# [2012] The Queen of Versailles - Westgate movie



## DazedandConfused (Aug 7, 2012)

I saw the documentary The Queen of Versailles the other day and it was a very interesting documentary.

Here are a few of my thoughts:

1. It was a good documentary - sorta like a riches to rags reality show.

2. The movie started out as a "let me show off my wealth" and morphed into how a family dealt with the 2008 market crash. How they deal with this is interesting as that was a particularly painful period for many people.

3. The Westgate timeshare business was a small part of the documentary, but as a timeshare owner, I found it fascination and sad at the same time. Overall, it was not good or bad, the movie was really about a rich family that has their cash flow cut off.

4. My impressions are - David Siegel is a hard working man that loves to work and is good to those people around him, but fails to connect with the people he should love (i.e. his oldest son). Jackie Siegel is a nut job, Beverly hillbilly, tramp dresser, insensitive to workers, addicted to her own personal vanity, and really could care less about her kids (they are just handbags to her). 

5. The $100 million mansion is ugly, gaudy, and should be torn down. It was not that impressive to me as compared to The Biltmore or Hearst Castle.

6. David's son is a director of sales at PH Hollywood Las Vegas and actually tells the timeshare sales force that they are actually saving lives like doctors, firemen, police officers and that is a joke.

7. The movie never focuses on how many people got ripped off by Westgate, only that the Siegels are mega-wealthy. I really wish they spent a little more time on how their customers are going broke and not so much on their personal limo driver or nannies.

8. The moral of the story to me was - avoid debt. Seriously, this family blows thru billions and still does not have their homes, planes, or cars paid off. I guess if you live by the sword, you die by the sword.

9. There is an amazing amount of dog poop that is left on the floors of the home after the 18 housekeepers get fired. Jackie true colors are shown.

10. Jackie is very concerned about here looks (laser face peals, botox, workout, designer clothes), but feeds her overweight 14yo daughter McDonalds chicken nuggets for dinner. The kids are raised with ridiculous wealth and then are warned that they may actually have to get areal jobs and skip college. Very sad.

11. Jackie actually tells the Nannie that the good news about her not building a 90,000 sq ft home is that she won't have to clean it....nice. By the way, they currently live in a 26,000 sq ft home that is packed like a episode of hoarders.

12. The Siegels keep blaming the bankers that won't lend them money, but in reality it is their own fault by living so large on borrowed money. The old phrase of taking some chips off the table was not done.

13. The move ending was sorta abrupt and ends when Westgate loses the PH Hollywood, thus giving the impression that this family is broke and destitute, but it does not state that the Hilton took it over. Also, it appears Westgate is now making money again and the 90,000 sq foot home is back under construction. Not that it makes a big deal or not, but the movie was edited to show a specific vision of the director and that is why there was a lawsuit filed to stop it.

14. NOBODY will ever buy this home as it is $100,000,000 in Orlando and NOT that impressive. Perhaps they will get $15-20 million, but even then who wants it when anyone with that much money will build their own custom home.

14. Again, David seems pretty normal, Jackie is a lunatic.


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## ricoba (Aug 7, 2012)

That's a good review.  Where did you see the movie?  Your review makes me want to watch it.


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## DazedandConfused (Aug 7, 2012)

ricoba said:


> That's a good review.  Where did you see the movie?  Your review makes me want to watch it.



The movie is not playing at major theaters, I actually saw it at a small artsy theater that specializes in documentaries and foreign films.

I tried to evaluate the movie on two perspectives: one as a non-timeshare owner and the other as a timeshare owners.

There is no question that the movie is much more interesting to timeshare owners as the very small parts of the movie that shows timeshares makes sense to us, but not to timeshare owners. The movie actually makes timeshares look good and I think they should have contrasted a few people that got socked with HUGE loans and debts while the Siegel family were loving life.

I have visited three or four Westgates and they are decent resorts, but pushy sales staff. 

