... This time under my microscope goes 1997's much-missed gem Empire Records.
Directed by Allan Moyle, who also directed Pump Up The Volume, this is the story of a record store, unsurprisingly called Empire Records, and it's wide array of weird and wonderful employees.
The plot revolves ... Read review
This comedy cult sensation about the young slackers and dreamers that hang around a local ... more
record store cranks it up another notch in an awesome Special Fun Edition with 16 minutes of cool added footage not seen in cinemas. In one of the most dynamic song scores ever, tunes by Gin Blossoms, The Cranberries, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Cracker, Evan Dando, Better Than Ezra and more set off virtually every scene. if the music isn't enough, check out the stellar cast including Liv Tyler, Renee Zellweger, Anthony La Paglia, Maxwell Caulfield, Debi Mazar, Rory Cochrane and more. This is digitally remastered, full-loaded DVD will rock your world!
Production Year: 1995 - Drama - Director: Ang Lee - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Greg Wise, Hugh Laurie, Robert Hardy
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Advantages: Everything really but particularly the soundtrack and script. Disadvantages: Why can't I work somewhere this cool
...microscope goes 1997's much-missed gem Empire Records.
Directed by Allan Moyle, who also directed Pump Up The Volume, this is the story of a record store, unsurprisingly called Empire Records, and it's wide array of weird and wonderful employees.
The plot revolves around 24 hours at the store, "Rex Manning Day", don't worry all will become clear. The business, run by Joe ( Anthony Laplagia ) is in trouble ... ...and in attitude, everything that Empire is not. Joe has quietly amassed enough money to nearly buy the place but has not told any of the employees this. So when Lucas ( Rory Cochrane ) is left in charge to close up he decides to take matters into his own hands and goes to Atlantic City with the days takings to gamble his way to saving Empire Records, obvously he fails.
And in a nut shell that is the plot, ailing record store, can ... more
Okay, so you are all beginning to suspect that I'm either the oldest teenager in town or sadly harking back to my teen years. Well, I have to admit that maybe I shouldn't find all these teen-flicks so damned entertaining but I do, so what the hell here comes another review of another teen-flick. This time under my microscope goes 1997's much-missed gem Empire Records.
Directed by Allan Moyle, who also directed Pump Up The Volume, this is the story of a record store, unsurprisingly called Empire Records, and it's wide array of weird and wonderful employees.
The plot revolves around 24 hours at the store, "Rex Manning Day", don't worry all will become clear. The business, run by Joe ( Anthony Laplagia ) is in trouble and about to be sold and changed into a Music Town store, a commercial chain of record stores and in attitude, everything that Empire is not. Joe has quietly amassed enough money to nearly buy the place but has not told any of the employees this. So when Lucas ( Rory Cochrane ) is left in charge to close up he decides to take matters into his own hands and goes to Atlantic City with the days takings to gamble his way to saving Empire Records, obvously he fails.
And in a nut shell that is the plot, ailing record store, can it be saved? The rest of the film centres around the next day which could now well be one of the last days of the Empire. Doesn't sound much does it but this film is Cool with a capital C.
The rest of the cast is just about the coolest collection of characters ever assembled for one film. Firstly there is A.J ( Johnny Whitworth ) an aspiring art student who is infatuated with co-worker Corey (Liv Tyler ), and to be honest who can blame him. Corey, herself is a shy girl who is going to Harvard just to please her father. She also plans on losing her virginity to aging greasy crooner Rex Manning ( Maxwell Caulfield ) when he goes to the store for a record signing day.....see I told you Rex Manning day would soon make sense!
Also there is the suicidal Debra ( Robin Tunney ),a real rebel without a cause and her rock 'n' roll boyfriend Berko, played by real life rock star Coyote Shivers. Their relationship isn't really explored but there is a touching moment when the group arrange a funeral for Debra to show her how much she would be missed if she ever succeeded in killing herself. The other female worker is "turbo-slut" Gina played by the wonderful Renee Zellweger.
Finally there are my two favourite employees at Empire Records, Mark and Eddie, played by newcomers Ethan Randall and Brendan Sexton. These two are your typical spaced out rocker teens and they have most of my favourite scenes in the movie. Perhaps my favourite part in the movie is when Mark has a daydream involving him playing guitar for freaky Metal band Gwar. This of course happens as he is eating some of Eddie's "special-recipe" cakes.
There are a lot of excellent set pieces in the movie and plenty to entertain you and the performances, while not oscar-winning are certainly a cut above the usual standard found in these sort of films. And as for the ending, well if there's a better feel-good finish in any movie from this genre I have yet to see it. It really does leave the viewer with a warm-glow, not in a soppy sappy way but just genuinely happy.
Arguably the greatest selling point of this film is the incredible soundtrack, my favourite of all-time. It features one major hit, A Girl Like You by Edwyn Collins, which is probably the weakest track. The rest of the soundtrack consists of some great rock and indie songs by the likes of The Gin Blossoms, The Cranberries and Evan Dando. There are also some excellent tracks by some lesser known bands like Please and Drill. As Eddie observes "music is the glue which holds the world together", and this album certainly helps to hold this film together.
