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. No, not at all, Bell told TheWrap. And they get a monthly reminder every time they make their latest restitution payment. 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. 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. Although both women also had to financially reimburse P&G, they did not have to serve jail time for their part in the scheme. The pair are currently starring as crooked coupon buddies in the crime comedy "Queenpins," written and directed by husband-and-wife duo Aron. The site's name was inspired by the legit coupon magazine Savvy Shopper, which is in no way related. [1] It was released on September 10, 2021. The comedy Queenpins is inspired by the largest coupon scam in U.S. history. Fountain and Johnson both still live and work in the Phoenix area, in professions that have nothing to do with coupons. FREE FIRE TOP 3 GAME REAL CHARACTER para SAMSUNG A3,A5,A6 A7,J2,J5,J7,S5,S6 S7,S9,A10,A20 A30,A50 We just wanted to create our own characters.. After tracing the origins of the ring to Phoenix, the FBI then teamed up with local law enforcement to bust the group. Nick CassavetesasCaptain Pain - Cassavetes plays Captain Pain in Queenpins. But Lake determinedly led his team in pursuing the case. 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. Nell Minow is the Contributing Editor at RogerEbert.com. 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. Con Kristen Bell, Lidia Porto, Joel McHale, Kirby. He has been commended by the FBI for supporting them in numerous efforts to fight "complex coupon fraud schemes." "You've got yourself an eighteen-karat run of bad luck, kid.". The cast, with Kristen Bell and Paul Walter Hauser, is outstanding The Arizona women, Robin Ramirez, Marilyn Johnson and Amiko Fountain, pleaded guilty, Ramirez to. 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. David Lake of the Phoenix Police Department. While the movie is focused on two women, there were three at the heart of the real coupon ring. Queenpins (2021) Rated R for language throughout. The comments below have not been moderated, By Shedisplays considerable comedy chopsin films like Bad Momsand is also well-known for her role as Anna inDisney's Frozen franchise. Of course, the trailer also shows them later living in luxury and boarding private jets. 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. 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). Dejected and frustrated suburban housewife Connie Kaminski (ne Stevens), a three-time gold-medal-winning former Olympic racewalker, has followed the conventional life path set for her by society ever since she was young. [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. The Queenpins true story reveals that there were three women involved in the real-life scheme, not two like in the movie. In July of 2012, police raided Ramirez's home andseized more than $25 million worth of fake coupons. For diapers and toothpaste. In addition, the scenes involving the gun sale include short appearances by co-director Aron Gaudet's brother Nick as a barista, as well as actor and director Nick Cassavetes as the leader of the group buying the guns. And thats why they make excuses, he said. 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. Counterfeit Coupon Ringleader Pleads Guilty - Coupons in the News, Woman spends $600 on SavvyShopperSite.com fake coupons - Jill Cataldo. This is based on the true story of three women: Robin Ramirez, Marilyn Johnson, and Amiko "Amy" Fountain. They were ringleader Robin Ramirez (46 at the time of her arrest), Marilyn Johnson (62), and Amiko "Amy" Fountain (42). You Are Reading :Queenpins Cast And Character Guide Where You Know The Actors From. The Arizona coupon ring's leader, Robin Ramirez, and her accomplices, Marilyn Johnson and Amiko Fountain, were arrested in July of 2012. [3] In July 2020, it was announced Paul Walter Hauser and Vince Vaughn had joined the cast of the film. The opulence and the money was the equivalent of drug cartel-type of stuff. 'Sometimes I would come out with three carts of groceries.'. 'Queenpins': Here's the Real Story Behind Kristen Bell - TheWrap MSN Article Ramirez pleaded guilty to illegal control of an enterprise, counterfeiting and fraud. Now that theyve done their time and are working to pay off their debt, the women appear to be trying to put the incident behind them. Her sacrifices have never been appreciated and she has been overlooked by her husband Rick, an IRS senior audit specialist, her loved ones and the rest of society. Some of the coupon enthusiasts featured on the TLC show Extreme Couponing routinely purchased coupons from clipping services.In response to the Arizona coupon counterfeiting ring that inspired the Queenpins movie, the CIC's Bud Miller stated, "Coupon buyers expose themselves to the possibility of becoming involved with counterfeits, stolen property, or other criminal activities. 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 February of 2013,Ramirez pleaded guilty to counterfeiting, fraud, and illegal control of an enterprise, though a forgery charge was dropped. It's very easy to say their words," says Kristen. In Queenpins, its Ken Miller who pleads with the FBI to get involved, but in the end, he ends up working with Vince Vaughns postal inspector character, with the reasoning being that the crime was technically committed via snail mail. Carly Stern For Dailymail.com They were just two normal women, who felt taken advantage of by major corporations, and genuinely wanted to help other women and families who were struggling. Rare $300 sign-up bonus card hits market Ad The Ascent. 