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Whirlybird

Released Aug 6, 2021 1h 43m Documentary TRAILER for List
83% Tomatometer 40 Reviews 71% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Flying high above Los Angeles in a whirling news helicopter, husband-and-wife team Marika Gerrard and Zoey Tur (then known as Bob) covered some of the city's most dramatic events and changed breaking news forever. An entirely unique view of Los Angeles presented through stunning aerial footage and remarkable home videos, WHIRLYBIRD reframes many of the city's pivotal moments, including the L.A. riots and the O.J. Simpson pursuit.
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Critics Consensus

Whirlybird might have benefited from a more patient approach, but it remains a fascinating -- and often thrilling -- look at what goes into making the news.

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Critics Reviews

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Tim Cogshell FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles) Interesting and worth knowing. Aug 7, 2021 Full Review Gary Goldstein Los Angeles Times Quibbles aside, "Whirlybird" proves a memorably evocative time capsule of 1980s and '90s Los Angeles and the people who made - and captured - the news, as well as a stirring portrait of regret. Aug 6, 2021 Full Review Nell Minow RogerEbert.com We cannot help wishing, as we do so often in watching what passes for news these days, that this story was told with more insight, context, and, well, focus. Rated: 2.5/4 Aug 6, 2021 Full Review David Reddish Queerty Both admirers and detractors of Zoey Tur will find no shortage of ammunition here, as Yoka does a remarkable job at keeping his film objective, and with some of the most incendiary documentary footage on record. Rated: 3.5/4 Mar 13, 2022 Full Review A.S. Hamrah The Baffler Close to a hundred million people watched that live. Whirlybird is an invaluable document on how it happened. Jan 18, 2022 Full Review Phil Guie Film-Forward.com Given that the Turs participated in the documentary and, in theory, gave their blessing to whatever footage was recycled, it's both surprising and remarkable to see their troubled marriage depicted in such unflinching terms. Rated: 4/5 Aug 29, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (4) audience reviews
Jeffrey Excellent relationship film with the backdrop of the major news stories in Los Angeles as told from a live helicopter by a husband & wife team. A must see! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/11/21 Full Review Audience Member Oh my gosh I loved this movie. the husband and wife team go places and we see news we would have never seen because of them. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/16/23 Full Review david f Great film about a family that started a business to cover news in Los Angeles, then realized they needed a helicopter to get to the story in time with all the traffic. They ended up covering the OJ Simpson white Ford Bronco chase and Rodney King Police Verdict riots in a stunning way. Aside from those highlights, the family dynamic is fascinating as they rode a great idea to tremendous success only to see their business ultimately implode when the TV network they worked with went in another direction and the family also pretty much imploded due to stress, abuse, and business failure. If you like Los Angeles or journalism, you will love this. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review greg s Very thorough, easy to follow and interesting story about a man pursuing breaking news stories to the exclusion of everything else. And what happened to his family life and his life as a result. A bit long and well worth watching. As an aside, if you saw the O J Simpson footage, this movie is about the man that was on his trail first and provided camera footage of the event. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Flying high above Los Angeles in a whirling news helicopter, husband-and-wife team Marika Gerrard and Zoey Tur (then known as Bob) covered some of the city's most dramatic events and changed breaking news forever. An entirely unique view of Los Angeles presented through stunning aerial footage and remarkable home videos, WHIRLYBIRD reframes many of the city's pivotal moments, including the L.A. riots and the O.J. Simpson pursuit.
Director
Matt Yoka
Producer
Diane Becker, Matt Yoka
Screenwriter
Andrea James, Andrea James
Distributor
Greenwich Entertainment
Production Co
Submarine Entertainment, Different by Design, Steady Orbits, Fishbowl Films, World of Wonder Productions
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 6, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 6, 2021
Runtime
1h 43m
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