Going into the movie, I thought it would be a hatchet job on David Siegel, but in reality he comes off looking like a normal dude. Now his third wife Jackie is a total wacko that does not even realize that the audience will actually hate her obnoxious attitude and display of her character.


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## DazedandConfused (Aug 10, 2012)

Am I the only TUGger that has seen this movie?


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## pacodemountainside (Aug 10, 2012)

On my to do list!

Have followed this saga in WSJ for a couple years!

I really like their  resort(RYS) on Turkey Lake  Road in Orlando.

Blew salesperson's  mind last December. Had been at pitch about an hour and said time to see model. Said I stayed there regularily , did not  want to see phony  model,   my time was  an hour an a half and would be leaving after seeing , no time for  price pitch. Finally sales manager came over and  said  you are "regular" tourers   and off to gifting.

Well worth time.  Four  $60 show tickets for $99, free WIFI-$39 and owners pass which included   nice bar-b-que with unlimited beer, a couple breakfasts and usage of lake  amenties.

No problem snagging a  2 or 3 BR in  mid November or December with  1 BR.


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## Beaglemom3 (Aug 10, 2012)

We have many artsy type cinemas in Massachusetts and it's playing near me in Brookline (Coolidge Corner) and other places.

  Trailer:;  http://www.coolidge.org/content/iffboston-closing-night-queen-versailles

Looks like a lot of tacky wealth. I never equate money with class. "Nuff said.


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## myoakley (Aug 12, 2012)

I saw the film, "Queen of Versailles", last night and agree with Dazedandconfused's excellent review.  I wanted to despise the couple for their excessive greed and materialism, but wound up feeling sorry for them.  However, I wonder why they agreed to make this documentary which  depicts them in such a terrible light.  Maybe they are just oblivious as to how they appear to others?


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## timeos2 (Aug 12, 2012)

myoakley said:


> I saw the film, "Queen of Versailles", last night and agree with Dazedandconfused's excellent review.  I wanted to despise the couple for their excessive greed and materialism, but wound up feeling sorry for them.  However, I wonder why they agreed to make this documentary which  depicts them in such a terrible light.  Maybe they are just oblivious as to how they appear to others?



Delusional is the term I believe. They have no clue how they have screwed up so many lives to live their excessive lifestyle. I feel much worse for those they took from than these two obnoxious clowns.


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## Passepartout (Aug 12, 2012)

myoakley said:


> I wonder why they agreed to make this documentary which  depicts them in such a terrible light.  Maybe they are just oblivious as to how they appear to others?



Obviously they don't care how they and their greed and excesses appear to others as long as their selfish lifestyle is supported.

Jim


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## ricoba (Aug 12, 2012)

DazedandConfused said:


> Am I the only TUGger that has seen this movie?



I'd go see it, but I am unaware of any showings here in Vegas (a city not-known for its artsy theaters!   )


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## Passepartout (Aug 12, 2012)

Not available on Netflix as far as I could see, either.


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## DazedandConfused (Aug 12, 2012)

myoakley said:


> I saw the film, "Queen of Versailles", last night and agree with Dazedandconfused's excellent review.  I wanted to despise the couple for their excessive greed and materialism, but wound up feeling sorry for them.  However, I wonder why they agreed to make this documentary which  depicts them in such a terrible light.  Maybe they are just oblivious as to how they appear to others?



Thanks.

There was a lawsuit over the film as David was not happy with the change of direction the movie took.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/24/m...lles-and-its-lawsuit.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

Apparently, the documentary was supposed to be about building the biggest private home in America (i.e. let us brag to you how great we are) and then when the 2008 crash happened, the movie changed directions (gee, why are the mean old bankers cutting off our cash flow). Of course, the stars of the movie never realized that the editors changed their minds to a more compelling story.



timeos2 said:


> Delusional is the term I believe. They have no clue how they have screwed up so many lives to live their excessive lifestyle. I feel much worse for those they took from than these two obnoxious clowns.



