crazy wild fun

Rating: 7/10 (13 May 2016)

A group of young people work at the independent Empire Records. While closing up, Lucas (Rory Cochrane) discovers a contract in manager Joe Reaves (Anthony LaPaglia)'s office to sell out the store to big corporate Music Town. Lucas tries his luck with the store's cash to save the place and promptly loses $9k in Atlantic City. The next morning, A.J. (Johnny Whitworth) and Mark (Ethan Embry) are the first at the store. Corey Mason (Liv Tyler) and flirty friend Gina (Renée Zellweger) have a crush on 80's pop star Rex Manning (Maxwell Caulfield) who is coming to the store. His time is mostly pass and even his assistant Jane (Debi Mazar) doesn't like his music. Angry Deb (Robin Tunney) shaves her head. A.J. vows to reveal his love for Corey. They catch a young shoplifter who claims to be Warren Beatty. It's going to be a crazy day.
This is a crazy wild mess of young people fun. The music is loud and mostly good. The story is full of teen angst. The best is the cast of great young up and comers. Tyler and Zellweger are in short skirts. Tunney actually shaves her hair. It's lots of teen melodramatic fun. The characters are appealing. It's certainly possible to be get-off-my-lawn on this movie but not me. Even a bad sleazy Maxwell Caulfield can't get me out of this movie.