can be said for Paul Walter Houser, who plays Ken Miller, the loss prevention officer that uncovers and eventually busts Connie and Jojos scam. FREE FIRE TOP 3 GAME REAL CHARACTER para SAMSUNG A3,A5,A6 A7,J2,J5,J7,S5,S6 S7,S9,A10,A20 A30,A50 Instead we have LPOKen Miller (Paul Walter Hauser), a dedicated but comically awkward stickler for the rules, who is eventuallyjoined by an investigator from the USPS (Vince Vaughn, nailing just the right mix of exhausted irritation and integrity). Queenpins is a 2021 American comedy film written and directed by Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly. We're all looking for a loophole to find our joy and happiness in life." No, not at all, Bell told TheWrap. The ladies account is frozen due to suspicious activity, so Connie realizes they need to prove their business is legitimate. "[Ringleader Robin Ramirez] would bring in these coupons from overseas in large quantities, quantities we never could imagine and she would sell them on her website for about 50 percent of face value," said Sgt. Visitors to the Savvy Shopper Site website could buy high-value coupons offering free items like detergent, diapers, pet food and more, for pennies on the dollar. She also was ordered to pay restitution of up to $5 million. Law-enforcement authorities, manufacturers, and retailers advise against purchasing coupons. She is also known for her appearances in Killing Eve and Cruella. Thats the type of money they had, Sgt. All three women were arrested and charged with forgery, fraud and counterfeiting. Queenpins (2021) - IMDb Kiara frowned, watching the usually stoic Ame toss and turn in the driver's seat. Others nabbed coupons for free pet food, diapers, and household goods from as many as 40 major manufacturers, including PepsiCo and Hershey. In the movie, Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste play Connie and Jojo, a pair of best friends from Phoenix who love extreme couponing. Credit: Courtesy STX Films "They're also some of the best writers I've ever worked with. David Lake, who led the Phoenix Police Departments investigation, told KPHO at the time. Thats the type of money they had.. It's very easy to say their words," says Kristen. David Lake, who was in charge of the coupon investigation at the Phoenix Police Department, "The opulence and the money was the equivalent of drug cartel-type stuff." But Aron [Gaudet]and Gita [Pullapilly], as storytellers our writer and directors have added so many specific elements of storytelling to this about what Connies career was, what Jojos career was, their circumstances in life in order to create a story that you would root for, and then it sort of goes into the nonfiction aspect that it sort of wasnt maybe as necessary to take on a ton of the real life characteristics of the women.. In this film we have one of the world's most adorable people, Kristen Bell, with her delightful "The Good Place" co-star Kirby Howell-Baptiste as the two women who almost make a multi-million dollar crime seem cute. Together, they set up a website called Savvy Super Saver, and eventually make millions of dollars in turn, costing multiple manufacturers millions of dollars. Dave Lake told CBS5 later. Queenpins movie review & film summary (2021) | Roger Ebert Yes, like the grocery store coupons that come with the Sunday paper. Ill go out on a limb here and predict that their once noble intentions go off the rails. And I think it comes from loneliness and feeling isolated and kind of under-utilized or under-appreciated. The group would have fake coupons made oversees, including reproductions of legitimate coupons and made-up ones with steep savings. Queenpins (2021) - Full Cast & Crew - IMDb "You are spending money we don't have," her husband says, looking at what was once supposed to be a nursery, now converted into what looks like a grocery warehouse. She has previously appeared with Bell on Bad Moms, buther claim to fame has been in screenwriting. After he retired from the force, he took what he had learned from this case and others like it to found the Center on Shadow Economics, which works to mitigate the economic impact of black market crimes like counterfeit couponing. That includes the details about the women and the two men chasing after them. After complaining about cereal gone stale, the pair receives dozens of freebies, inspiring them to hatch an illegal coupon club scheme. Kristen Bell leads a strong cast in 'Queenpins,' in theaters Sept. 10 He also doesn't work closely with the FBI. Released in the United States on September 10, 2021 by STXfilms, the film received mixed reviews from critics and was a box office bomb, grossing only $1.2 million against a $20 million production budget. Greg Garcia, a cashier at her local A&G Family Marts store, explains to her that companies habitually respond to complaint letters by sending coupons for free items. The two women in the movie, Connie Kaminski (Kristen Bell) and JoJo Johnson (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), are not directly based on any of the real-life women.Kristen Bell's character's background of being a former Olympic race walker who turns to couponing after having no luck getting pregnant (and spending tens of thousands on in vitro treatments) is fictional, as is Kirby Howell-Baptiste's character's unsuccessful efforts to make it as a vlogger. Ken is the kind of guy who desperately wants to present himself as a stoic, but when alone, screams in rage. Tempe Tina does not have a real-life counterpart. In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. Queenpins has arrived in theaters and on Paramount+, telling