Jane Jacobs

Writer and urban activist Jane Jacobs fights to save historic New York City during the ruthless redevelopment era of urban planner Robert Moses in the 1960s.

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.

Author and activist Jane Jacobs talks about the problems and virtues of North American cities.

Something of an anomaly, this cornball early Sin City feature is about relatives scheming to get Big Daddy's inheritance as he lies on his deathbed. Line readings are consistently dull, and the portly actor Robert Dunn playing Big Daddy gets to ham it up. Star billling goes to his nurse Tanya Rivers, a hint that she will have more to do in the story than all those greedy relatives. There's no screenplay credit and it stinks. The many sex scenes mix and match cast members and make no sense, just "time for a threesome" or other porno logic at work instead. There's nobody to root for, building to a surprise, very stupid ending. The only point of interest for me was wondering who played the doctor, who is uncredited. He returns at the end with a long recitation scene, and I realized it is Jake Jacobs, the cinematographer (and later actor playing "older man" roles as "Jay Crew").