Their lifestyle did not screw up people. It is the high pressure sales staff that took advantage of middle class America. The money and excessive lifestyle of the CEO and wife are just byproducts of the pressure cooker venus flytrap sales department.

But yes, I wish the movie at least touched on the lives of those that got suckered into buying into their timeshare system.

However, they could argue that the majority of owners (>50%) are actually happy with the timeshare as they renew their annual dues and the surveys indicate a happy customer. If they have 500,000 members (this is just a guess) and then 10% are unhappy, then 50,000 people are unhappy and that looks bad, but what does that say that 450,000 people actually like their timeshare.

I am not defending them, it is just that focusing on the extremes vs the average will result in two different viewpoints and they both are correct.


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 12, 2012)

This review of the movie reminds me of the discussion about Diamond's CEO, Stephen Cloobeck, on the show called Undercover Boss.  I missed it the first time it aired and saw the repeat.  He seemed to be a very tacky person, and he couldn't stay in the hotel arranged for him and had to stay elsewhere.  The man has NO CLASS.  He was really pretty rude to the gal in the call center, when he realized she didn't know what she was doing.   

Agree with Beaglemom.  Money doesn't give a person class.  I know my ex sister-in-law's family is very wealthy, and she even refers to the family as The Beverly Hillbillies.  Her folks had money, the huge house, the land and the wherewithal to do anything they wanted. 

He decided to fly his own plane for a business trip and crashed the plane into a field and killed half of the people on the plane, including himself and his wife (my SIL's mother).  A few people survived the crash, including a child. This was just 5 years ago.   I never heard how the crash happened, and I remember there was a theory he'd had a heart attack, but I was saddened to hear it because the people were very nice.  It was the most expensive wedding I had ever attended.


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## ricoba (Dec 15, 2012)

*It's Available Now on Amazon Prime*

I know this is an old thread, but I just wanted to let people know the movie is now included with Amazon Prime.

DazedandConfused's synopsis/review is spot on.  

It's an easy movie to watch and since most here are timeshare experts, you will enjoy the story of Westgate and the timeshare portion of the movie.  The son telling the sales staff they are saving lives etc...

David to me comes away as a sad old fool, who got caught up in the easy financing of the last twenty years.  When things were good, they were really good for him and his cronies.  

Jackie, is just the stereotypical small town girl who wanted to move out of town by marrying the rich guy.  She got what she wanted but in the light of the unfolding circumstances the family business faced, she has difficulty coping with reality.

The way the family lives is surreal.  Living in a giant house full of junk and dog poo and snakes...yikes!  You really never do know what goes on behind four walls.

So, if you have Amazon Prime, check it out, I think you may enjoy it.


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## billymach4 (Dec 20, 2012)

While waiting for my wife at the Dentist (She needed an emergency root canal), I connected to Amazon video on the Kindle fire and viewed this movie. 

I just kept shaking my head.


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## Larry (Dec 20, 2012)

Passepartout said:


> Not available on Netflix as far as I could see, either.



it is now available and is on my list.


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## jerseygirl (Dec 20, 2012)

I rented it on iTunes ($4 or $5) and thoroughly enjoyed it ... Even though it's a bit disturbing.  My impression was that the Mrs isn't a bad person, just misguided.  Watching the king deflate over an hour and a half ... the bad person in me enjoyed it, while the good person in me actually felt a little sorry for him.    I think it was a perfect study in greed, excess, hubris, the economic meltdown, etc.  A must watch for timeshare enthusiasts!


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## SmithOp (Dec 21, 2012)

Just watched it with the wife last night on Netflix streaming, since we just spent a weekend at Elara was hilarious watching the sales meeting.  Near the end he was whining about paying for his kids college, we both yelled out at the screen "sell the Rolls"! Lol. We had no sympathy for either, blaming the banks for cutting off their credit.


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## dioxide45 (Apr 7, 2013)

Was watching Anderson Live from Friday and Jackie Siegel was on the episode. Apparently Bravo obtained rights to The Queen of Versailles documentary. It will premier on Bravo on April 29th at 9:00pm. So for those without Netflix, this is your chance to watch the movie. Might be a little early to set the DVR unless you can set a manual recording.


