Empire Records (1995)

24 hours in the lives of the young employees at Empire Records when they all grow up and become young adults thanks to each other and the manager. They all face the store joining a chain store with strict rules.

Director:

Allan Moyle

Writer:

Carol Heikkinen

Stars:

Anthony LaPaglia, Debi Mazar, Maxwell Caulfield

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anthony LaPaglia	...	Joe Reaves
Maxwell Caulfield	...	Rex Manning
Debi Mazar	...	Jane
Rory Cochrane	...	Lucas
Johnny Whitworth	...	A.J.
Robin Tunney	...	Debra
Renée Zellweger	...	Gina (as Renee Zellweger)
Ethan Embry	...	Mark (as Ethan Randall)
Coyote Shivers	...	Berko
Brendan Sexton III	...	Warren (as Brendan Sexton)
Liv Tyler	...	Corey Mason
James 'Kimo' Wills	...	Eddie
Ben Bode	...	Mitchell Beck
Gary Bolen	...	Croupier
Kimber Sissons	...	Woman at Craps Table (as Kimber Monroe)

Storyline

A day in the life of the employees of Empire Records. Except this is a day where everything comes to a head for a number of them facing personal crises - can they pull through together? And more importantly, can they keep their record store independent and not swallowed up by corporate greed?

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Plot Keywords:

record store | atlantic city new jersey | female sitting on a toilet | promiscuous woman | girl in panties | 

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Taglines:

What's with today, today?

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual situations, language and a drug issue

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 October 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Empire

Filming Locations:

Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$303,841

Company Credits

Production Co:

Monarchy Enterprises B.V., New Regency Pictures, Regency Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 107 min (special extended edition)

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Most of the actors in this movie, Anthony LaPaglia, Rory Cochrane, Johnny Whitworth, Robin Tunney, Ethan Embry, and Ben Bode, were later cast as main characters or guest stars in one or more popular crime drama.

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Goofs

When Warren is being escorted out of the back room by the police, the back of the t.v. monitors showing Rex Manning's video are clearly seen not connected to anything.

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Quotes

A.J.: Mark, listening to this crap is guaranteed to make you sterile.
Mark: [under his breath] Maybe I want to be sterile.

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Crazy Credits

Mark & Eddie sitting on the curb in front of the store talking about bands.

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Alternate Versions

Special Edition DVD contains 16 minutes of deleted footage edited back into the film.

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Connections

Referenced in School of Rock (2003)

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Soundtracks

Snakeface
Performed by Throwing Muses
Written by Kristin Hersh
Courtesy of Reprise Records / 4AD Records
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

a good teen movie that shows how bad today's teen movies have gotten

with the recent release of the special edition dvd of this film, i'd suggest you go watch it. yeah, this movie is a light, fluffy gen-x teen movie with its music video moments. however, what was eight years ago just a normal teen movie has gained some semblance of social relevance -- compared to today's teen movies, this film can be seen as some sort of masterpiece.

for one thing, you never see films anymore where teens are actually fighting for something except for a date to the prom. the characters in empire records, yes, are submerged in their overdramatic romantic escapades, but their main prerogative in the film is to prevent a large corporation from buying out their independent record store. are there films that spark that kind of activist spirit in middle- and high- schoolers today? no. we're going backwards.

also, the humor in this film offers up some absurdist wit, which you never find in teen movies now. a kid glues some quarters to the floor so he can laugh at the poor saps who later try desperately to pick them up. a shoplifting teenager gives the fake name of 'warren beatty'. do kids today even know who warren beatty is? i doubt it.

this film was made in 1995, right before many of the laws allowing corporations to buy and control multiple media outlets were passed. the years since '96 have shown us a homogenization of music and movies, especially in the teen sphere, and it is turning today's teens into a bunch of celebrity-obsessed idiots.

compared to your sons and daughters, the kids in empire records can be now seen as role models.