the story of the countrys largest counterfeit coupon scam. But during Proctor & Gamble'sroutine audits ofthird-party coupon processors, the discovered fakes in circulation and hired private investigators to do some more digging. Queenpins is a 2021 American comedy film written and directed by Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly. The filmmakers, Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, chose not to interview the real Queenpins for the movie. The site's critics consensus reads: "Lowbrow humor and inconsistent storytelling undercut Queenpins' talented cast, making this coupon-clipping comedy a disappointingly poor bargain. , updated But Aron [Gaudet] and Gita [Pullapilly], as storytellers our writer and directors have added so many specific elements of storytelling to this about what Connies career was, what Jojos career was, their circumstances in life in order to create a story that you would root for, and then it sort of goes into the nonfiction aspect that it sort of wasnt maybe as necessary to take on a ton of the real life characteristics of the women.. And after reading the script and falling massively in love with it, because it was such a grounded comedy, I did some research about these women. [Resumes eating snacks and looking out the window], Watch Queenpins: Gita Pullapilly & Aron Gaudet On Why Kristen Bell And Kirby Howell-Baptiste Were Right For Their Roles, Watch Queenpins: Kristen Bell On How She Became Involved In The Film, Watch Queenpins: Paul Walter Hauser On What Drew Him To The Film, Watch Queenpins: Kirby Howell-Baptiste On How She Became Involved In The Film, Watch Queenpins: Bebe Rexha On The Experience She's Had So Far Acting In Her First Film. HBOs Rain Dogs Finds Humor, Despair in the Working-Class Mum at its Center, Berlinale Highlights, Part Three: Hummingbirds, Concrete Valley, Afire, The Oneness of All Things: On Sofia Alaouis Animalia, New York International Childrens Film Festival Opens Window to the World. Perhaps the most telling sign that things weren't on the up-and-up was the fact that the site advised, "Please do not share this information with people that you don't actually know. It stars Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Paul Walter Hauser, Bebe Rexha, and Vince Vaughn. In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. Your email address will not be published. In a later scene, another postal service worker says they stole 40 million in counterfeit coupons. McHaleis perhaps best known for his role inCommunity, and will next be starring in the series Black Box. 'Queenpins' Review: How to Scam Audiences with Sophomoric Humor The other two women pleaded guilty to a single charge of counterfeiting. 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"We knew, based on our research on past films, the more we dig into the real lives, it becomes much more serious, much more dramatic," Pullapilly told the, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. Their script is so nuanced and the words are chosen so perfectly. It's not a seamless fit. [6] In December 2020, Dayo Okeniyi, Joel McHale, Nick Cassavetes, Michael Masini, Paul Rust, Eduardo Franco, Marc Evan Jackson, Lidia Porto, Greta Oglesby, Jack McBrayer and Annie Mumolo joined the cast of the film. The real-life Queenpins thought that the similar name would make their scheme appear more legitimate. Like a coupon high, the fun of this movie does not last. Despite the absurdity of the synopsis, believe it or not,Queenpins is based on a true story. The trailer for Queenpinsincludes audio of Bell and Howell-Baptistes characters calling out systemic inequality and likening themselves to Robin Hood. Rare $300 sign-up bonus card hits market Ad The Ascent. In July of 2012, police raided Ramirez's home andseized more than $25 million worth of fake coupons. Real Stories is an ongoing column about the true stories behind movies and TV shows. In July 2012, police in Phoenix, Arizona arrested three women in a coupon scam that cost manufacturers roughly $40 million. However, everything that's built onto this premise in the movie is almost entirely fictional. [5] In October 2020, Bebe Rexha joined the cast of the film. A reality television series about this trend had an episode on the Arizona coupon case. 'Queenpins' Review: Coupon Clippers Go Rogue in a Sly Crime Satire When Phoenix police seized the counterfeit coupons and the women's assets, they discovered computer records that listed all of the customers who had purchased coupons from the women. 'Its like Robin Hood,' Howell-Baptiste's character says in the trailer, summing up the coupon fraud plan. Ramirez, then 40, Fountain, then 42, and Johnson, then 54, were arrested andcharged with counterfeiting, forgery, money laundering, operating an illegal enterprise, and other crimes. Thats the type of money they had, Sgt. Fountain and Johnson were both sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to a single count of counterfeiting. Dayo OkeniyiasEarl - Okeniyi plays Earl, who just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, which results in a hilarious interrogation scene with Ken and Simon. Alienated by her uninspiring existence being unemployed and having suffered a miscarriage in an attempt to conceive a child, Connie commiserates with her best friend Joanna "JoJo" Johnson, who has been unable to secure proper employment since having her identity stolen and thus lives with her mother Josephine, attempting to generate revenue by making YouTube videos while being amorously pursued by the local mailman, Earl.
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