Bringemovies
← Browse Movies
Empire City
TITLE DETAILS

Empire City

1985-07-01 · 89 min · ★ 9.0

Documentary · History

A film essay contrasting the modern metropolis with its "golden age" from 1830-1930, with the participation of some of New York's leading political and cultural figures. Made at a time when the city was experiencing unprecedented real estate development on the one hand and unforeseen displacement of population and deterioration on the other. Empire City is the story of two New Yorks. The film explores the precarious coexistence of the service-based midtown Manhattan corporate headquarters with the peripheral New York of undereducated minorities living in increasing alienation.

Open detail page

Trailers are previews, not full movies.

No authorized playback source configured. Use the legal watch options below.

Production details

Directors
Michael Blackwood
Production companies
Michael Blackwood Productions
Countries
United States of America
Status
Released

Top Cast

Donald TrumpDonald TrumpSelf
Ed KochEd KochSelf
Jane JacobsSelf
Elia KazanElia KazanSelf
Norman MailerNorman MailerSelf
Arthur MillerArthur MillerSelf
Jason RobardsJason RobardsSelf - Narrator (voice)

Title information and images are supplied by TMDb. Explore our discovery guide for advice on comparing metadata and legal viewing options.

Where to watch

Availability provided by JustWatch via TMDb. Offers can change. Provider links are listed on TMDb; full playback requires a separately authorized source.

Streaming

Eternal Family

Rental

Amazon Video

Purchase

Amazon Video

Free

Kanopy

View authorized watch options on TMDb

Recommendations

9/11: Inside the President's War Room
★ 6.9
9/11: Inside the President's War Room2021Documentary · History

Experience the events of September 11, 2001 through the eyes of President Bush and his closest advisors as they personally detail the crucial hours and key decisions from that historic day.

Audrey
★ 7.1
Audrey2020Documentary · History

An unprecedented and intimate look at the life, work and enduring legacy of British actress Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993).

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound
★ 6.9
Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound2019Documentary · History

The history of cinematic sound, told by legendary sound designers and visionary filmmakers.

Salinger
★ 6.4
Salinger2013Documentary

An in-depth investigation into the private world of the American writer J. D. Salinger (1919-2010), who lived most of his life behind the impenetrable wall of a self-imposed seclusion: how his dramatic experiences during World War II influenced his life and work, his relationships with very young women, his obsessive writing methods, his many literary secrets.

Looking for Richard
★ 6.8
Looking for Richard1996Documentary

Al Pacino's deeply-felt rumination on Shakespeare's significance and relevance to the modern world through interviews and an in-depth analysis of "Richard III."

Seduced and Abandoned
★ 6.2
Seduced and Abandoned2013Documentary

SEDUCED AND ABANDONED combines acting legend Alec Baldwin with director James Toback as they lead us on a troublesome and often hilarious journey of raising financing for their next feature film. Moving from director to financier to star actor, the two players provide us with a unique look behind the curtain at the world's biggest and most glamourous film festival, shining a light on the bitter-sweet relationship filmmakers have with Cannes and the film business. Featuring insights from directors Martin Scorsese, 'Bernando Bertolucci' and Roman Polanski; actors Ryan Gosling and Jessica Chastain and a host of film distribution luminaries.

I Am Heath Ledger
★ 7.4
I Am Heath Ledger2017Documentary

The life and career of an actor, artist, and icon. His own journey through his own camera.

Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye
★ 7.2
Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye2022Documentary

Join the likes of Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, Florence Pugh, and Vincent D’Onofrio as they reveal how Marvel Studios’ “Hawkeye” was conceived and created. Witness firsthand what it took to pull off the show’s pulse-pounding action set pieces, and discover how iconic characters from the pages of Marvel Comics such as Kate Bishop were adapted and brought to life for the six-episode series.

Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20
★ 7.2
Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/202022Documentary

An inside look at one of the most anticipated movie sequels ever with James Cameron and cast.

Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi's Return
★ 6.8
Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi's Return2022Documentary

This special explores the return of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to the screen, as well as Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen to their classic roles. Director Deborah Chow leads the cast and crew as they create new heroes and villains that live alongside new incarnations of beloved Star Wars characters, and an epic story that dramatically bridges the saga films.

The Unknown Known
★ 6.8
The Unknown Known2013Documentary · History

Former United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld discusses his career in Washington D.C. from his days as a congressman in the early 1960s to planning the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Titanic: 20 Years Later with James Cameron
★ 6.6
Titanic: 20 Years Later with James Cameron2017Documentary · History

For the 20th anniversary of "Titanic," James Cameron reopens the file on the disaster.

Capitalism: A Love Story
★ 7.1
Capitalism: A Love Story2009Documentary · History

Michael Moore comes home to the issue he's been examining throughout his career: the disastrous impact of corporate dominance on the everyday lives of Americans (and by default, the rest of the world).

