All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records (2015)

'All Things Must Pass' is a documentary that explores the rise and fall of Tower Records, and its legacy forged by its rebellious founder, Russ Solomon.

Director:

Colin Hanks

Writer:

Steven Leckart

Stars:

Russ Solomon, Chuck D, Chris Cornell

Cast

Credited cast:
Chuck D	...	Himself
Chris Cornell	...	Himself
Heidi Cotler	...	Herself
Rudy Danzinger	...	Himself
Bob Delanoy
Mike Farrace	...	Himself
David Geffen	...	Himself
Stan Goman	...	Himself
Dave Grohl
Chris Hopson	...	Himself
Elton John	...	Himself
Steve Knopper	...	Himself
Steve Nikkel	...	Himself
Ken Sockolov	...	Himself
Russ Solomon

Storyline

Established in 1960, Tower Records was once a retail powerhouse with two hundred stores, in thirty countries, on five continents. From humble beginnings in a small-town drugstore, Tower Records eventually became the heart and soul of the music world, and a powerful force in the music industry. In 1999, Tower Records made $1 billion. In 2006, the company filed for bankruptcy. What went wrong? Everyone thinks they know what killed Tower Records: The Internet. But that's not the story. "All Things Must Pass" is a feature documentary film examining this iconic company's explosive trajectory, tragic demise, and legacy forged by its rebellious founder Russ Solomon.

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Plot Keywords:

1960s | san francisco california | 1990s | 1980s | 1970s | 

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Taglines:

The doors are closed, but the legacy lives on.

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Genres:

Documentary | History | Music

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Trailer

Country:

USA Japan

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 October 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

All Things Must Pass

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$19,001, 16 October 2015, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$166,872, 6 December 2015

Company Credits

Production Co:

Company Name

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

To promote the release of the film, the still empty building which once housed the Tower Records on Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood had its facade repainted to appear as it once had. This lead to rumors that the store may reopen, but in fact the building had been sold to Gibson Guitars in 2014 with the intention of opening a guitar showroom, while preserving the historic building itself. Not yet ready to open their showroom, Gibson worked with the documentary makers to repaint the building to display the Tower facade. The repaint was planned to be taken down after the premiere party was held inside the empty building, but remained up for over a year while Gibson continued to plan their new store.

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Goofs

In the closing credits the Japanese Translator, Kyoko Nishijima, is listed twice.

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Quotes

David Geffen, Himself: The industry as a whole didn't respond appropriately to what was happening. What they should have done is made records cheaper. They could have. But, they didn't.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: James Spader/Colin Hanks/Bibi Bourelly (2016)

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Soundtracks

Fire & Brimstone
Written and Performed by Andrew Adkins

User Reviews

passing of an era

Colin Hanks directs a documentary about the iconic retailer Tower Records. In 1999, the company racked up $1 billion in sales. Five years later, it would file for bankruptcy. In the 50's, Russ Solomon got into selling used jukebox records in his father's drug store. It's a start of a business which grew into a social icon, international retailer, and a sales powerhouse. However, it grew too big with too much debt. A sick Russ tries to hand off the company to his son Mike. The businessman part of the company Bud had to retire due to illness. Napster and the internet is the final death knell. This is a fine production by Hanks. It lays out the story of the family retailer very well. The story is representative of many other retailers as well as showing an unique slice of the music industry. Some may get more out of this movie especially former workers or constant customers. It's also a bit more of a California story. At its heart, it is a story about the passing of an era.