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## Carol C (Apr 7, 2013)

dioxide45 said:


> Was watching Anderson Live from Friday and Jackie Siegel was on the episode. Apparently Bravo obtained rights to The Queen of Versailles documentary. It will premier on Bravo on April 29th at 9:00pm. So for those without Netflix, this is your chance to watch the movie. Might be a little early to set the DVR unless you can set a manual recording.



I first saw the film on Hilton Head...what a good place since HHI is so ripe with timeshare resorts (not sure if there are any Wastegates though). I look forward to watching the film again...and so thanks for the heads up on the Bravo cablecast!


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## Clemson Fan (Apr 7, 2013)

Passepartout said:


> Not available on Netflix as far as I could see, either.



I just watched it on Netflix 3-4 weeks ago and I just checked and it's still on Netflix.


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## Laurie (Apr 8, 2013)

Thanks for the heads up - just watched it last night.


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## VegasBella (Apr 18, 2013)

Just watched it on Netflix. My thoughts:

- Disgusting and despicable: the Siegel couple chose to leave all those expensive unused antiques in a warehouse while some of their pets died from neglect and the kids were removed from private school and don't have college funds. Saving money by firing the housekeepers and nannies and switching to public school but spending money for storage for crap. Terrible values! Horrible people!

- At Christmas time Mr Siegel says "Nothing makes me happy these days." He lost some wealth but he has his family, his health, his dogs, his home. But all he can think about are his finances. Sick! F-Ed up values! 

- He needs serious therapy for his addiction to work/wealth. The whole mess was caused by leveraging the new house for the business. If he had a better division between work and home it never would have gotten so bad for the family.

- Early on, when they explained how they sell timeshares they explained that they lure buyers in with free stuff because the buyers are "greedy" and they make the sale by doing fuzzy math to make the sale look like "a good deal" or a bargain. They're very specific about only targeting people who fit this greedy/cheapskate persona. I found that very interesting.


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## Stressy (Apr 18, 2013)

I watched it on Netflix with my daughter (17) After all, she has stayed in timeshares a good chunk of her life.

Her comment after it was over while shaking her head, "Rich people are gross" 

My favorite part: When the Mrs. asked the rental car counter clerk what was the name of her driver. :hysterical: Ummm...Mrs. Siegel?


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## jehb2 (May 11, 2013)

*Still running on Bravo*

Good review by dazedandconfused.  But I do have a different opinion about the characters.  And they are "characters."  The wife, Jackie, is a dimwit.  But she wasn't always that way.  She had some type of engineering background and had worked as a computer analyst.

But that's clearly flown out the window and we fast forward to current day.  Jackie knows that if her husband "trades her in for two 20 year old," as he often jokes then she's screwed.  Look how he provided for his first ex-wife and kids.  According to his son they received nice cloths but otherwise grew up poor and ate swamp cabbage?

I was expecting a Leona Helmsley.  However, she appeared to treat her Nannies and Maid like regular people although they were terribly over worked.  We also see her interacting with the kids a lot.  She never came across as a bad person, just a person with really bad tastes. 

I do not think David is normal.  That house will be built come hell or high water.  So what if we have to pull the kids out of privet school, so what if there's no money for their college education, so what if we have to reduce our cleaning staff from 15 to just one maid to clean our 26,000 sqft current mansion, so what if I have to sell off everything I own, I'm going to complete that house.  David may work hard and has made a lot of money but he has no interest in the dozen  or so kids he's fathered or his wives.


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## DazedandConfused (May 11, 2013)

jehb2 said:


> David may work hard and has made a lot of money but he has no interest in the dozen  or so kids he's fathered or his wives.



He also has no interest in his customers after he rips them off


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## timeos2 (May 11, 2013)

DazedandConfused said:


> He also has no interest in his customers after he rips them off



Now wait a second - of course he cares about customers. They can be hit up for many more fees! It is a virtual goldmine to be harvested (and he does).


