WillSushyMedia This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Cody One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

michaelmunkvold "Empire Records" is not a good movie: it's flimsy, shallow and deeply, profoundly stupid. It's like a cross between a Guess jeans commercial and an episode of "I Love the 90s", with pop culture references instead of dialog and youth culture clichés instead of characters. It's a Twinkie of a movie - a momentary sugar high with no nutritional value whatsoever.Yet, I can't help but like it. "Empire Records" is the kind of cheerfully brainless movie you watch when you're sick or you can't sleep. When you're too stressed to take anything of any substance, its high-spirited, empty-headed charm is pretty soothing, like comfort food or a pair of well-worn sweat pants. Sometimes you need to watch a stupid movie; when you feel such a need, "Empire Records" is just what the doctor ordered."Empire Records" doesn't have a story so much as a series of vignettes held together by a thin plot device: the titular record store, which is about to go out of business. The store is staffed by a motley group of Pretty White Kids With Problems who listen to inoffensively "edgy" alternative rock (Gin Blossoms, the Cranberries, etc). They spend their day in the store angsting over unrequited love, musing about movies and bands, and having the obligatory life-changing revelations. (This keeps them too busy to do any actual work; not once do you see anyone so much as clean the bathroom.) They then throw a big party that miraculously saves the store, and everybody finds love and happiness. The end.I know, it's ridiculous. "Empire Records" redefines the word "stupid". Nevertheless, every time I see this movie I can't help but smile. Maybe it takes me back to when I first saw it, at 14 - when all I wanted out of life was to hang out, listen to music, and feel like I had the elusive, all-important power of being cool.The cast - actors like Liv Tyler, Renee Zellweger, and Brendan Sexton - were avatars of cool for adolescents in the mid-90s, and the simple act of watching them made us feel cool by proxy, as if they were letting us hang out with them at the popular kids' table. At that moment in our lives, they gave us what was then the ultimate gift: the fantasy of being forever young, beautiful and hip. Most people eventually outgrow the need to be cool, but when you're a teenager, it's like oxygen. "Empire Records" brings us back to an idealized version of that time, and the nostalgia washes over us in a wave of warm fuzzies. If a movie can do that, it doesn't need to be good."Empire Records" may not be a good movie in the strictest sense, but I can watch it with a smile on my face, even if I forget about it moments after I finish watching it. It's cinematic junk food, but so what? There's nothing wrong with a donut every now and again. Just don't let it spoil your appetite for more substantial fare.

jessegehrig Why do movie studios hate you? A question you might ask yourself after and more than likely during a viewing of this bag of turds, Empire Records. This movie was made so as to justify the drilling of a peephole into Liv Tyler's dressing room. Added to that a malicious automated soundtrack of synthetic music-substitute. A committee of marketing executives and corporate lawyers fabricated a script using the latest in writing based computational programs. This script was not written, no ink touched flesh nor flesh touched paper, no intimacy, a program is initiated in the Script-motron 500 and in mere minutes Empire Records screenplay was drafted. If after the apocalypse this movie is all that remains of the human race then we will have deserved to burn.

Avid Climber Empire Records is funny and slightly offbeat teen movie. A well built one, which each quirky character having a well defined personality, a set of problems, and realistic interactions with each other. Their personas all ring solidly true, each with deep emotional affects. However, not everybody will see themselves represented here, it is but a thin slice of society.The music is good, the dialogs are interesting just like the story, and it keeps an overall positive tone, although it does talk about some serious issues. It touches each subjects lightly, and keep the focus on the what is happening, on the development of the situation.You will be entertained, if you're looking for a good adolescent flick.

sharona_24 Empire Records is one of my all time favorite films. I watched it as a young teenager and I related to it quite a bit. There were some pretty funny comedic moments in the film and the music of the soundtrack gave a unique vibe to the movie. The best part about this film is that I am still able to watch it as an adult and I still enjoy the film as well as the music.The theme of Empire Records is the struggle of man against the greed of the corporate machine. Empire Records is an independent music store that is very lax with its employees, offers many different genres of music, and in general offers a very artistic environment for its customers. The owners of Empire wish to sell out and make Empire into a chain store. Joe, played by Anthony Lapaglia, is the store manager who takes an employee named Lucas, played by Rory Cochrane, under his wing. Together with the other misfits that work at Empire, they try to figure out a plan to save Empire from turning into a dreaded Music Town while dealing with their own personal problems on one very eventful day at the store.Other important issues that are addressed in this film include depression, Debra (played by Robin Tunney) cuts all of her hair off and tries to slit her wrist, drug addiction, Corey (played by Liv Tyler) is the perfect student who occasionally takes speed to help her stay awake to study, and risky sexual behavior, Gina (played by Renee Zellweger) thinks she will feel better about herself and find love by sleeping around.Two techniques used in this movie to demonstrate the theme were sound and lighting. The soundtrack of the film is very diverse and alternative which can be compared to the environment of Empire Records. Empire is not your typical music store and the music they play there is not always the most well known. The lighting of Empire can be considered dim and a little hazy at times, which compared to the harsh fluorescent lighting found at a chain store, gives Empire Records an even more unique feel. Another film that can be compared to Empire Records based on a similar theme is Office Space. In Office Space the employees (all from different walks of life) of a company are also trying to fight the corporate greed of their boss. Office Space is another one of my favorite movies. I think the reason I relate to these movies so much is because all of these employees band together to do something I probably never could, fight the greed of the corporate machine.