...things just move quickly from one person's conflicts to another, with little momentum or feeling of satisfaction.
For those interested in such things, some of the musical groups heard on the soundtrack include Gin Blossoms, The Cranberries, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Cracker, Evan Dando, Better Than Ezra, Throwing Muses, Full Tilt Gonzo, Poster Children, Daniel Johnston, Edwyn Collins, The Dirt Clods, The Cruel Sea, Ape Hangers, Peg Boy, Please, The Buggles, Noah Stone, The Meices, Fig Dish, Fitz of Depression, GWAN, Quicksand, Ass Ponys, Sacrilicious, Real, Sponge, Dishwalla, Angus Young, Dire Straits, Drill, Sponge, Adolescents, Coyote Shivers, Lustre, and the Martinis.
Among the tunes heard playing in the store are "The Honeymoon Is Over," "I Don't Want to Live Today," "Seems," "Say No More (Mon Amour)," "Free," "I Shot the Devil," "Money," "Video Killed the Radio Star," "Ready Steady Go," "If You Want Blood," "Romeo and Juliet," "The Ballad of El Goodo," "Snakeface," "How," "A Girl Like You," "Plowed," "Sugarhigh," "Til I Hear It From You," "This Is the Day," and what seems like a hundred more.
I'd be willing to bet that most of the groups and songs on the soundtrack will be forgotten in another few years, if they're not forgotten already, making the film a kind of museum curiosity piece at best. One of the movie's characters remarks that "Without rock music, life would be meaningless." Perhaps, and as the music fades into obscurity, this movie becomes largely meaningless.
Video:
No complaints about the picture quality. Its colors are deep and dark, maybe a little too dark, with daylight scenes beautifully rendered and beautifully delineated. This "darkness" does not allow for the very best detail in some areas of the screen, but it's not a serious concern. No grain, pixilation, moiré effects, shimmering lines, halos, or other digital artifacts can be found in a generous widescreen, anamorphic ratio that measures 2.13:1 across a normal television.
Audio:
Not much to report on here. Supposedly, the sound has been remixed in Dolby Digital 5.1, but since most of the soundtrack is made up of music originally recorded in two-channel stereo, it doesn't mean a lot. What we get is some good musical ambience reinforcement from the surround channels and a few store noises. Occasionally, one can discern a voice or two coming from the rear or sides of the room. Otherwise, it's good, clean, clear audio reproduction across the front speakers.
Extras:
There are a few extra items on the disc, but mostly the "Special Fan Edition" designation refers to the extra footage included in the film. Among the bonus items are four fuzzy, distorted deleted scenes and a series of cast biographies and filmographies. Then there are three music videos: Rex Manning: "Say No More"; GWAR: "Saddam a Go-Go"; and GWAR again: "Vlad the Impaler" live. The bonuses conclude with twenty-eight scene selections and a widescreen theatrical trailer. English is the only spoken language offered, but English, French, and Spanish are provided for subtitles.
Parting Shots:
"Empire Records," remixed or not, is the kind of experience that works best as a soundtrack album. Listening to the music, for what little it's worth, is easier than having to sit through the blandness of most of the movie. With a cast so large and talented doing so little, watching the film more than once seems a waste of time. If you like the music, better to just listen to it.
Among the tunes heard playing in the store are "The Honeymoon Is Over," "I Don't Want to Live Today," "Seems," "Say No More (Mon Amour)," "Free," "I Shot the Devil," "Money," "Video Killed the Radio Star," "Ready Steady Go," "If You Want Blood," "Romeo and Juliet," "The Ballad of El Goodo," "Snakeface," "How," "A Girl Like You," "Plowed," "Sugarhigh," "Til I Hear It From You," "This Is the Day," and what seems like a hundred more.
I'd be willing to bet that most of the groups and songs on the soundtrack will be forgotten in another few years, if they're not forgotten already, making the film a kind of museum curiosity piece at best. One of the movie's characters remarks that "Without rock music, life would be meaningless." Perhaps, and as the music fades into obscurity, this movie becomes largely meaningless.
Video:
No complaints about the picture quality. Its colors are deep and dark, maybe a little too dark, with daylight scenes beautifully rendered and beautifully delineated. This "darkness" does not allow for the very best detail in some areas of the screen, but it's not a serious concern. No grain, pixilation, moiré effects, shimmering lines, halos, or other digital artifacts can be found in a generous widescreen, anamorphic ratio that measures 2.13:1 across a normal television.
Audio:
Not much to report on here. Supposedly, the sound has been remixed in Dolby Digital 5.1, but since most of the soundtrack is made up of music originally recorded in two-channel stereo, it doesn't mean a lot. What we get is some good musical ambience reinforcement from the surround channels and a few store noises. Occasionally, one can discern a voice or two coming from the rear or sides of the room. Otherwise, it's good, clean, clear audio reproduction across the front speakers.
Extras:
There are a few extra items on the disc, but mostly the "Special Fan Edition" designation refers to the extra footage included in the film. Among the bonus items are four fuzzy, distorted deleted scenes and a series of cast biographies and filmographies. Then there are three music videos: Rex Manning: "Say No More"; GWAR: "Saddam a Go-Go"; and GWAR again: "Vlad the Impaler" live. The bonuses conclude with twenty-eight scene selections and a widescreen theatrical trailer. English is the only spoken language offered, but English, French, and Spanish are provided for subtitles.
Parting Shots:
"Empire Records," remixed or not, is the kind of experience that works best as a soundtrack album. Listening to the music, for what little it's worth, is easier than having to sit through the blandness of most of the movie. With a cast so large and talented doing so little, watching the film more than once seems a waste of time. If you like the music, better to just listen to it.
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]10897[/release]