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## dioxide45 (May 11, 2013)

What I found interesting was the sales environment at PH in Vegas. It was just a big noisy room where there were probably 20-30 reps selling at tables no more than four or five feet apart. Far different than what we experiences at Marriott properties where each presentation usually occurs in a separate segregated room.

It seems that for Mr Siegal, his entire life is the business. Every waking minute is spent working. From the moment he wakes to even after he returns home, he holes himself up in a tiny room to continue to work until he goes to sleep. Now this has what has made him successful, as well as what makes most successful people so. Though it doesn't seem like the dream life you would think he lives.


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## DazedandConfused (May 11, 2013)

timeos2 said:


> Now wait a second - of course he cares about customers. They can be hit up for many more fees! It is a virtual goldmine to be harvested (and he does).



I think you have a point here and I stand corrected (or at least modified)



dioxide45 said:


> It seems that for Mr Siegal, his entire life is the business. Every waking minute is spent working. From the moment he wakes to even after he returns home, he holes himself up in a tiny room to continue to work until he goes to sleep. Now this has what has made him successful, as well as what makes most successful people so.



I think you are missing the most important point - he makes his money by trickery and overcharging people for something they don't need or even understand more so than his apparent hard work ethic.


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## dioxide45 (May 11, 2013)

DazedandConfused said:


> I think you have a point here and I stand corrected (or at least modified)
> 
> 
> 
> I think you are missing the most important point - he makes his money by trickery and overcharging people for something they don't need or even understand more so than his apparent hard work ethic.



It takes a lot of work to think up the trickery and ways to overcharge people. Though, isn't any timeshare company the same. They overcharge people for something that they don't really need or understand. Westgate isn't alone in this.


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## carl2591 (May 11, 2013)

having heard about the movie from TUG and other sources i finally got the chance to watch it.  It funny how during the 2008 crunch the wife rented a van while traveling and was wanting to know the drivers name.. The look from the counter guy was priceless.

I don't begrudge a man his money but when you see just how much they spend on stuff it make you wonder how overpriced his and all timeshare resorts are. I can only image how the Marriott's live.. 

I have a friend that work at wastegate er.. Westgate in Myrtle beach several years ago and when times got tough they just fired people on the sales line. 

Siegal only cares about himself and his money.. period..  He came to the property several times to show up for when the local TV stations was doing a story on the property and he a bit friendly but when the cameras left it was back to how can i figure another way to screw my sales guys.. 

they changed the pay structure several times's during the couple years he worked there each time taking money from them putting it in Siegal's pocket.. commissions got less and less and amount to bonus higher and higher. 

lots of pressure and out and out lies to prospects.


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## pacodemountainside (Jun 12, 2013)

For those  of you who missed,  on CNBC at 9:00PM EDT.

That is Comcast 46 here in Denver.


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## Bigbird130 (Jun 16, 2013)

*David Segal-Westgate*

Did anyone watch The Queen of Versailles on CNBC on Wed night?
It is quite a story about his wife and how he stated building the biggest house in the US and when the market dropped in 2008 he had to try and sell eveything
It showed a lot of Westgate sales stuff 
Also showed the building of the Westgate Tower in Las Vegas
I think it will be on again this week because it might be a series
Anyone who owns a Westgate property should watch it


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## K2Quick (Jun 16, 2013)

We also watched that this past week.  I couldn't help but think I was was watching "The Jerk" but on a much grander scale.


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## SunSand (Jun 16, 2013)

I've seen the film and it was amazing to see his huge ego collapse right before your eyes.  Equally amazed that he's still in business.


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## tstraveler2 (Jun 16, 2013)

We watched recently on Netflix.


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## dioxide45 (Jun 16, 2013)

There is a tread in the TUG Lounge about the movie.


