The Nature Boy

Now that I see Empire Records is getting a splashy SE, I can hold my tongue no more. Who likes this damn movie? I've not met one person, in real life, or online who never had anything more than a lukewarm, backhanded compliment, at best, for this movie, but it gets the SE treatment. And it's not like anyone but Zellweger has done a damn thing. I actually rubberneck this thing quite often on cable, and I"m embarassed for nearly everyone involved, save the Rex Manning character who is fun to watch. But come on. Anthony Lapaglia? Rory Cochrane(off the Slater role???)? Ethan Embry humping Madonna's image on a wall? Robin Tunney in a role reminscent of Paul Judd in "Wet Hot American Summer"(only she's serious?!?)? And why does a record store need to employ up to 10 people per shift? No wonder it's going out of business!!! And the coup de grace of pitiful shame with this movie, the rooftop dance sequence at the end. I urge everyone to check this out! It's the most forced bit of "acting natural" and having fun I can ever recall seeing on the big screen!!! I can just imagine the A.D. yelling directions out at the actors who's hearts are obviously well away from what's happening, as if to say I can't believe I'm doing this ! It's more uncomforable than porn. It's right on the level of "Can't Hardly Wait", which I lack the energy to properly savage.

And yet I wait in vain for Dazed and Confused:SE, when the two bastard rip-off children "Can't Hardly Wait" and "Empire Records" enjoy nice releases!

Goat3001

I liked it. It wasn't anything amazing but it was enjoyable to watch. Thats pretty much it.

But I'm also patiently waiting for a Dazed and Confused SE.

Trigger

I love that flick.

devilshalo

Having worked in a record store, I liked this movie a lot.

saberdance42

Holy God, I thought I was the only one on Earth who also hated Empire Records...it's one of those movies that tries oh-so-hard to be hip and cool, when instead it comes off as totally contrived and desperate. I was rooting for the shoplifter all the way through, until he turned into a "misunderstood delinquent" (TM). Awwwww.

As for Can't Hardly Wait........ugh. Same problem with both movies: is there any character in either worth giving a **** about? Oh, yes, and it's also one of those "comedies" that doesn't have one solid laugh in it.

But, hey, that's just me. And yes, as a 21 year old, I have met many people and peers who swear by both movies. My sis, actually is one of them. They do exist, God bless 'em. And that's fine. I do wonder about the movie decisions people of my generation make sometimes, though...

Mr. MIKE

Kal-El

Over here. Love the character Lucas.

DVDGUY1116

As a former music store employee I also love this movie! I think that most of the people who like it are former or current music store employees. When I worked in a music store I could take all the employees and match them up almost exactly with a character from the movie. In our slow times we would go around going ok you are definitely Lucas, you are definitely Gina and so forth. Everything about that movie mirrors a real music store almost perfectly. The store doesn't have 10 employees working at a time a lot of them are just hanging out waiting for their shift to start much like the store I worked in.

badger1997

I love it. Never understood all the enthusiasm some of its fans have for it and then i started watching it one day on VH1. I ended up loving it. I always stop by VH1 when I am flipping around the channels and it is playing.

Toying with the idea of buying the SE, but since it's always on VH1 (seemingly 24 hours a day sometimes) and since I am trying to cut down on my DVD habit, not sure yet if I will pull the trigger.

So you didn't like it...Big deal. I'm sure there are several films that you love that I can't stand.

einTier

I like it. Not enough to buy the DVD, but I'll watch it if it's on. It's a flawed movie, to be certain, but it's fun (and funny) enough that I overlook it.

Never worked in a record store, but worked a video store.

Count me in as another who would love to see a Dazed and Confused SE. If you really like this film, you should see what you missed this weekend in Austin.

lisadoris

I like the movie and have already preordered the SE - never worked in a music store though. You just have to remember not everyone has the same taste in movies though I agree Can't Hardly Wait is a waste.

calhoun07

I also liked the movie, but doubt I will buy the SE since I already own the previous version.

Coral

Never understood the following for this movie.

I agree, it was forced and came off like some sort of after-school special.

What makes it cliched and cheesy was the storyline of the store going out of business, and the employees overcoming all of their personal problems (I believe they all had problems of some sort) to come together and save the store at the end.

Everything all wrapped up nicely in a nice tidy bow.

Cheese, cheese, cheese.

MurraySiskind

Wow I'm surprised so many people like this movie. It is ever so bad. I can't think of one redeeming thing about it(except maybe Liv in her panties). It was painful to watch and I was glad when it was over, though I had that hollow bitter empty feeling afterwards.

saberdance42

Hey, I have nothing against people liking different movies than I. That's cool, definitely. It amuses me, however, when so many people I know like this movie, and get violently defensive when I poke fun at it, when I take it good-naturedly when they poke fun at mine. And...geez...the number of people who list this as their all time favorite movie (!!!!) is astonishing, as if so many people in my age group think that this little lightweight film has anything to say about their generation....or anything, for that matter. And, as with many many (but certainly not all) high school films, I just don't like the characters. At all. This is pretty true of Empire Records (okay...sole exception: Lucas was sortof kindof decent), and it's never been truer than Can't Hardly Wait...I can't believe the number of people who absolutely love these shrill, obnoxious, unfunny, stupid characters. And since I can't like any film that has such unlikable, shallow, uninteresting stick-figures, I had to bail.

