Empire Records is a 1995 comedy-drama about a group of record store employees. The film was directed by Allan Moyle and stars Anthony LaPaglia, Rory Cochrane, Renée Zellweger, Ethan Embry, and Liv Tyler.
Plot summary
Empire Records is a small record shop managed by the cynical Joe (Anthony LaPaglia). His employees are all local teenagers, many of whom are outsiders in some way or another (at one point in the movie they are referred to as gum chewing, tattooed, silver pierced freaks). During the open sequence Joe selects Lucas (Rory Cochrane) to close down the store unsupervised. While in the store alone, Lucas discovers that Empire Records is on the brink of being converted to a franchise of a chain called Music Town. In an attempt to save the store, Lucas takes the day's cash receipts to Atlantic City, where he loses it all.
The following morning, the young employees arrive for work. A washed-up pop star named Rex Manning (Maxwell Caulfield) is due to arrive to sign autographs, but no one is looking forward to it except Corey (Liv Tyler), a beautiful cashier who is obsessed with Rex and plans to lose her virginity to him. When good-natured stoner Mark (Ethan Embry) and an artist AJ (Johnny Whitworth) show up at the store, they discover what Lucas has done, and decide not to tell Joe.
When Joe arrives, already in a bad mood because of "Rex Manning Day," he finds the money gone. He becomes irate because, in order to protect Lucas, he will have to use his own savings to replace the stolen money. He had hoped to buy out Empire's owner, Mitchell Beck (Ben Bode), but lacks any realistic hope of doing so now that the money is gone.
Corey and her friend Gina (Renée Zellweger) arrive at work. While Joe tries to find (and "kill") Lucas, AJ decides that today is the day he will confess his love for Corey. Lucas arrives, and Joe forbids him to leave the store (or even the couch) until he is able to repay the $9,000.
As the store is opened, another employee, Deb (Robin Tunney), arrives. She is rude to her fellow workers and locks herself in the bathroom, where she shaves her head. As she exits the bathroom, AJ sees that she has a bandage on her wrist and she dryly admits that she attempted suicide. AJ is worried, but allows Deb to go to work.
Lucas leaves the couch to catch a young shoplifter (Brendan Sexton III), who sarcastically calls himself Warren Beatty. Rex Manning arrives with his assistant Jane (Debi Mazar). Rex is disappointed that the store is not bigger, and that the crowd is comprised mostly of older women. Corey, however, is still determined to sleep with him, and attempts to seduce him during his lunch break. Rex chases her away by dropping his zipper and saying "Rock and Roll". She flees, crying in embarrassment.
An ashamed Corey ends up on the roof of the store, where a lovesick AJ attempts to tell her how he feels. Corey is overwhelmed and tells him that she only sees him as a friend, and AJ leaves angrily.
As the day progresses, tensions are wearing high, and Joe is desperately trying to find enough money to pay Mitchell Beck by the end of the day. He eventually gives Mitchell an empty money bag, which buys him some more time. Gina, after an argument with Corey, successfully seduces Rex Manning, much to the horror of her friends. When Corey insults her and calls her a slut, Gina reveals that Corey is not as perfect as she seems, as she is constantly taking speed. Corey throws a fit, and it is Deb, surprisingly, who is able to calm her down. The two former enemies become friends.
Rex Manning finally leaves and Corey, after hearing about Deb's suicide attempt, arranges a "funeral" for her where all her friends gather around and say things that they love about her. At the end of the day, the young shoplifter whom Lucas had caught earlier returns with a gun and fires blanks in the store. He stops after Joe offers him a job. Running out of time, the employees of Empire Records try to think of a way to raise enough money to save the store. Mark comes up with the idea of holding a benefit party/concert, and all the staff members pitch in. Deb's boyfriend Berko (Coyote Shivers) plays with his band on the roof while Gina sings. Enough money is made to save the store. Afterwards, on the roof, Corey tells AJ that she really does love him. Jane, who has quit her job as Rex Manning's assistant, has become Joe's new girlfriend. The cast dances on the roof as the credits begin to roll.
Reaction and cult status
This teen comedy-drama did poorly at the box office and received generally negative reviews. As of February 2009, it has only a 24% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.com.[1] Roger Ebert called the film a "lost cause," but felt some of the actors might have a future in other, better films.[2].
The film has attracted and has maintained a devoted cult following since its release[citation needed], mainly among young adults who first saw the film as adolescents[citation needed]. Numerous web shrines have been created in the film's honor,[citation needed] and a special edit was released on DVD in 2003, after many years of petitioning from fans wanting the deleted scenes to be made available.[citation needed]
Original soundtrack
- "Til I Hear It from You" by Gin Blossoms
- "Liar" by The Cranberries
- "A Girl Like You" by Edwyn Collins
- "Free" by The Martinis
- "Crazy Life" by Toad the Wet Sprocket
- "Bright As Yellow" by The Innocence Mission
- "Circle of Friends" by Better Than Ezra
- "I Don't Want to Live Today" by Ape Hangers
- "Whole Lotta Trouble" by Cracker
- "Ready, Steady, Go" by The Meices
- "What You Are" by Drill
- "Nice Overalls" by Lustre
- "Here It Comes Again" by Please
- "The Ballad of El Goodo" by Evan Dando
- "Sugarhigh" by Coyote Shivers
- "The Honeymoon Is Over" by The Cruel Sea (This track only appears on the revised version of the soundtrack)
The version of the song "Sugarhigh" that appears in the movie differs significantly from the one included on the soundtrack. The main differences are that the movie version has additional lyrics and chorus vocals provided by Renée Zellweger and it is musically one semitone lower than the CD version.
Also notably absent from the soundtrack are the tracks "This Is The Day" by The The, played during the rooftop dancing scene before the closing credits, "Seems" by Queen Sarah Saturday, chosen by Mark after he wins the M&M challenge whilst preparing to open the store, and the song "Plowed" by Sponge.
Main cast
References
External links