In conclusion, this is not the greatest film ever made but it is the coolest.....by a long way. If you want a piece of sheer entertainment at it's best then you could do a lot worse than taking a visit to the Empire, for those of you that have seen it, well all I can say is "Damn The Man" and take another trip to the hippest shop around.
...meaningless."
Released in 1995, Empire Records remains a rather underrated yet classic teen flick. Whereas Kevin Smith's Clerks focused on a day in the life of two convenience store clerks, Empire Records centres on a day in the life of a music store and it's troubled employees
Storyline
==========
The film begins with Lucas (Rory Cochrane), whose life "has reached its pinnacle. Joe is letting me close the store tonight." While he does so, however, ... ...which Lucas and his friends work, is due to become a Musictown store. Musictown, we come to understand, is one of those cookie-cutter music chains where revealing clothing, tattoos, and excessive jewellery are forbidden. Thinking that this probably puts all of his friends out of a job, Lucas does the only thing he can: he steals the night's cash deposit and heads for Atlantic City. During an amusing casino sequence, Lucas loses the $9000 store deposit. ...
kimy 13.12.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Empire Records (DVD)
Advantages: great characterisation, fun Disadvantages: a little silly at times (but is that necessarily a bad thing?)
...work at a store called Empire Records - sort of a "Mallrats with music". This day happens to be the day that has-been pop star Rex Manning is going to be at the store, and (more worryingly) the day after Lucas, one of the employees, has lost all of the money from the safe in a casino. All nine thousand dollars of it. Money that Joe, the boss, was going to use to try to buy out the jackass owner of the store. Before he sells it to Music Town and the ... ...manage to sort out her problems? And will Joe, Lucas, et al manage to save Empire Records in its current incarnation? I'd recommend you watch the film to get the answers. Because if you start watching, you'll really get to know the characters and you'll really care how it ends! ...
Pmshack99 18.01.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Empire Records (DVD)
Advantages: probably the best low budget film ever Disadvantages: a bit dated now
...The manager of Empire was saving money too stop this from happening but seeing as how Lucas, who is also the manager's son stole, the manager has to pay back the money out of his own pocket. They end up having a massive party to raise money so that the current manager can buy Empire. Guess what - They manage!!!
Ok now i know your thinking what a crap plot - now it would be if it weren't for the actors. The workers come from all walks of backgrouds, ... ...Now i can't see Empire because they haven't released it on DVD yet. I was charged 9.99 from HMV. And the rating is a 12.
It lasts around 86 minutes.
The sun describes it as " This is a must see movie".
And for once i agree with the sun.
(ignore the SFX evaluation it doesn't have any) ...
emma1984 19.05.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Empire Records (DVD)
Advantages: Quirky, fun and great soundtrack Disadvantages: Predictable and a little sappy on occasions
I first watched Empire records as a teenager and thought it was one of the best films ever made. Now nostalgia can make me watch it again and again and although I have down-graded it somewhat from 'World's Greatest Movie', I still feel that this is a good film about young adult life and deserves to be a teen classic. The film is about a group of teenagers who work in an independent record store (called Empire Records) run by Joe. The story opens ... ...ends up losing it all. Empire Records now in serious danger of having to be sold to the chain, the film follows one day in the life of the store and it's employees and their personal ups and downs as well as, somewhat inevitably, their plans to save the store from being taken over. Empire records can be predictable as it doesn't deviate far from the standard tales of teenage issues. Also the characters are not beyond cliche with the gormless, chilled-out ...
flyingllamas 29.06.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Empire Records (DVD)
Advantages: A real feelgood film Disadvantages: Can't remember how to spell Renee Whatever's name!
"Empire Records" is one of my most favourite films ever! It tells the story of the employees of a little US record store, and is a stunning little film. It stars Liv Tyler, Maxwell Caldfield and Renee Zeitweger (is that how you spell it? You know, the one from "Jerry Maguire" and "Me Myself And Irene"). The story revolves around one day in this particular store and man, what a day it is! For one, Lucas, one of the employees has gone loopy! He was ... ...night and instead of banking the cash, he went ot Atlantic City and gambled it all! (But his reasons for doing it were admirable, he found a letter about a proposed takeover by MusicTown, a chainstore for God's sake, and decided he'd make Joe the money to buy out the lease!) So Lucas is acting like a cross between Yoda and the little chinese guy from "Karate Kid" by spouting words of wisdom. Joe is mad, understandably, but it's also Rex Manning Day! ...
minxette 05.03.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Empire Records (DVD)
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Aside from Glass' score, there is appropriate use of classical pieces by Luciano Pavarotti, including the powerful "Nessun Dorma." The only song that feels out of place among all the opera tunes is Liz Phair's "Count on My Love" which came off her most recent album. I'm a huge Phair fan, and I respect anyone who chooses the underground indie artist over pop mainstream slop which usually finds their place on those stupid "That's What I Call Music" cds. However, a great soundtrack does not a great movie make, and we all should have learned our lessons after the atrocity EMPIRERECORDS. The bottom line is, Hollywood, we need a romantic comedy that is much more nourishing than this one. 'Nuff said. The Blu Ray DVD of NO RESERVATIONS ...
A comical look at the lives and loves of a group of youngsters who work at the local record store. A corporate takeover has the store manager in a fix.
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