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The Movie:
"Empire Records" barely did anything in the way of business during its 1995 theatrical release, but in the years since it's become somewhat of a cult comedy, mainly due to the fact that it offers early performances from some of today's younger stars. The film revolves around the teens that work at an independent record store that's about to go out of business.
One night, an employee named Lucas (Rory Cochrane from "Dazed and Confused") is allowed to close the store, which turns out to be a pretty poor idea. He decides that he can take the cash to Atlantic City and win enough money so that owner Joe(Anthony LaPaglia) can buy it himself. Things go wrong quickly, and Joe finds himself covering up the loss when the bank comes looking.
Meanwhile, young Harvard-bound Corey(Liv Tyler) wants to proclaim her love for an aging musician making an in-store appearance, while fellow clerk A.J. really is in love with her. Debra(Robin Tunney) is the local goth girl, walking around depressed. There's also Gina (a young Renee Zellweger), as well as a young shoplifter and probably several other employees that I'm forgetting to mention. Everyone has their problems, but by the end of the 90 minute running time, everyone's a-ok. There's even a wonderfully overacted little fight between Gina and Corey, with the two screaming at each other.
Is "Empire" particularly great work? No, and in fact, much of the acting and dialogue are certainly below average. Yet, there's something about the film that keeps it watchable - the actors seem to be having fun and at least the characters have a purpose - saving the store that's become a second home for them. Yet, as they try to have their independent record store saved, a soundtrack of mainstream pop tunes plays along at nearly every moment.
Overall, I found a few amusing moments and liked seeing early performances from a couple of people in the film, but there's just not enough to go with, even though the film only comes in at about 90 minutes.
The DVD
VIDEO: "Empire Records" is presented in the film's original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, and like all Warner Brothers titles, it is anamorphic. It's not one of their best recent efforts, but much of it was suprisingly good looking. Sharpness and detail varied slightly throughout the movie - although much of it looked crisp and well-defined (and even offered a bit of depth to the image), some scenes had a touch of softness creep in.
Colors appeared excellent throughout - the bright neon lights around the store show brightly and crisply throughout the film, looking vibrant and bold. Some minor problems did come up throughout the movie, though. Some print flaws in the form of minor marks and speckles were occasionally visible, but there certainly wasn't much wear at all present. Some minor pixelation also was visible, but not terribly distracting.
SOUND: Although the Dolby Digital 5.1 presentation that accompanies "Empire Records" won't stun anyone, it was at least somewhat more entertaining and active than I'd expected. Sure, the majority of the movie is dialogue-driven, but the pop soundtrack sounds excellent. Filling the listening space, strong and sounding dynamic, the music is easily the highlight of the sound presentation. Surround use is fairly rare - they mainly fire up during the music, but are quiet otherwise. Dialogue is clear and easily understood.
MENUS:: Menus are non-animated, with very basic images serving as backgrounds. For example, the main menu simply re-uses the front cover.
EXTRAS: The trailer and cast/crew bios. The laserdisc apparently had 2 music videos, but those are not carried over to the DVD.
Final Thoughts: "Empire Records" is one of those films that recieved heavily negative reviews during release, but gained a following afterwards - those folks who fans of the flick won't find much in the way of features, but at least Warner has made the DVD available for a low price - should be available for around $14.99. For fans of the film, the DVD is recommended.
Film Grade
The Film **
DVD Grades
Video 87/B = (348/400 possible points)
Audio: 87/B = (348/400 possible points)
Extras: 69/D = (207/300 possible points)
Menus: 70/C- = (140/200 possible points)
Value: 80/B- = (240/300 possible points)
TOTAL POINTS:1283/1600
DVD GRADE:B-/80%
FILM GRADE: **
DVD GRADE: B
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