A charge for forgery was dropped. Fountain and Johnson were both sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to a single count of counterfeiting. But I I sort of didnt approach it from an occupational standpoint, Houser told TheWrap. 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. [13], Last edited on 16 February 2023, at 04:25, "STXfilms' Kristen Bell Coupon Clipping Scam Comedy 'Queenpins' Sells US For $20M+ To Paramount+ & Showtime", "Leslie Jones-Kristen Bell Coupon Caper 'Queenpins' Lands With Rocket Science Cannes", "Vince Vaughn & Paul Walter Hauser Join Comedy 'Queenpins' With Leslie Jones & Kristen Bell", "Kristen Bell & Kirby Howell-Baptiste Coupon Scam Comedy 'Queenpins' Snapped Up By STX Toronto", "Bebe Rexha Joins Kristen Bell in Comedy 'Queenpins', "Dayo Okeniyi, Joel McHale, Nick Cassavetes, Michael Masini, Eduardo Franco, Paul Rust And 3 More Join 'Queenpins'; Jack McBrayer And Annie Mumolo To Cameo", "And so it begins #Queenpins", "STX Dates 'Queenpins', 'National Champions', 'Violence Of Action' & Untitled Guy Ritchie Movie For 2021 & Beyond", "Paul Walter Hauser Quietly Steals Delightful Crime Comedy 'Queenpins', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Queenpins&oldid=1139643182, This page was last edited on 16 February 2023, at 04:25. It appeared the women were making so much money, they werent even sure how to spend it all. She was sentenced to two years in prison, with credit for 287 days served, and seven years of supervised probation. You know what, I bet if a better actor were playing Ken Miller, thered probably be a little fine tooth combing involved with the world of loss prevention. Woman on Plane: Hey sorry, uhm, would you mind if we switched seats, just for this last part? 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. The details were first revealed after a Tuesday morning raid in July 2012 by the Phoenix Arizona Police Department. It's not a seamless fit. David Lake said. Nell Minow is the Contributing Editor at RogerEbert.com. Lets break it down. [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. Ill go out on a limb here and predict that their once noble intentions go off the rails. The movie, which premieres September 10, offers a comical take on the true story ofRobin Ramirez, Amiko Fountain, and Marilyn Johnson of Phoenix, Arizona, who were arrested in 2012 for their years-long counterfeitingracket and ordered to pay P&G millions in restitution. This happened after various companies that had been impacted by the bogus coupons hired private investigators to uncover the origins of the coupons. Kristen Bell, her The Good Place co-star Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and singer Bebe Rexha are set to star in an upcoming comedy calledQueenpins, in which they play a trio of women who make bank in a coupon counterfeiting scam but the massive real-life fraud that inspired the film was no laughing matter. Illegal couponing doesn't seem like ahigh-levelcrime, but the two women manage to grow rich off their scheme. They were charged with counterfeiting, forgery, operating an illegal enterprise, money laundering, and other violations. I was very excited when I saw on the front page of the script that was based on a true story. Tempe Tina does not have a real-life counterpart. Bud Miller, Executive Director of the Coupon Information Center, told money-saving columnist Jill Cataldo at the time, "These customers should expect contact in the future." But I I sort of didnt approach it from an occupational standpoint, Houser told TheWrap. No. They were ringleader Robin Ramirez (46 at the time of her arrest), Marilyn Johnson (62), and Amiko "Amy" Fountain (42). He also doesn't work closely with the FBI. Annie MumoloasCrystal - Mumolo appears in the minor role of Crystal. Queenpins Writers Balance Comedic Tone with Real-Life Drama in Coupon Caper By: Shanee Edwards Kirby Howell-Baptiste as JoJo Johnson and Kristen Bell as Connie Kaminski in QUEENPINS. The story actually began more than a decade ago, when the women started selling their coupons online. After six months, the pair figure their money is safe to use, but because the money is dirty, they need to spend and clean it. In a later scene, another postal service worker says they stole 40 million in counterfeit coupons. While JoJo is released on bail, Rick visits Connie only so he can admonish her, having been informed by Simon that she and JoJo have defrauded over 240 companies of tens of millions of dollars. Ben Stiller serves as an executive producer under his Red Hour Productions banner. He has been commended by the FBI for supporting them in numerous efforts to fight "complex coupon fraud schemes." Carly Stern For Dailymail.com, Dax Shepard wishes wife Kristen Bell a happy 41st birthday: 'Here's wishing you another 100 years in the saddle', Conwoman, 60, accused of posing as gem expert to swap diamonds worth 4.2m for pebbles was caught on CCTV outside Mayfair jeweller Boodles the day before heist, court hears. And where does that curmudgeonly frame come from? In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. These are free-item coupons," Phoenix Police Sgt. Marilyn Johnson, 54, Robin Ramirez, 40, and Amiko Fountain, 42, were taken into custody, and in a press conference, police said a search warrant served resulted in the seizing of $40 million worth of coupons and $2 million worth of assets from the womens homes, including $240,000 in vehicles, 22 guns, and a 40-foot speedboat. They were also ordered to pay Proctor & Gamble more than $1.2 million. The coupons are being sent through the mail and the FBI does not take it seriouslybecause it's coupons. I just decided I really wanted to play the curmudgeon nature of the character. 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. Not only does Arizona state law forbid convicted criminals from profiting by selling their story, but writer-directors Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly have emphasized that their story is an entirely fictional version of the real thing. The comments below have not been moderated, By For her first film since Frozen II (the 10th highest-grossing movie of all-time . For example, a person could use a $25 coupon to purchase a $15 bag of dog food and receive the difference in cash. "We're Robin Hood," the queenpins reassure themselves. 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 has spent her life chatting about popular media to anyone who would listen, even appearing on conference panels to discuss her favorite (and least favorite) shows and movies. -Daily Mail. 'They're buying bunches, and they're redeeming them in bunches.'