Taglines: Open ’til Midnight.
Empire Records mvovie storyline. A day in the life of the employees of Empire Records. Except this is a day where everything comes to a head for a number of them facing personal crises – can they pull through together? And more importantly, can they keep their record store independent and not swallowed up by corporate greed?
Empire Records is a 1995 American coming-of-age film that follows a group of record store employees over the course of one exceptional day. The employees try to stop the store from being sold to a large chain, and learn about each other along the way. The film was directed by Allan Moyle and stars Anthony LaPaglia, Robin Tunney, Rory Cochrane, Renée Zellweger, Ethan Embry, Johnny Whitworth and Liv Tyler. The film was a commercial and critical failure, generating largely negative reviews and losses at the domestic US box office.
The film was severely edited in post-production, removing three significant characters and up to 40 minutes of film. The story was also condensed down from occurring over two days to a single day. Exteriors were filmed at 15 South Front Street in Wilmington, North Carolina in a bar that had a few feet of space converted into an exact replica of the store set which was located at Carolco (now Screen Gems) studios, and finished out with a large picture of the rest of the store.
This allowed the actors to enter the exterior location doors and walk in a couple of feet before the scene would cut to the interior set on Soundstage 4 at the studios. The large mural of Gloria Estefan which Mark kisses early in the film was visible for many years on the separate building, on South Water Street, that stood in for the back of the store.
The Rex Manning music video “Say No More, Mon Amour” was shot prior to principal photography started, and was shot on Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina and shot entirely in one day. It was only intended to be a 17-second dance move piece for the main actors to make fun of in the film. However, the director of the music video shot for the entire day and gave the producers an entire 4:30 music video.
About the Story
Empire Records is a small independent record shop managed by Joe (Anthony LaPaglia). His employees are all high-schoolers and young adults. The store, like the employees, is eclectic and unique. The staff is very much a self-created family, with Joe as the reluctant and perpetually exasperated father figure.
Joe selects Lucas (Rory Cochrane) to close the store for the first time. While counting the days receipts, Lucas discovers that Empire Records is about to be converted into a branch of Music Town, a large and generic franchise music store. Lucas has an epiphany, and in an attempt to save the store, takes the day’s cash receipts to Atlantic City. While initially very lucky, he loses the entire amount.
The next morning, Mark (Ethan Embry) and AJ (Johnny Whitworth) find Lucas asleep behind the store, still perched on his motorcycle, and quickly deduce that Lucas has made a grievous mistake while entrusted with the store money. Lucas adopts a bizarre, almost zen-like attitude towards his actions. AJ and Mark feign ignorance as to the missing money when Joe discovers the night deposit was never made, and the money is missing.
Joe is distracted from dealing with this immediate crisis due to a scheduled publicity stunt. Rex Manning (Maxwell Caulfield), a pompous, fading pop singer, is due to arrive to sign autographs and promote his new album. No one is really looking forward to “Rex Manning Day” except cashier Corey (Liv Tyler), a overachieving student headed for Harvard University who has a schoolgirl crush on Rex, and plans to lose her virginity to him. Corey’s friend and fellow cashier Gina (Renée Zellweger), a more adventurous and free spirit than Corey, encourages Corey in her pursuit of the much older Manning.
Empire’s owner, Mitchell Beck (Ben Bodé), arrives to collect the missing deposit, but Joe covers for Lucas and plays for time by handing Mitchell a bag full of loose receipts. AJ confides in Joe that he loves Corey, and has chosen Rex Manning Day as the day he tells her. Lucas returns and rather than show repentance or guilt, calmly and repeatedly insists that everything will somehow work out, much to Joe’s growing confusion and frustration. Joe forbids Lucas to leave the store (or even the couch in the break room) until he is able to repay the $9,000.
Deb (Robin Tunney), another store employee, arrives. She, as usual, is hostile and anti-social to the rest of the staff. She immediately locks herself in the bathroom, where she impulsively shaves her head. As she exits the bathroom, AJ sees that her wrists are bandaged and she admits that she attempted suicide. It’s revealed that Berko (Coyote Shivers), a local rock musician and another store employee, has just broken up with her, but Deb insists that he wasn’t the reason for her suicide attempt.
A young shoplifter who identifies himself only as Warren Beatty (Brendan Sexton III) is apprehended outside the store by Lucas. Soon after, Rex Manning arrives with his assistant Jane (Debi Mazar). Manning is condescending toward Joe, the rest of the staff, and his fans. Corey, after demanding (at the top of her lungs) that she be allowed to bring Rex his lunch, awkwardly attempts to seduce him during his lunch break.
When Manning responds with a crude pass, Corey runs off, crying in embarrassment. A lovesick AJ finally attempts to tell Corey how he feels about her. Corey, emotionally overwhelmed by her encounter with her idol, tells AJ that she cannot handle his admission. Crushed, AJ abandons his plan. When Corey later attempts to assuage AJ’s feelings by telling him she doesn’t think of him that way, he rebuffs her.
In the meantime, both Joe and Berko attempt to reach out to Deb, who refuses to explain her behavior or the circumstances that led to her bandaged wrists. Deb buries herself in work, but is clearly upset. As the afternoon progresses, the plan to convert Empire Records into a Music Town is revealed, and Joe admits that he had hoped to buy Mitchell out. However, Joe will now have to use his money to replace what Lucas lost, and Empire Records is now doomed to become a Music Town. Joe finally pummels Lucas in frustration.
Empire Records (1995)
Directed by: Allan Moyle
Starring: Anthony LaPaglia, Renée Zellweger, Maxwell Caulfield, Debi Mazar, Rory Cochrane, Johnny Whitworth, Robin Tunney, Renée Zellweger, Liv Tyler, Coyote Shivers
Screenplay by: Carol Heikkinen
Production Design by: Peter Jamison
Cinematography by: Walt Lloyd
Film Editing by: Michael Chandler
Costume Design by: Susan Lyall
Set Decoration by: Linda Spheeris
Art Direction by: John Huke
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual situations, language and a drug issue.
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: September 22, 1995
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