Drop Dead City is the first-ever documentary about the New York City fiscal crisis of 1975, an extraordinary, overlooked episode in urban American history that saw an already crumbling city of 8 million people brought to the edge of bankruptcy and social chaos by a perfect storm of greed, incompetence, ambitious social policy and poor governance.

Named after the famous New York Daily News headline “Ford to City: Drop Dead,” Drop Dead City overturns present day assumptions about politics and compromise, showing what bitter rivals achieved through shared sacrifice. It stands as a cautionary tale to every city facing post-Covid challenges of plunging revenue and ever-greater public service obligations.

Built entirely of 16mm archival footage, it features present day interviews with people who were "in the room," in an immersive, ticking-clock drama, by following a year in the life and near-death of this iconic city. It examines the origins of the crisis and documents the increasingly desperate clashes of stakeholders - unions, banks, local, state and federal governments, and average citizens  - as, together, they slide ever nearer to the unthinkable - bankruptcy. 

The film speaks to the three basic questions that have confounded and divided generations of Americans:  What does a government owe its citizens; Who pays; Who gets to decide?

These are unprecedented times for Americans, and for our public institutions. The systematic dismantling of the administrative state, as well as the demonizing of public servants, is something we are watching happen every day.  The playbook of today’s right-wing government bashing has it’s roots in the rightward swing of the Republican Party in the 1970’s.  NYC’s near-bankruptcy was a critical event in this transformation.  

As Drop Dead City shows, the Ford White House was dominated by Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney. They were young midwestern conservatives who were determined to shrink the role of the government in society. Former Governor of NY State, Nelson Rockefeller, who had been appointed Ford’s vice-President, came under their crosshairs. They hated him and the Eastern Establishment he represented: Liberal Republicans. They were determined to punish and use NYC as an example, while also trying to stay ahead of the Reagan wing of the party.  

Drop Dead City addresses these themes and ideologies, and examines the origins of NYC’s problems with an even hand. Was it the banks, the unions, the poor who were arriving, or the rich who were leaving? Was it the recession? Was it cynicism in the White House or incompetence in City Hall?  

At the heart of the film is an appreciation of everything a great liberal city can be. New York City, the most disputatious city on Earth, where self-interest and public interest were discovered as the same.  

What the critics are saying about Drop Dead City.  Also, the film is currently at a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 

An extraordinary historical documentary. The delight of “Drop Dead City” is that it’s a symphony of voices, past and present. Tells an enormously complex story… with a deft touch and a brisk sense of wonder.” - Richard Brody, The New Yorker

“An evenhanded account of how things got so bad, who was to blame, and what New York inevitably lost in the process.” - Alissa Wilkerson,  The New York Times

"The footage from the period paints a vivid depiction of the era; how people dressed, talked and interacted (the music choices on the soundtrack enhance this portraiture) as the filmmakers effectively show how the complexity of NYC led to financial chaos." 
- Joseph Neff, Spectrum Culture

"The archival footage is splendid...The filmmakers also convey, crisply and succinctly, what exactly made the city so expensive to maintain.” - Jason Bailey, RogerEbert

“Drop Dead City succeeds superbly... Entertaining and unexpectedly poignant.” 
- Chris Barsanti, Pop Matters

“Gripping. "Drop Dead City” charts how those pivotal months of 1975 unfolded like a thriller. A fascinating glimpse into how New York City's financial crisis revealed a crack in the liberal dream.” - Owen Gleiberman, Variety

“Despite its focus on events 50 years ago, the film raises striking parallels with the present. The 103-minute film is a visual delight for anyone who enjoys footage of vintage New York City...Set to a funk and soul soundtrack that would make Quentin Tarantino’s music supervisor bow in respect." - WNYC / Gothamist