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. Queenpins. FREE FIRE TOP 3 GAME REAL CHARACTER para SAMSUNG A3,A5,A6 A7,J2,J5,J7 Queenpins movie review & film summary (2021) | Roger Ebert Queenpins (2021) - IMDb He also focused more on the character aspect of his part, rather than talking to anyone actually involved in loss prevention. In real life, the FBI did get involved, along with the non-profit Coupon Information Center. Law-enforcement authorities, manufacturers, and retailers advise against purchasing coupons. Herreal-life counterpart isRobin Ramirez, who police considered the ringleader of the criminal operation. 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. In real life, the Phoenix Police Department led the investigation with the assistance of the FBI. 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. For the most part, yes. These are free-item coupons," Phoenix Police Sgt. Fountain and Johnson were both sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to a single count of counterfeiting. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to clean the money theyve made from selling coupons. These companies included Hershey, Procter & Gamble, and the Coupon Information Corporation. Indeed, the movie is inspired by a true story, but just how closely does the film follow the events and people its based on? At the time of her arrest, investigators discovered Ramirez had four online accounts and 12 bank accounts. Vaughn is also currently appearing in the series Curb Your Enthusiasm. One local law enforcement official at the time told the news: The opulence and the money was the equivalent of drug cartel-type of stuff. Included in the seizures were $25,000,000 worth of fake coupons, 22 assault weapons, and 21 vehicles including a 40 foot boat. As one law enforcement official put it, these were not the fifty-cents-off coupons one might find in their mailbox. 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). The group would have fake coupons made oversees, including reproductions of legitimate coupons and made-up ones with steep savings. Because at Coupons In The News, we believe an educated consumer is the best couponer! I was very excited when I saw on the front page of the script that was based on a true story. They encounter married employees Alejandro and Rosa Diaz, who agree to send them the unused coupons. Together, they set up a website called Savvy Super Saver, and eventually make millions of dollars in turn, costing multiple manufacturers millions of dollars. she says. Queenpins - Chapter 3 - Elias_Pedro - Archive of Our Own But I I sort of didnt approach it from an occupational standpoint, Houser told TheWrap. And in terms of the crime itself, Queenpins stayed pretty loyal. Vince Vaughnas Simon Kilmurry -Vince Vaughn plays Simon Kilmurry, a U.S. postal inspector who works with Ken to investigate the coupon scam. That is the basic premise of Queenpins, a comedy reuniting The Good Placeco-stars Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste as the two leads. The CIC and some of its members were on location in a mobile command unit watching the bust." The real Queenpins' mugshots are displayed below. A pair of housewives create a $40 million coupon scam. Queenpins (2021) - IMDb In July 2012, police in Phoenix, Arizona arrested three women in a coupon scam that cost manufacturers roughly $40 million. Required fields are marked *. They were a part of a fast-rising category referred to as "pink collar criminals," "nice" suburban women who commit non-violent crimes, mostly fraud or embezzling from businesses or from community organizations like the PTA. 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). But thats just Connie and Jojo. Queenpins vs. the True Story of the Real Counterfeit Coupon Ring This installment focuses on the true story behind the crime comedy Queenpins. The opening scenes show Bell's character getting arrested before a flashback to explain what happened. "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. And in terms of the crime itself, Queenpins stayed pretty loyal. I was very excited when I saw on the front page of the script that was based on a true story. And the women wont be getting any windfall from Queenpins. According to Time magazine, they went undercover and purchased coupons as part of their effort to locate the source. 'We gotta steal these coupons and sell them to families who really need them. In researching the Queenpins true story, we learned that Procter & Gamble did an audit of their third-party coupon processors. Their script is so nuanced and the words are chosen so perfectly. Postal Inspector lead the investigation into their activities, encountering multiple humorous setbacks along the way. A quarter of the U.S. will fall inside an extreme heat belt. Kristen Bell - IMDb The women guaranteed a one-hundred-percent return rate if a store rejected one of their coupons. (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 . JoJo combines two people in real life:Amiko Fountain and Marilyn Johnson. Bud is a Certified Protection Professional (CPP) and an industry veteran. Yes. 