Koch

Entertaining, if flawed, documentary about Ed Koch
I saw this movie some 2 months ago in the theatre here in Cincinnati, and notice that it is now finally listed on Amazon as a future DVD release.

"Koch" (2013 release; 95 min.) is an entertaining, if flawed, movie about Ed Koch, the three-term mayor of New York (1978-1989). The movie can essentially be divided up in two (concurrent) parts: there is a look back at Koch's tenure as New York's mayor, and that is interspersed with a look at how Koch goes about his life when the movie is filmed (in 2010), giving his candid thoughts on anyone and everything. By far the best part of the movie is the first half hour, as we see how Koch wins a tough election race as an underdog against Mario Cuomo and others, and then gets to deal with the state of affairs in New York, at that time as good as bankrupt (finacially and otherwise). The archival footage from those days remains fascinating to watch. We see Koch dealing with the housing crisis, the AIDS crisis, and so on. What is alomost...

a warts-and-all biography of one of NYC's most colorful figures
Marking the directorial debut of journalist Neil Barsky, the documentary "Koch" provides us with a comprehensive look at one of the most outspoken, colorful and controversial mayors in New York City history. Ed Koch served in that role for three tumultuous terms, from 1978 to 1989. He continued on as a robust, politically active advocate for the city he loved until his death on February 1, 2013 at the ripe old age of 88 (an event that happened shortly after the release of the movie).

The movie begins in 1977, a low point in New York City history, when the city itself was facing bankruptcy, the serial killer known as the Son of Sam was terrorizing the citizenry, and crime and hopelessness were the order of the day. It was into this quagmire of despair and seemingly intractable problems that a comparatively obscure New York congressman named Ed Koch ran for and won the highest office in the biggest city in America. The movie goes on to chronicle the ups and downs of Koch's...

Well-researched and entertaining documentary!
Mayor Ed Koch was truly a "love him or hate him" guy, I suppose, but he was always entertaining! Frankly, this was better than I expected and the producers seemed to get most of the facts straight (not always the case in these "documentaries.")

Had they waited just a bit longer, they could have covered Koch's funeral, where the church organist even dropped in a few bars of "New York, New York!"

Great history lesson for those who weren't around during the Mayor's tenure, too. Raise your hand if you remember that, while mayor, Ed once hosted SNL!

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