User reviews

Videotape and live reporting changed everything. No more racing back to the studio to cut and overdub 16 mm film with reporters, editors and news directors. Like the character in "Nightcrawler," Tur had to be there, regardless of the cost, regardless of even the morality of what he was covering-since getting the story was everything.

This was not a pleasant man, and his obsessiveness drives everyone away. Local news in a big city is cut-throat and Tur realizes too late that he cut his own. Sadly fascinating movie-like his shots, you can't look away.

Don't let the fact Bob is now Zoey stop you from watching this like it has for some. Bob and wife Marika were top of their game in the 80s and 90s, filming news as it happened, and once they got into a helicopter it was a whole new ball game. They were there for Ceritos crash, LA Riots and OJ Simpson. I'd love to know what sort of money they got for this footage.

Bob is rough, the way he treats his wife, I'm surprised she didn't throw him out the helicopter, but a very determined journalist. Amazing footage of some unmemorable moments.

Bob appears alot more chilled out these days, and has transitioned into female Zoey. No longer married to Marika, but gosh what a power couple.

Whirlybird is a seminal piece on the news gathering industry in Los Angeles and a fascinating, real-world tale of Los Angeles-based reporters, Bob Tur and Marika Gerrard, who revolutionized real-time news reporting from the air. Yoka crafts his work from 2,000 hours of recorded flight tape, direct interviews, news archives, still photos, and more. What results is a dynamic visual history of the biggest Los Angeles news events in the last 30 years. A must-see!