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. His character represents the law enforcementin charge of tracking down the women responsible. 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. Queenpins - Chapter 1 - Elias_Pedro - Archive of Our Own Review: Scamming Audiences with Sophomoric Humor and Dubious Politics. The Coupon Information Corporation got wind of the scheme, and brought it to the attention of investigators, which is how it eventually landed on the desk of Phoenix Police Sergeant David Lake. But lets be honest: its hard to feel too sorry for the corporations in this instance. Watching "Queenpins" is like eating grocery store birthday cake. A charge for forgery was dropped. That would be too prestigious for Hauser's wannabe-cop Miller (Hauser borrows from his 2019 performance in Richard Jewell). "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. Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste star in this based-on-a-true-story film about a pair of women whose coupon-counterfeiting operation turned into more than they bargained for. On the real Queenpins website, SavvyShopperSite.com, they sold free-product coupons, with the caveat that you must spend at least $50 on coupons per order. Before playing Agent Park, he was inTalladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,Wreck-It Ralph, Bob's Burgers, and many others. Whatever Happened to the Real-Life "Queenpins"? 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. I'd call it a buddy film on a couple of levels: The main characters, Connie and Jo, and then the sub-characters, Simon and Ken. Queenpins (2021) - Full Cast & Crew - IMDb 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. She also was ordered to pay restitution of up to $5 million. $100,000 x 40 is 4 million not 40 million. [8], In June 2021, Showtime and Paramount+ acquired U.S. pay TV and streaming rights to the film for about $20 million. The duo bond on their mission, with Simon sympathizing with Ken's unwavering devotion. 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. Lets break it down. Being clever with coupons makes her feel like she is making a financial contribution. She does not seem to take it too seriously, telling us that "this is a story about little old coupons.". 'Queenpins' Review: Suburban Scammers Two cash-strapped neighbors devise a multimillion-dollar coupon swindle in this mildly entertaining comedy. The film's largely painful humor is informed by the mistaken belief that the main characters' criminal enterprise is inherently quirky. The only real-life individual you could say was better off after the case than before, is the man who cracked the case. Queenpins has arrived in theaters and on Paramount+, telling the story of the countrys largest counterfeit coupon scam. It is also revealed that Connie, after numerous unsuccessful attempts to conceive following her miscarriage, is finally pregnant through in vitro fertilization. Eventually, they brought in Phoenix police, who conducted aneight-week investigation. But its funny that its gotten so much attention, Lake said. You can't make this stuff up - and the filmmakers didn't have to. Okeniyi appeared in The Hunger Games and Run Sweetheart Run, and his next role is in Greek Freak. The True Story Behind the Movie Queenpins - Film School Rejects They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to. Instead, he becomes highly frustrated when the FBI blows off his concerns. And I think it comes from loneliness and feeling isolated and kind of under-utilized or under-appreciated. 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. Authorities later estimated that the coupon ring cost corporations hundreds of millions of dollars in profit. Queenpins Cast & Character Guide: Where You Know The Actors From Queenpins is a 2021 American comedy film written and directed by Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly. She has previously appeared with Bell on Bad Moms, buther claim to fame has been in screenwriting. (music by) Cinematography by Andrew Wehde . Thats the type of money they had.. The FBI has crooks who commit moremanly crimes to track down. He'd be scary if the film didn't make him the literal butt of the joke. Slapstick . 'Queenpins' Plot Summary Ill go out on a limb here and predict that their once noble intentions go off the rails. The filmmakers, Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, chose not to interview the real Queenpins for the movie. They were just two normal women, who felt taken advantage of by major corporations, and genuinely wanted to help other women and families who were struggling. Un par de amas de casa crean una estafa de cupones de 40 millones de dlares. Written and directed byAron GaudetandGita Pullapilly, Queenpins is about two housewives who created a $40 million coupon scam. She lives with her mother and is trying to be an entrepreneur with a series of YouTube videos featuring tips on saving. Click here to get in touch, or for information about advertising on the site. Just to make him more sympathetic, in addition to the $2 an hour, he has a pregnant wife who also works at the factory. Kristen Bell stars as Connie Kaminski, a suburban housewife who just wants to find a solution for the debtburying her and her husband. Some customers became aware of the bust after they tried to use the coupons and they didn't work. Ramirez pleaded guilty to illegal control of an enterprise, counterfeiting and fraud. 