Kal
07-29-2001, 03:07 PM
Now, usually I'm not one to be a great fan of the sort of the "teen-aimed movie revolving around of a group of people put in a crisis they have to get themselves out of" genre (yeah, I knew you'd know the one), but unlike most films to fall into this pit, this one contains much more bite, wit, comedy and a kick-ass soundtrack to boot!
Basic plot rundown: Lucas (Rory Cochrane) takes is left in charge to lock up at work, the Empire Records of the title, a record store where he and a gang of friends/acquantancies are employed. Finding a plan that leads him to believe the store is to be turned into part of a Music Chainstore (big corporate baddie ie; THE MAN), Lucas takes the cash and tries his luck gambling it at Atlantic City. Lucas's bad luck then leads to the dilemnia of saving the Empire before the day, Rex Manning Day, is through.
Can Lucas get the cash back? These films never have a sad ending so you work it out.
.......DAMN THE MAN! SAVE THE EMPIRE!.......
Where other films in this genre basically suck cause they're so predictable and try relentlessly to mix comedy and drama without any success, Empire works because it realises the audience knows where its all going to end and so instead concentrates on the journey there, dropping the drama (apart from the romance and basic relationships between characters) and upping the comedy in a number of the main characters.
In this role Rory Cochrane is hilarious as our guide and narrator who follows the vein of playing comedically-straight-faced as the seemingly crazed Lucas, never falling back onto slapstick. He doesn't even have to say anything, he just chews up his scenes with the aura he emits, which strengthens as the film progresses to the point where even when he struts in a way that with anyone esle would be considered geeky but with Lucas it just seems to confirm his cool. To balance this force we have Mark (Ethan Embry) in the slapstick role with his partner in crime Eddie (James Wills). Now your either going to like Mark's craziness or your not because it balances on the edge of annoyance but I dug it and it kept the film from being too straight, especially when you see him laughing at his own onscreen death in a drugged daydream.
The other main forces at work here are Anthony LaPaglia as the store boss, Joe, who plays it well as a man on a tether between shopping Lucas (a person you can see he has a father-bond-a-like connection with) or trying to sort the problem out himself. Theres AJ (Johnny Whitworth), one of the fresh faces you gotta put in to make these films appealing, who plays it well as a life-long friend of Corey (Liv Tyler) who is trying to express his love for her but is fighting for her attention due to her virginial yearnings for Rex Manning (Maxwell Caulfield, hamming it up as the faded popstar still trying to milk the fans). Then theres Corey's other friend Gina (Renee Zellweger), the angst-ridden Debra (Robin Tunney, anyone else find her sexier with the shaven-head? meow!), her slacker guitarist could-be-beau Berko (Coyote Shivers).
Finally there's Brendan Sexton III as shoplifter Warren ("I thought his name was Warren?") who, while useful for the plot progression, still comes off on the wrong side of annoying.
The direction is relative simple, theres no need for fancy showmanship, the image ain't the leading force, but still able to remain quite tight wrapping things up in good timing, knowing when it will begin to drag. Where the film falls short is in two areas: SCRIPT and CHARACTERS. While the script at times is very hilarious and gives things a good pacing, it sometimes languishes into a snail pace not knowing what to say to get past a point (PERFECT EXAMPLE is when they try portraying the machismo in Debra with her "Talking to god" spool to Warren, which is almost cringe-worthy).
In regards to characters, at points they are deeply underplayed (Berko, Eddie) or those in focus are never truelly explained in regards to their connections/situations (How are Lucas and Joe connected? What was stopping AJ going to art school in the first place?) but the chemistry between people here is so good that usually these matters only come after and by then you've not bothered. The father-son-esque relationship between Joe and Lucas works particularly well, even without knowing the full story, and this is why the film comes out well despite it's failings, the actors are able to play off one another well, so you can believe the situations that arise from their interactions.
One of the greatest merits to this film is, as i said, a KICK ASS soundtrack, but I'm not going to get into that (I've gone on too long), only to say who-ever picked the songs and there placing were right on, be it the kick in of "Little Bastard" (Ass Ponys) when Warren is getting his mugshots, the slinky, sex sound of "Snakeface" (Throwing Muses) to accompany Corey's preparation of Rex's lunch or the grandoise pre-end performance from real-life musician Coyote Shivers of his song "Sugarhigh" (accompanied very well, IMO, by Renee).
On the whole then, a great film following the vein of clever, yet funny teen movies such as TEN THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU, but just remember this one was here before them.
SOME TRIVIA/GOOFS (IMDb):
- A sign by the register that says "Have a nice daze" shows the logo for Dazed and Confused (1993). Rory Cochrane, who plays Lucas, played Slater in Dazed and Confused.
- Liv Tyler's character dates a character called AJ. In Armageddon, Liv Tyler's character also dates a character called AJ.
- A keg of beer can be seen behind AJ at the rave before it arrives.
- AJ removes his shirt during the closeup in-store dancing scene. The long shot shows it back on, and then another close shot shows it off.
- When Mark is watching the music video on TV it's in color. At the end when Mark is talking to the reporter it's in black and white. (It's possible the TV is actually black and white, and it only appeared to be in color because Mark was stoned, but this seems like a reach.)
