Empire Records

[Scott Free]

Just say this one for the first time a few days ago, and I can't begin to describe how much I love it. Honestly it's easily in my top 10 movies now, and Lucas is probably one of the best characters.

Anyone else enjoy it as much as I did?

[SUPERECWFAN1]

It was good for what it was in the 90's. I know that after the movie became a cultish thing in the 90's there was a rumored Network series coming. But I think they rejected it as a pilot. Its one of those shows that I don't feel could have held up as a series anyhow.

[Paradox]

I don't think I have to explain my art to you, Warren.

[stealthwise]

Overrated as hell, imo. I remember seeing it as a kid and not getting it, and seeing it last year and thinking "man, I was totally right." The characters are the same disillusioned, sarcastic bastards that were stereotypically "cool" in the 90s for their gen-x poser wardrobes and attitudes, made even hipper by the fact that they all inhabited a record store.

Junk this flick and see High Fidelity, which at least has a true emotional core to it. Plus: Jack Black!

[SUPERECWFAN1]

The soundtrack really is perhaps the best part of the movie. Its just a good 90's soundtrack of music.

[tangentman]

When the trailer ran in '95, I remember a particular line: "This is Deb. She shaved her head. Now she wishes she was dead." I love Robin Tunney, but the sheer pretentiousness of that line a friend and I loao so hard! Yeah, the movie also seemed stereotypically "Nineties", although I enjoyed Ethan Embry, Robin Tunney, and Liv Tyler.

[Conn Seanery]

It was entertaining on a basic level and has some funny moments, but I always thought this movie suffered from trying way too hard to be the movie of its generation. Joe's store being the big brother program for wayward youths and shoehorning the climax of everyone's personal drama into one day was all cheesy as hell.

I did really like the whole Rex Manning (washed-up musician) thing, I thought that was a riot.

[J. Robb]

If you want to get the attention of a woman in her mid- to late-twenties, say "This reminds me of that scene from Empire Records..."

[chaox]

What's with today, today?

It's one of my most loved childhood flicks.

[glue]

Junk this flick and see High Fidelity, which at least has a true emotional core to it. Plus: Jack Black!

I'm telling you this for your own good, that's the worst fucking sweater I've ever seen.

That's my favorite non-D Black performance by far.

I loved Empire Records when I first saw it right after high school. Now I see it as a crappy version of a type of movie I don't like.

[stealthwise]

I'm telling you this for your own good, that's the worst fucking sweater I've ever seen.

That's my favorite non-D Black performance by far.

I loved Empire Records when I first saw it right after high school. Now I see it as a crappy version of a type of movie I don't like.

It's a COSBY sweater!

[chaox]

High Fidelity is an excellent flick(I love Nick Hornby) but it can't really be compared to Empire Records. It's way above that film.

[Scott Free]

Oh I've seen High Fidelity, and its clearly better (because of John Cusack though, not Jack Black), but I still really enjoyed this movie. Renee Zellewegger was endlessly annoying, but otherwise it was great.

[meethraa]

I used to watch this one about three times a year. Definitely one of my favorites at the time, but I'm honestly not sure I'd enjoy it very much nowadays.

The punk who walks in to steal stuff and ends up working at the store is timeless, though.

[KenK]

The soundtrack really is perhaps the best part of the movie. Its just a good 90's soundtrack of music.

Well, that was the thing that always got me, I ALWAYS heard songs from the soundtrack, and the DJs on the radio would say "From the Empire Records Soundtrack", and I'd be like "When the fuck is this movie coming out?!?!" Come to find out, it just never really did. I just always found it odd that the soundtrack was more of a hit than the actual movie.

But I enjoyed the movie, and still do. Even if the overall story isn't the best, I loved the characters. You don't get much better than Ethan Embry as a kid in desperate need of Ritalin! And the whole Rex Manning subplot is pure gold!! I can't only fault the film so much.

As for comparing it to High Fidelity, beyond both films have characters who work in a record store, they're not really similar enough to the point of comparison. They serve completely different purposes.

[Deathstroke]

I love the movie.

However, I love the original cut of the movie. When they put out an extended version of the movie with scenes cut back in, it threw off the movie...badly.

[KenK]

I love the movie.

However, I love the original cut of the movie. When they put out an extended version of the movie with scenes cut back in, it threw off the movie...badly.

What'd included in the "extended version", if you don't mind my asking?

[Deathstroke]

What'd included in the "extended version", if you don't mind my asking?

I'd have to look it up, but it was just some really quick scenes added back in to the film that REALLY didn't need to be there.

[Pixie_Solanas]

As someone's who actually paid money to see this film in the theater on its original run, I am gobsmacked that anyone would give a rat's ass about it 15 years later.

And the soundtrack wasn't THAT great, unless you were into middling, milquetoast bands from the mid-90s (Edwyn Collins excepted, of course). Toad the Wet Sprocket? Gin Blossoms? Better than Ezra? I pray to god I never hear these bands again.

But hey, who can predict cult classicdom?

[brundlefly]

Overrated as hell, imo. I remember seeing it as a kid and not getting it, and seeing it last year and thinking "man, I was totally right." The characters are the same disillusioned, sarcastic bastards that were stereotypically "cool" in the 90s for their gen-x poser wardrobes and attitudes, made even hipper by the fact that they all inhabited a record store.

Junk this flick and see High Fidelity, which at least has a true emotional core to it. Plus: Jack Black!

Sums up my take pretty well. I think the same thing about Reality Bites, another mediocre, navel-gazing flick that also thought it was the "movie of its generation." And, just to name two examples, the Singles and Crow soundtracks both smoke the Empire Records soundtrack as far as "standout 90s movie soundtracks" go, so it doesn't have that going for it, either.