Category: Movies

Denver legal investigators: Colorado Women's Bar Association screens RBG at Sie in Denver with all-star Colorado legal panel

7/30/2018

By Susanna Speier
Denver Private Investigator Blogger

The only reason I haven't seen "RBG," the documentary about Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsberg a second time is because of how much I enjoyed watching it the firsttime. Wouldn't it be a better idea to rewatch after I've seen her biopic, "On the Basis of Sex" starring Felicity Jones which premieres in December 2018?

Since discovering the Colorado Women's Bar Association (CWBA)'s upcoming "RBG" screening at Sie at the end of August, however, I am reconsidering. If I wait until after I see the biopic to see RBG a second time I will miss the amazing lineup CWBA has slated for their post-screening discussion on Monday, August 27th.

The screening takes place at Denver's Sie Film Center and will include a discussion moderated by Colorado Supreme Court Justice, Melissa Hart. Judge Sandra Rothenberg (Ret.), Senior Judge, Colorado Court of Appeal; Rep. Jessie Danielson (D), Legislator; Speaker Pro Tempore of the House; Colorado General Assembly; Denise Maes, Esq., Public Policy Director of the ACLU of Colorado and Professor Catherine Smith, University of Denver Sturm College of Law will serve as panelists. Whether you've seen the movie once, twice or three times already, it is unlikely you'll find a more dynamic discussion forum this side of the Mississippi than the one the CWBA has organized.

Directors Betsy West and Julie Cohen did a great job of looking at the roles support figures in her personal life play and characters ranging from her husband Marty to her personal trainer make entrances and exits that counterpoint the pivotal cases of her legal career trajectory.

Because of the high ticket price of $75 ($74 for film society members) I will still, most likely, have to skip out on this particular networking event, screening and panel discussion. In the price tag's defense, however, the money will go to support the organization's work in public policy. According to the website, public policy includes includes promoting women "As Lawyers," "On the Bench," "In the Legislature" and "In Our Community." Regardless of the merit's it may keep the program off limits to a lot of the legal industry support staff. If, like me you live on a tight budget and are already a Sie member, RBG plays at Sie through August 2nd and is only $6.00 for member matinees.

If, on the other hand, you find yourself craving pop corn, airco and legalistic edification in late August or you are an ambitious legal investigator, process server or legal admin looking for the vertical or lateral career opportunity, this may be the perfect close to your summer.

The screening takes place August 27th at 7:00 p.m. at 2510 East Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO 80206.
Cocktail reception at Sie Film Center's Henderson's Lounge starts at 5:30 on August 27th. Tickets are here.

Why Colorado private investigators need to see Wonder Woman at a Littleton or Sloans Lake Alamo Drafthouse

6/24/2017

By Susanna Speier
Denver Private Investigator Blogger

Steve Trevor is not a private investigator. If you want to see an undercover operative in action, however --and you're also okay with a spy portrayal that is more fanciful than true-to-life-- Wonder Woman is the summer blockbuster that you can't miss.

Due to it's, so far, ginormous box office returns you'll find it playing in theater's all over Colorado, however, you need to see it at Littleton or Sloan's Lake Alamo Drafthouse before it leaves the theater on June 29th if you want to catch the pre-show reel that includes a fast forward foray through Steve Trevor's last several decades of undercover aviation espionage operations.

Trevor, who Wonder Woman's creator, Dr. William Moulton Marston, introduced in 1941, according to the Wonder Woman Wiki,was originally US Army Intelligence World War II officer going under cover as a Nazi pilot who crash landed on Paradise Island (the island's name was changed to Themyscira in 1987). You'll see several different versions of the origin story crash land the pre-show reel if you head to Alamo.

And if the pre-show clips aren't enough incentive to make the pilgrimage to Littleton or the Sloans Lake Alamo Drafthouse (which opened a little more than a month ago) then perhaps their full service lunch and dinner menus and full service cocktail cocktail bar will be. But if you miss that chance, no worries. It's playing at every other theater in Colorado.

Here's one more interesting investigator industry tie-in. In addition to being the world renowned research scientist who created Wonder Woman for DC Comics (which was short for "Detective Comics"), William Moulton Marston is also the credited creator of the systolic blood pressure test. The modern polygraph or, as it is more commonly known, "lie detector test" was later invented by John Augustus Larson with Marston's systolic blood pressure test as a vital component.

Lasso GIF from Wonderwoman GIFs

According to reviews of Jill Lepore's book, The Secret History of Wonder Woman, a lot of influences went into Wonder Woman's character including early suffragette images, his domestic partner, Olive Byrne --who wore two identical bracelets-- and the personality of Byrne's aunt, Margaret Sanger who was also the founder of Planned Parenthood.

Some elements from the comics and early TV versions, like Wonder Woman's invisible jet are also missing from the new movie. The magic lasso that compels people to tell the truth, however, plays a vital role in moving the movie plot forward and it's golden glow make it dazzling to watch. Especially in light of the fact that the lasso is the brainchild of one of the polygraph test creators.