Movie Notes: Empire Records

October 12th, 2008

= 2 stars

Starring Liv Tyler, Renee Zellweger, Anthony LaPaglia
Directed by Allan Moyle

Synopsis

A record store is about to close its doors, and the hapless, music-loving employees must “deal.”

The Good

Some unintentionally funny scenes - the screaming bitch-fest between Tyler and Zellweger, “Bridget” hurling diet pills at “Arwen.”
For most of the flick, Tyler has a bare midriff and a skirt barely covering her long legs - essentially a musical interlewd in itself.
Some fascination in seeing Zellweger in an early, raw role.

The Bad

Unfocused direction and weak characters result in some extremely random sequences: the bald-headed girl has a mock funeral, the boss bangs on drums while everyone dances, and pot-brownie-guy imagines being in a GWAR video. The vignette-bouncing is very ADD; very teenager; sort of rock and roll, and very frustrating.
For a movie about music, the soundtrack unforgivably forgettable. The one hit single is the appropriately “meh” Gin Blossoms’ Til I Hear I From You.
The employees’ love for music could have been rally point toward saving the store, but the fan’s dedication isn’t explored as a unifying theme.

Conclusion

Empire Records might yet become a corny nostalgia trip decades from now, when record stores are a distant memory. But for now, the movie a testament to the convenience of downloading music from iTunes or Amazon - I wouldn’t dare set foot in a store like Empire Records run by these kooks.

IMDB: Empire Records
Wikipedia: Empire Records
Rotten Tomatoes: Empire Records