The Class of ‘92
★ 7.1
The Class of ‘922013Documentary

A detailing of the rise to prominence and global sporting superstardom of six supremely talented young Manchester United football players (David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil and Gary Neville). The film covers the period 1992-1999, culminating in Manchester United's European Cup triumph.

National Gallery
★ 7.3
National Gallery2014Documentary

A portrait of the day-to-day operations of the National Gallery of London, that reveals the role of the employees and the experiences of the Gallery's visitors. The film portrays the role of the curators and conservators; the education, scientific, and conservation departments; and the audience of all kinds of people who come to experience it.

John Candy: I Like Me
★ 7.9
John Candy: I Like Me2025Documentary

Those who knew iconic funnyman John Candy best share his story, in their own words, through never-before-seen archival footage, imagery, and interviews.

Sidney
★ 6.9
Sidney2022Documentary

This revealing documentary honors the legendary Sidney Poitier—iconic actor, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. Featuring interviews with Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Halle Berry, and more.

Making Squid Game: The Challenge
★ 8.0
Making Squid Game: The Challenge2023Documentary

Go behind the scenes and witness how the "Squid Game"-inspired reality show transformed from a scripted drama to a cutthroat, nail-biting competition.

RBG
★ 7.5
RBG2018Documentary

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg now 84, and still inspired by the lawyers who defended free speech during the Red Scare, Ginsburg refuses to relinquish her passionate duty, steadily fighting for equal rights for all citizens under the law. Through intimate interviews and unprecedented access to Ginsburg’s life outside the court, RBG tells the electric story of Ginsburg’s consuming love affairs with both the Constitution and her beloved husband Marty—and of a life’s work that led her to become an icon of justice in the highest court in the land.

Best of Enemies
★ 7.2
Best of Enemies2015Documentary · History

A documentary about the legendary series of nationally televised debates in 1968 between two great public intellectuals, the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr. Intended as commentary on the issues of their day, these vitriolic and explosive encounters came to define the modern era of public discourse in the media, marking the big bang moment of our contemporary media landscape when spectacle trumped content and argument replaced substance. Best of Enemies delves into the entangled biographies of these two great thinkers, and luxuriates in the language and the theater of their debates, begging the question, "What has television done to the way we discuss politics in our democracy today?"

Similar titles

Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace
★ 6.3
Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace2019Documentary · History

Celebrating the splendor and grandeur of the great cinemas of the United States, built when movies were the acme of entertainment and the stories were larger than life, as were the venues designed to show them. The film also tracks the eventual decline of the palaces, through to today’s current preservation efforts. A tribute to America’s great art form and the great monuments created for audiences to enjoy them in.

Palladio Potatoes Piano Piano: Building a Villa in 29 Scenes
Not rated
Palladio Potatoes Piano Piano: Building a Villa in 29 Scenes2008Documentary

2005-2008. Video. In 2005 San Francisco real estate magnate Angelo Sangiacomo commissioned Strickland to make a movie that would chronicle final stages in the construction of his new house in Pebble Beach, CA. Amidst the spectacle of the building site, the videographer sought to portray a design project of operatic proportions that involved a sometimes dissonant cast of characters and took more than 6 years to unfold. The owners hoped that this video record might lend future visibility to a structure’s bones and soul that otherwise vanish from sight by the time building is completed.

10 Years
Not rated
10 Years2025Documentary

Shot shortly before and after the 2024 presidential election, 15 different people answer one question, "What will the United States be like in 10 years?"

The Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright
★ 9.0
The Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright1983Documentary

Documentary on the work of Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture.

Architects Herzog and deMeuron: The Alchemy of Building & The Tate Modern
Not rated
Architects Herzog and deMeuron: The Alchemy of Building & The Tate Modern2001Documentary

Visiting examples of Herzog and de Meurons ground-breaking style, this film reflects their capacity to astonish and explore the way in which they transform what might otherwise be ordinary through new treatments and techniques.

Who’s Counting? Marilyn Waring on Sex, Lies and Global Economics
★ 10.0
Who’s Counting? Marilyn Waring on Sex, Lies and Global Economics1995Documentary

This documentary profiles economist and writer Marilyn Waring. In extensive interviews, Waring details her feminist approach to finances and challenges commonly accepted truths about the global economy. The filmmakers detail Waring's early rise to political prominence and her successful protests against nuclear arms. Waring also speaks candidly about wartime economies, suggesting that government policies tend to marginalize the fiscal contributions of women.

Basquiat
★ 6.6
Basquiat1996History

The brief life of Jean Michel Basquiat, a world renowned New York street artist struggling with fame, drugs and his identity.