- At the end A.J. sells his "Alice in Chains" painting, and then moments later it is seen still behind him.
KAL
Basic plot rundown: Lucas (Rory Cochrane) takes is left in charge to lock up at work, the Empire Records of the title, a record store where he and a gang of friends/acquantancies are employed. Finding a plan that leads him to believe the store is to be turned into part of a Music Chainstore (big corporate baddie ie; THE MAN), Lucas takes the cash and tries his luck gambling it at Atlantic City. Lucas's bad luck then leads to the dilemnia of saving the Empire before the day, Rex Manning Day, is through.
Can Lucas get the cash back? These films never have a sad ending so you work it out.
.......DAMN THE MAN! SAVE THE EMPIRE!.......
Where other films in this genre basically suck cause they're so predictable and try relentlessly to mix comedy and drama without any success, Empire works because it realises the audience knows where its all going to end and so instead concentrates on the journey there, dropping the drama (apart from the romance and basic relationships between characters) and upping the comedy in a number of the main characters.
In this role Rory Cochrane is hilarious as our guide and narrator who follows the vein of playing comedically-straight-faced as the seemingly crazed Lucas, never falling back onto slapstick. He doesn't even have to say anything, he just chews up his scenes with the aura he emits, which strengthens as the film progresses to the point where even when he struts in a way that with anyone esle would be considered geeky but with Lucas it just seems to confirm his cool. To balance this force we have Mark (Ethan Embry) in the slapstick role with his partner in crime Eddie (James Wills). Now your either going to like Mark's craziness or your not because it balances on the edge of annoyance but I dug it and it kept the film from being too straight, especially when you see him laughing at his own onscreen death in a drugged daydream.
The other main forces at work here are Anthony LaPaglia as the store boss, Joe, who plays it well as a man on a tether between shopping Lucas (a person you can see he has a father-bond-a-like connection with) or trying to sort the problem out himself. Theres AJ (Johnny Whitworth), one of the fresh faces you gotta put in to make these films appealing, who plays it well as a life-long friend of Corey (Liv Tyler) who is trying to express his love for her but is fighting for her attention due to her virginial yearnings for Rex Manning (Maxwell Caulfield, hamming it up as the faded popstar still trying to milk the fans). Then theres Corey's other friend Gina (Renee Zellweger), the angst-ridden Debra (Robin Tunney, anyone else find her sexier with the shaven-head? meow!), her slacker guitarist could-be-beau Berko (Coyote Shivers).
Finally there's Brendan Sexton III as shoplifter Warren ("I thought his name was Warren?") who, while useful for the plot progression, still comes off on the wrong side of annoying.
The direction is relative simple, theres no need for fancy showmanship, the image ain't the leading force, but still able to remain quite tight wrapping things up in good timing, knowing when it will begin to drag. Where the film falls short is in two areas: SCRIPT and CHARACTERS. While the script at times is very hilarious and gives things a good pacing, it sometimes languishes into a snail pace not knowing what to say to get past a point (PERFECT EXAMPLE is when they try portraying the machismo in Debra with her "Talking to god" spool to Warren, which is almost cringe-worthy).
In regards to characters, at points they are deeply underplayed (Berko, Eddie) or those in focus are never truelly explained in regards to their connections/situations (How are Lucas and Joe connected? What was stopping AJ going to art school in the first place?) but the chemistry between people here is so good that usually these matters only come after and by then you've not bothered. The father-son-esque relationship between Joe and Lucas works particularly well, even without knowing the full story, and this is why the film comes out well despite it's failings, the actors are able to play off one another well, so you can believe the situations that arise from their interactions.
One of the greatest merits to this film is, as i said, a KICK ASS soundtrack, but I'm not going to get into that (I've gone on too long), only to say who-ever picked the songs and there placing were right on, be it the kick in of "Little Bastard" (Ass Ponys) when Warren is getting his mugshots, the slinky, sex sound of "Snakeface" (Throwing Muses) to accompany Corey's preparation of Rex's lunch or the grandoise pre-end performance from real-life musician Coyote Shivers of his song "Sugarhigh" (accompanied very well, IMO, by Renee).
On the whole then, a great film following the vein of clever, yet funny teen movies such as TEN THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU, but just remember this one was here before them.
SOME TRIVIA/GOOFS (IMDb):
- A sign by the register that says "Have a nice daze" shows the logo for Dazed and Confused (1993). Rory Cochrane, who plays Lucas, played Slater in Dazed and Confused.
- Liv Tyler's character dates a character called AJ. In Armageddon, Liv Tyler's character also dates a character called AJ.
- A keg of beer can be seen behind AJ at the rave before it arrives.
- AJ removes his shirt during the closeup in-store dancing scene. The long shot shows it back on, and then another close shot shows it off.
- When Mark is watching the music video on TV it's in color. At the end when Mark is talking to the reporter it's in black and white. (It's possible the TV is actually black and white, and it only appeared to be in color because Mark was stoned, but this seems like a reach.)
- At the end A.J. sells his "Alice in Chains" painting, and then moments later it is seen still behind him.
KAL