'Queenpins' Review: Deals, Discounts and Delinquency - WSJ After complaining about cereal gone stale, the pair receives dozens of freebies, inspiring them to hatch an illegal coupon club scheme. Despite the absurdity of the synopsis, believe it or not,Queenpins is based on a true story. I was very excited when I saw on the front page of the script that was based on a true story. In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. By mail. On the case to bust them: a supermarket's. In the movie, Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste play Connie and Jojo, a pair of best friends from Phoenix who love extreme couponing. Here's the cast and character guide and the real-life counterparts. Will DiGravio is a Brooklyn-based critic, researcher, and video essayist, who has been a contributor at Film School Rejects since 2018. Queenpins Cast And Character Guide: Where You Know The Actors From Queenpins is playing in theaters with plans to stream on Paramount+ in the near future. She also was ordered to pay restitution of up to $5 million. Savvy Shopper Site had a few other suspicious requirements. But court records indicate that she has not quite been able to put this case behind her. 'Queenpins' Summary & Ending, Explained - Digital Mafia Talkies I just decided I really wanted to play the curmudgeon nature of the character. 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 . 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. Queenpins, directed and written by Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, adapts a real-life story and presents it most humorously and entertainingly. 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.. Analysts Predict More Deals in the Grocery Store This Year, Savings Apps Are All the Rage This One Most of All, Grocery Shoppers Shrug Off A Tumultuous Year, Couponer Is Dealt A Final Setback In Decade-Old Dispute. Thecomedy Queenpins features a talented cast coming together to tell a crazy true story. Queenpinshits theaters on September 10th and will be available to stream via Paramount+ on September 30th. As the Time article notes, couponing became popular not only in the wake of reality television shows like TLCs Extreme Couponing but also due to the economic reality in the wake of the Great Recession. Connie initially comes up with the couponing scheme, eventuallyteaming up with her friend to help her pull off the biggest coupon scam in U.S. history. Ben Stiller serves as an executive producer under his Red Hour Productions banner. Ramirez, too, declined to respond to requests for comment. "[11] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 45 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". And why Bell and co-star Paul Walter Houser didnt talk to the real people behind the characters they play. Now, with their story back in the spotlight, theres no escaping it, even nearly ten years later. But I I sort of didnt approach it from an occupational standpoint, Houser told TheWrap. 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. Ramirez, the ringleader, was the only one sentenced to prison time two years while her counterparts got probation. 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. However, Ken Miller, a hapless loss prevention officer for the A&G Family Marts stores in the Southwestern United States, learns about the coupons and the losses several companies are taking, and pressures his superiors before ultimately deciding to handle the case himself. [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. Follow and/or unfollow him on Twitter. The postal inspector tells Connie it's 1 year for every $100,000 earned fraudulently and that she's looking at 40 years. -Investigative Consultants. But the coupons were high-quality counterfeits. The cruelty-free sacred oil that will anoint Charles as King: Monarch breaks Coronation Day tradition with 'I have nothing to say to you': Father of Mallory Beach - who was killed in a boat crash while Alex Murdaugh's Alex Murdaugh is seen with his prison buzz cut as he starts two life sentences without parole for killing his Family 'mortified' after being thrown out of Mother Goose panto for bringing their baby with them, after venue Is this Britain's most despicable man? Queenpins Writers Balance Comedic Tone with Real-Life Drama in Coupon The trios many customers never faced charges but they might have. They don't call it robbery; they prefer "removing" or "separating.". Whatever Happened to the Real-Life Queenpins? Ame shielded her eyes from the sunlight, "It's just that it's been a while since I've been on duty at daytime.". The story of the three womens 2012 arrests for coupon fraud is back in the news, as the major motion picture they inspired is set to open in theaters this Friday. The other two women pleaded guilty to a single charge of counterfeiting. [7], Principal photography began in October 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thats the type of money they had, Sgt. It was then that they learned of the fakes that were in circulation. Thats the type of money they had, Sgt.
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