Empire Records
Empire Records is one of those movies that instantly transports you to another era. The 90s were truly a different time, so much about it was, and still is, iconic. The fashion, the aesthetics, the music (obviously). It’s the one period in time where most things were truly trendy (in my opinion, don’t blast me), some trends of which have still carried over to today and have lasted. I was born in the mid 90s and was too young to remember much or appreciate it back then, so I appreciate it in the one way we can truly immortalise a time period, through film.
There’s so much about this movie that is cheesy, and corny. But I loved it. The story doesn’t really go anywhere, but I think that’s the point. Empire Records isn’t really about a story. 462
It’s an ode to music, to record stores, to people. If anything, it was more of a character study. About teenagers that work in a record store, who are all very different but are brought together through a common love of music. The chemistry between all of the cast members was off the charts, and I think that’s the most endearing thing about this movie. I felt like I was just hanging out with a bunch of friends the whole time, and I loved that about it.
There’s an instant nostalgia I feel when I put on a 90s movie. The grainy, filmy texture to the shots feels so welcoming, like an old friend. So this was just an all around great time for me, so much fun. It’s a classic for a reason, and I’m only sorry that I hadn’t seen it sooner. 583