. That's the psychological illogic of coupons, referred to in the movie as the "coupon high." Coupons wasnt even the biggest, most interesting case I did. US Postal Inspector Simon Kilmurry (Vince Vaughn) appears to be entirely fictional. It all sounded so unbelievable and over the top, and we knew the story had the makings for a great comedy., So while the women may not be thrilled to see their pasts dredged up and played for laughs on the big screen, Lake is hopeful that moviegoers wont come away with the wrong idea about creating or using counterfeit coupons. Nick CassavetesasCaptain Pain - Cassavetes plays Captain Pain in Queenpins. A look at the counterculture movement that became the religious right. (edited by) Casting By Ben Harris Allison Jones Production Design by Jennifer Klide Art Direction by Adri Siriwatt Costume Design by Julie Carnahan Makeup Department Production Management Mike Upton . By mail. 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." They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to. 'Its like Robin Hood,' Howell-Baptiste's character says in the trailer, summing up the coupon fraud plan. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Authorities later estimated that the coupon ring cost corporations hundreds of millions of dollars in profit. [3] In July 2020, it was announced Paul Walter Hauser and Vince Vaughn had joined the cast of the film. This is based on the true story of three women: Robin Ramirez, Marilyn Johnson, and Amiko "Amy" Fountain. She has also worked on soundtracks for movies like Abominable and, most recently, He's All That. Many of the details of the real story have been changed, including the names, but also backstories to make the characters more sympathetic. 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 . The filmmakers are not trying to hurt anybody, or glorify the crime, theyre just trying to make a funny story. But, he cautioned, we cant say that it doesnt matter that a person is only selling coupons when we look at the amount of economic damage that does., Counterfeiters like the three Phoenix women, and the many customers who bought coupons from them, are fully aware that what theyre doing is wrong, Lake believes. 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. And thats why they make excuses, he said. Queenpinsdebuted in theaters on September 10, 2021. In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. .aspect-ratio-box { height: 0; overflow: hidden; padding-top: calc(720 / 1280 * 100%); background: #f9f9f9; position: relative; margin-bottom:30px; } .aspect-ratio-box-inside { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }, Read original story Queenpins': Heres the Real Story Behind Kristen Bells Crime Comedy At TheWrap, July 2012, police in Phoenix, Arizona arrested three women, Queenpins': Heres the Real Story Behind Kristen Bells Crime Comedy, Tom Sizemore, star of 'Saving Private Ryan,' 'Heat,' dies at 61 after brain aneurysm, Josh Hartnett is done talking about his break from Hollywood but ready to make fun of actors: 'We're the worst', Michael B. Jordan admits muscle gain for 'Creed' has been harder as he's gotten older, Billy Bush suggests Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes start their own show after ABC exit: 'They've got something that works', How to watch every Oscars 2023 Best Picture nominee. 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. Next:Q-Force Cast & Character Guide: Where You Know The Actors From. There's a reason Bell is making quips about crime. Queenpins (2021) Rated R for language throughout. Credit: Courtesy STX Films "They're also some of the best writers I've ever worked with. Read about the latest trends in couponing, get some new coupon alerts and keep up with stories across the country and around the world that have to do with coupons, the companies that issue them and the consumers who use them. Details of the true story at the heart of Queenpinswere first revealed in July 2012. The opulence and the money was the equivalent of drug cartel-type of stuff. Had the system been better then, Lake said, we could have arrested probably another 50 people at least, who were buying hundreds of these coupons at a time and saying, I know theyre fake, but they work great.. Fountain and Johnson both still live and work in the Phoenix area, in professions that have nothing to do with coupons. The ring used a series of twelve different bank accounts to house their money. They'd then sell them on eBay and a website, SavvyShopperSite, for a profit. David Lake of the Phoenix Police Department. Herreal-life counterpart isRobin Ramirez, who police considered the ringleader of the criminal operation. Neither of them responded to requests for comment about their case, and how or whether they have managed to move on from it. Bud Miller is thought to have loosely inspired Paul Walter Hauser's character in the movie, Ken Miller. While the characters in Queenpins are fictional, the crime they came up with is the real deal. The coupons were sold on a site called Savvy Shopper Site, to which interested parties had to be referred or invited directly to use. Lets break it down. A quarter of the U.S. will fall inside an extreme heat belt. And I think it comes from loneliness and feeling isolated and kind of under-utilized or under-appreciated. She portrays a fictional computer hacker named Tempe Tina, who helps the two main characters with their coupon scam. Procter & Gamble $1,288,682 in reimbursement. I try to work with police chiefs, at the state and local level, to come up with ways of explaining how important protecting our business infrastructure is, he said. They also turned to the Coupon Information Corporation. 'These aren't 50 cent off coupons. Aron and I were immediately drawn to the story and had to understand it more, Pullapilly said. Vince Vaughn's other moviesincludemany big-budget action films and comedies such as The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, and Wedding Crashers. The bare-bones blueprint for the story is accurate; a small group of women make millions selling counterfeit coupons. "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 spends her free time drinking coffee and trying to resist the urge to buy any new books before reading the many she already owns. It is also revealed that Connie, after numerous unsuccessful attempts to conceive following her miscarriage, is finally pregnant through in vitro fertilization. Indeed, the movie is inspired by a true story, but just how closely does the film follow the events and people its based on? A real disc jockey inspired Robin Williams classic character. 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.
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