The Great North
Not rated
The Great North2024Documentary

Beginning at the industrial revolution of the ‘great north’, Jenn Nkiru draws lines between peoples, cities, countries, buildings, movements, bodies and spaces(s) using a mixture of archive materials and new footage. There is little stillness as we are pushed and pulled through Black histories and communities across the city of Manchester and beyond. Nkiru has termed this filmmaking process “cosmic archeology”, and it is grounded in Afro-surrealism, experimental film and the Black arts movement.

Paul Robeson: Here I Stand
★ 8.0
Paul Robeson: Here I Stand1999Documentary

Paul Robeson: Here I Stand presents the life and achievements of an extraordinary man. Athlete, singer, and scholar, Robeson was also a charismatic champion of the rights of the poor working man, the disfranchised and people of color. He led a life in the vanguard of many movements, achieved international acclaim for his music and suffered tremendous personal sacrifice. His story is one of the great dramas of the 20th century, spanning an international canvas of social upheaval and ideological controversy.

One October
★ 6.3
One October2017Documentary

Reporter Clay Pigeon interviews New Yorkers in October, 2008.

Dorchester: au coeur de la mêlée
Not rated
Dorchester: au coeur de la mêlée2025Documentary

Under Dorchester Square in Montreal lies the cemetery where 55,000 people were buried in the 19th century. The square is still at the heart of social conflicts in Quebec, 150 years later.

Fascism Inc.
★ 5.9
Fascism Inc.2014Documentary

Unknown short stories from the past, the present and the future of fascism and its relation to the economic interests of each era. We will travel from Mussolini’s Italy to Greece under the Nazi occupation, the civil war and the dictatorship; and from Hitler’s Germany to the modern European and Greek fascism.

Francesco Borromini, génie du baroque romain
Not rated
Francesco Borromini, génie du baroque romain2019Documentary

Time Keeps Marching On
Not rated
Time Keeps Marching On2026Documentary

An undocumented immigrant explores his and his family's immigration trauma while grasping hope through a voicemail.

Emmanuel Macron: Behind the Rise
★ 6.6
Emmanuel Macron: Behind the Rise2017Documentary

Deputy General Secretary at the Elysée to candidate for the presidency of the Republic, the novice in politics went from the shadows to the light in a very short time. For 200 days, our cameras followed him behind the scenes of his campaign and his exceptional ascent. For eight months we were the only ones allowed to follow the candidate Emmanuel Macron with our camera behind the scenes of this exceptional campaign. From the announcement of his candidature until his election on May 7, we propose you an exclusive documentary allowing you to live from inside the campaign of Emmanuel Macron in the manner of a political thriller.

The Get By: Making It on the Streets of NYC
Not rated
The Get By: Making It on the Streets of NYC2010Documentary

A Queens man has discovered enough hidden treasure — bits of diamonds, rubies, platinum and gold — on the gritty sidewalks of Midtown’s Diamond District to make a living.

Ainsi soit Macron
★ 6.0
Ainsi soit Macron2017Documentary

The meteoric path of Emmanuel Macron made him pass in three years of almost anonymity to the presidency of the Republic. Yet, even though the media have followed him every day during his campaign, no one really knows him. Politics has spoken, progressive, social and liberal at the same time, but man remains an enigma. Behind the official story-telling, what is the true personality of the one who is going to lead France? What are its strengths, its weaknesses? Thanks to unpublished images and exclusive testimonials, including that of his wife Brigitte, this film tells the pivotal moments of the new President's career and reveals the deep motivations that animate him. Investigation of a meteor become President.

Poster unavailable
Not rated
Ruy Mauro Marini and the Dependancy DialeticsDocumentary

Ruy Mauro Marini was a brazilian sociologist who developed the Marxist Dependancy Theory, to explain the development of latin american nations due their place in the global capitalism. This film, through multiple interviews, gives a short overview of his life and work.

Poster unavailable
Not rated
Anonymous2017Documentary

A short film about the changing face of London Soho and the implications of gentrification on Mimi, an aging transvestite.

Red, White and Blue
★ 4.1
Red, White and Blue1971Documentary

A documentary about the hearings of President Nixon's Commission on Obscenity, featuring adult-film producer David F. Friedman (one of the producers of this film) testifying before Congress, and involved in the production of one of his films, "Trader Hornee."

Your favorites

Recently viewed

Watch

Choose an authorized server.

Full video from an operator-configured authorized source. Official trailers use a separate player. If a server fails, retry or select another authorized server.

Legal watch options

Official trailer

Trailer preview only. Press Play to start.

Privacy choices

Favorites stay in your browser. Movie images load from TMDb. YouTube trailers contact YouTube only after you allow external media and choose a trailer. Advertising consent, if ads are enabled, is managed separately by the operator’s certified CMP.

Privacy policy

After allowing external media, choose the trailer button to load its player.