Whirlybird

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2:36

Whirlybird

2021

1h 43m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

39 Reviews

75%

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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Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (LAist)

Aug 7, 2021

Interesting and worth knowing.

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Gary Goldstein

Los Angeles Times

Aug 6, 2021

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.

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Nell Minow

RogerEbert.com

Aug 6, 2021

2.5/4

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.

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David Reddish

Queerty

Mar 13, 2022

3.5/4

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.

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A.S. Hamrah

The Baffler

Jan 18, 2022

Close to a hundred million people watched that live. Whirlybird is an invaluable document on how it happened.

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Phil Guie

Film-Forward.com

Aug 29, 2021

4/5

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.

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Jeffrey

Aug 11, 2021

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!

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Jun 25, 2022

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.

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david f

@dfulmer May 30, 2022

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.

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Matt Yoka

Director

Marika Gerrard

Self

Zoey Tur

Self

Katy Tur

Self

Andrea James

Writer

Diane Becker

Producer

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Whirlybird: Trailer 1

2:36

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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: Fishbowl Films, Different by Design, World of Wonder Productions, Submarine Entertainment, Steady Orbits
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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