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## Janann (Jun 16, 2013)

I found the movie fascinating on multiple levels, even if you don't own a timeshare.  They include:

How the timeshare industry functions.
How people are manipulated emotionally to buy a product that they don't truly need or understand.
How some wealthy people fail to plan for the future.  The fact that there are no college funds set aside for the kids blows my mind.  Why didn't they put $250,000 in an account for each kid when he/she was born?
How some wealthy people fail to react when their business is collapsing around them.
The impact of a bank's (e.g. Bank of America's) decisions on what was probably one of its biggest customers.
The impact of the national economic downturn on big ticket, non-essential purchases.
In all seriousness, I think this movie has huge potential for further study.


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## chriskre (Jun 16, 2013)

*Westgate Queen of Versailles on CNBC now.*

Check it out.
They are going over all their sales tactics.
Interesting. 
On CNBC.


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## LUVourMarriotts (Jun 17, 2013)

This was on MSNBC (I think that channel) last night during the NBA Finals game 5.  I was flipping back and forth during commercials in the game.  I agree that the wife is a total nutjob.  My favorite part was when she took a trip to NY and had to fly commercial, then at Hertz she asked where her driver was.  The Hertz guy just looked at her, thinking, "are you serious lady?"  Also on Amazon Prime.


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## pacodemountainside (Jul 3, 2013)

On CNBC now  1:00 MDT.  Will repeat at 6:00 PM.

Maybe the residuals  are where  Seagull is getting money to finish house!


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## simpsontruckdriver (Jul 3, 2013)

actually, he is back to stiffing unsuspecting timeshare buyers, and cheating salesmen out of commissions, which is financing his estate. Movie royalties are probably very small in comparison.

TS


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## pacodemountainside (Jul 3, 2013)

Was being facetious/sarcastic.


After umpteen reruns  probably gets enough to buy a case of Corna or  decent  bottle of wine!

Yes, his sales force is back with a vengeance  as I encountered a few months ago in Orlando!


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## b2bailey (Jul 3, 2013)

How about the 'sales pitch' to the team in Las Vegas where the son tells them:  "We are saving lives here." Made me want to gag.


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## dioxide45 (Jul 4, 2013)

simpsontruckdriver said:


> actually, he is back to stiffing unsuspecting timeshare buyers, and cheating salesmen out of commissions, which is financing his estate. Movie royalties are probably very small in comparison.
> 
> TS



My guess is that the movie royalties are a small pittance compared to his other investments. It was a small production and never had a major theatrical release. It only made a little over $2M in theaters and never showed on more than 100 screens on any given weekend.


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## carl2591 (Jul 5, 2013)

b2bailey said:


> How about the 'sales pitch' to the team in Las Vegas where the son tells them:  "We are saving lives here." Made me want to gag.



me too..

wonder how many people committed suicide from buying his over priced, worthless on the open market resale, timeshare units.. 


not sure how they are savings lives by putting poor folks further in debt..


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## rleigh (Jul 12, 2013)

Ok just watched and OMG. I was absolutely (and pathetically) mesmerized the whole time. So worth watching.

VegasBella read my thoughts. I will add:

*Jonquill scared me, showing no empathy or remorse over a dead creature that she killed. I was irresponsible at that age and no fan of lizards, but one look at the dead thing who couldn't feel bad? Ok, maybe, just maybe, she felt so horrible she abruptly went to defensive-teenager mode.

*Rikki/Victoria blossomed. Seems to have a sensible head. Love how she held her dad accountable for his childish behavior and stuck up for her mom.

*David says his marriage brings him no relief (I think that was the word?) and that Jackie is like having another child. Hmm, who is the one running around trying to save the puppies from a snake, attempting to feed a dying lizard, and teaching her daughter how to cook while he is pouting and grumbling in front of the TV? 

*Yes Jackie dresses trampy and money has made her out-of-touch in some areas. But this is a woman with an engineering degree who seems to be a kind and balanced person. I expected an airhead who was yelling all the time. She didn't raise her voice once. She shows love and concern for her family and the people and creatures around her.    