Just in fairness, I would have to say that Empire is a much better film than CHW, because although I feel the characters are extremely unlikeable and dull, the direction and writing at least has some sympathy for them, instead of CHW, which seems like it was written by aliens who gleaned all their information about teenagers from bad 90210 episodes...

That's just my opinion, though, and all those who are varying mileage are okay by me.

Mr. MIKE

ArchibaldTuttle

I know someone who is obsessed with this flic, I think its pretty mediocre, but I did however really enjoy one of the first scenes at the casino, as for this movie getting a SE, why not? every movie should get SE treatment imo

Blake

You're right - it's always best to judge a movie by how the stars went on to perform later. Also, a little girl named Liv Tyler seems to be doing quite well post-Empire Records.

Seriously, I like this piece of garbage. It's a fun movie - I could just pop the DVD in at any time and just have fun watching it. Lucas is great and I loved Renee in the film. I'll be buying the SE I was disappointed with the first release and was happy when this one was announced.

The Nature Boy

I"m not saying judge a movie on it, but people being people, they like movies based on stars. I was kind of discounting that as being part of the theory behind the love for this film. Its not exactly "American Graffitti" which drew viewers with people who were very well known 10-15 years after the film(Dreyfus, Howard, Cindy Williams, and Harrison Ford and Suzane Sommers in lesser roles) or even "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"(Cates, Leigh, Whittaker, Reinhold, Penn and Stolz and Edwards in minor roles). I"d hardly consider Liv Tyler to have a happening career. She sort of peaked with this role, and hasn't really done much since, LOTR supporting roles not withstanding.

The Nature Boy

And I should also add, I have ZERO problem with people liking this or any movie. Every film finds an audience, what I love you, you may hate, and vice versa. And that's fine. I'm just trying to get a handle on the apparently wide appeal for this film, which I so clearly do not "get" and I personally can find nothing redeeming about in any fashion. But I'm not looking to flame Empire Records or Can't Hardly Wait fans, I"m just perplexed because I, and apparently so many other people, percieve them to be so far down this list of good films in their genre.

DRG

Hate it, hate it, hate it. Other than the PG T&A this film has nothing to offer. High Fidelity is a much better music store flick. This seems like they wanted a glossy, 'hip' (in the MTV way, not the indie way) version of Clerks. Although the absolute worst of these types of films is the wretched Reality Bites. That's one of my least favorite movies ever.

BTW, I like Can't Hardly Wait, but only for Seth Green's scenes. Everyone else is yawn.

Tscott

I remember renting it on video when it first came out and being very dissapointed in it. It seemed to me like a 90 min long ad for the movie soundtrack. Of course, it's been a while since I saw it and don't remember much, so I might give it another chance maybe if I saw it on a movie channel or at someone else's house, but I doubt my opinion would change too much.

Trigger

Well both American Graffitti and Fast Times at Ridgemont High were stupid films as well... Fast Times especially. All three of these films have a different feel to them which reflect the culture at the time. Can't Hardly Wait as well was appropriately cheesey for the time it came out - it was a post-John Huges era. The genre had to reinvent itself once again. I like Empire Records because it had decent music - nothing I'd buy, but something I could listen to. It came out when I was working at a video store and we'd have it in all day sometimes and it never got really annoying. It just grew on me.

Rory's career never skyrocketed, but he's been in some really good films. I'd argue that Liv has had a great career. Obviously, Renee Z has been successful. Anthony's had a great career as well. There were only a few actors in this film that never really amounted to anything. I don't think this is the type of film that people like because of the star power. It's just a dumb fun film to watch for anyone who's worked in retail - it's the pop culture version of Clerks (which isn't exactly an arthouse film - it's quite overrated as some cerebral piece of cinema when it's actually just a dumb comedy made by pseudointellectuals).

The thing is - I've never seen anyone older than 15 list Empire Records as their favorite film... it's just an enjoyable film for some people. Nobody said it's Oscar calibur. For you to say you weren't trying to flame or whatever and then title the thread "who likes this piece of garbage?" is just silly.

HistoryProf

while this movie is a total piece of crap, i don't care one way or another if someone else likes it....more power to them. However, when gems like Dazed and Confused remain barebones and non-anamorphic while a turd like ER gets an SE - well then I have a problem.

hime

I've always wondered what people saw in Empire Records myself. Good to see I'm not alone. It's really too hollow to be a movie to love.

Khan

Yes, it's a pretty tedious movie but it does have a lengthy bit where they play Video Killed the Radio Star which is one of the greatest pop songs ever so I love it for that alone.

The Nature Boy

Well, Graffitti and Ridgemont wouldn't go in my time capsule, but can't you bring anything more to the table than they are "stupid"? I've outlined some legitimate problems with Empire, and I will soon with Can't Hardly Wait, but in the interest of your own argument, you might try some additional support. I could say the Godfather, Citizen Kane and Casablanca were "dumb", but what would that mean?

I'd buy your argument of CHW trying to "reinvent" itself, if it wasn't such a blatant attempt to rip-off a Hughes movie. It thinks it's skewering high school stereotypes, ala the spunky girl, the jock, the white guy who thinks he's black,etc. Except in a Hughes movie, they look act and feel like human beings, and in CHW they are broadly drawn caricartures. I doubt this is what they were going for. As for you loving Empire, that's fine dude, it really is. Super Fuzz is in my top 20 of all time, and Kurosawa it aint!

And as for it being the pop-culture version of Clerks, I think that was called Mallrats.