*Richard said the people who come to the presentations are greedy mooches. (Hey what happened to _"It's our gift to you for your time"_?) I think that's what they tell themselves to justify lying and ripping people off---they think those people deserve it. Then later after everything collapses he says it's their customers that are keeping them afloat. I wonder if the irony was lost on him. 

All that said, I'm taking my own opinions with a grain of salt since it is an edited reality show.


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## pacodemountainside (Mar 8, 2014)

*Rerun*

For those who missed before,  movie is on CNBC  at 8:00 PM  Colorado time tonight!


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## bogey21 (Mar 8, 2014)

pacodemountainside said:


> For those who missed before,  movie is on CNBC  at 8:00 PM  Colorado time tonight!



Worth a look.

George


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## JudyS (Mar 9, 2014)

This thread got me to go watch the movie on Netflix. Turns out it has high critical acclaim.

Courtesy of Wikipedia:
 The documentary won the U.S. Directing Award at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, the Grand Jury Prize from the Brisbane International Film Festival, a Best Director Award from the RiverRun Film Festival, and the Special Jury Documentary Feature prize from the deadCenter Film Festival.....The film has met strong critical approval, earning a score of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes (95 of 100 reviews being positive), with an average score of 8/10 and the consensus statement, "The Queen of Versailles is a timely, engaging, and richly drawn portrait of the American Dream improbably composed of equal parts compassion and schadenfreude."

Washington Post columnist Ezra Klein called it "perhaps the single best film on the Great Recession", writing that one scene, in which Siegel recounts a series of transactions that allowed him to purchase at a fraction of its original value a loan on which he owes money, "might stand as the single most complete vignette on the mechanics of the financial crisis and the subsequent slow recovery."​
The film does a great job contrasting the 1% (the Siegels) with the 99% (for example, their Filipina maid who hasn't been able to see her own child in 20 years and cries both from missing her family and from feeling she has failed to support them adequately.) Still, I wish they had included at least one or two interviews with "typical" (that is, dissatisfied) Westgate owners, but perhaps the director's agreement with the Siegals would not permit that. (One does wonder, though: if there are some happy Westgate owners out there, why weren't they featured to back up Richard Siegal's claims of the great things Westgate does for its owners?) 

The video also really brought home how much our society values looks, especially in women. If you're a beauty queen, you get to hobnob with the rich and famous and can marry a billionaire -- not that marrying a billionaire is necessarily a good idea.


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## carl2591 (Mar 9, 2014)

JudyS said:


> This thread got me to go watch the movie on Netflix. Turns out it has high critical acclaim.
> 
> Courtesy of Wikipedia:
> The documentary won the U.S. Directing Award at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, the Grand Jury Prize from the Brisbane International Film Festival, a Best Director Award from the RiverRun Film Festival, and the Special Jury Documentary Feature prize from the deadCenter Film Festival.....The film has met strong critical approval, earning a score of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes (95 of 100 reviews being positive), with an average score of 8/10 and the consensus statement, "The Queen of Versailles is a timely, engaging, and richly drawn portrait of the American Dream improbably composed of equal parts compassion and schadenfreude."
> ...




too bad it will not air on CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX. That might be of more benefit to the poor smucks that are going to tour a WestGate property. 

I used to think a free market was better than a market with gov regulations. But when i look around and see guy like Siegal and other making MILLIONS of dollars and then laying off people to prop up earning I see a society that is morally bankrupt. 

Another good movie to see is one with Robert Reich called "In Equality for All". http://inequalityforall.com/ It on NetFlix for those that stream. 

He show how, going back to the early 20's, the middle class has gotten stronger and larger and then starting with Reagan steadily gotten smaller and smaller to be at the smallest point today than in the past 100 yrs. 

No matter what you call you self , demo- repo or indi, take a watch and see what you think. You might be surprised by this film. I was.


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## Patri (Mar 9, 2014)

Versailles started at 11 p.m. here. I watched a good hour but then had to sleep. Does it have a happy ending?

PS I just googled their name. They are back building. She wants a reality show. Will probably get it!


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