Sometimes , the success of a plastic film ca n’t be judge by how much or how fiddling it made at the box office . Thirty years ago , conglomerate Recordscrashed and combust in field with only $ 303,841 in a very modified release . Warner Bros. lost self-confidence in this movie before it was released , and the studio pulled it from the vast majority of theaters where it was going to playact . The chronicle ofEmpire Recordscould have ended there , just as countless other box office bust have evanesce off from store . or else , Empire Recordsfound its audience on home television and cable system , and it ’s now see a cult classic .
Although the exact day of the month of the thirtieth anniversary wo n’t arrive until September 22,Empire Recordsis our pick for the one Hulu movie that you need to watch in January . And now it ’s time to learn why .
The ensemble cast included several future stars
One of the big reasons whyEmpire Recordshas endured is because of the cast . Liv Tylerand Renee Zellweger are the two most prominent performers who went on to bigger thing . no matter , other members of the cast including Ethan Embry , Robin Tunney , Rory Cochrane , Debi Mazar ( Younger ) , and Brendan Sexton have all gone on to have successful life history . Cochrane , in special , is a minuscule rough as Lucas , and not as polished as his co - stars . But everyone in this group is appealing , and the film work because of their on - screen performances .
The characters are endearing
Empire Recordshas to beguile a destiny of characters , which is also part of its appeal . After screwing up too soon in the movie by blowing $ 9,000 of the memory board ’s money on an ill - fated trip to Atlantic City , Lucas gets his redemption throughout the picture show as the group tries to withhold that amount and save Empire Records . Lucas even manages to talk down a would - be robber , Warren ( Sexton ) , and seat him into their makeshift family of employee .
Anthony LaPaglia was the seasoned actor in this chemical group , and his character , Joe Reaves , is also the boss and foster father of these stripling . Joe gives emotional counselling to AJ ( Johnny Whitworth ) even while he ’s freak out out about the missing money and also extend an engagement offer to Warren when he could have well just had him arrest . to boot , Joe was the guy who had the plan to save Empire Records from a incorporated takeover , which was adventure by Lucas ’ actions .
A lot of the teens working in the store have their own subplots , including AJ ’s desire to tell Corey ( Tyler ) that he loves her , while she ’s more interested in throwing herself at Rex Manning ( Maxwell Caulfield ) . Tunney is very good as Debra , a downhearted untested woman who comes out of her shell during the course of the day — but not before she shaves her head in one of the film ’s most memorable scenes . These performers were very credible as a group of co - workers turned friends , and that help oneself shape the picture .
Rex Manning Day
One of the subplots in the film is about a faded seventies player , Rex Manning , who constitute a promotional appearance in Empire Records at the most inopportune time . And after the buildup by Corey ( Tyler ) , it turns out that Manning is just a wash - up stripling idol . Caulfield is very funny during his brief appearance in the movie ; he even enter a birdcall for the film , Say No More ( Mon Amour ) , in fibre as Manning . That birdcall also had a arrant euphony video , which is in brief glimpsed in the moving picture .
These view led to lover appropriating Rex Manning Day as an annual online result every April 8 . Since this year is the 30th anniversary of the flick , we would n’t be surprised if 2025 has the biggest Rex Manning Day event to date .
The soundtrack is incredible
Beyond the actors and their performances , Empire Recordsmade its rejoinder through its best - deal soundtrack , which was far more successful than the moving picture itself . Gin Blossoms , The Cranberries , Edwyn Collins , The Martinis , The Innocence Mission , and Better Than Ezra are all featured on the soundtrack , but there were even more human action that did n’t make the excision . The movie features extra songs byAC / DC , Dishwakka , the Dire Straits , The Buggles , Sponge , Suicidal Tendencies , and more .
That eclectic lineup of artists help the film ’s medicine feel like a genuine snapshot of the mid-90s . Music stores like the one have inEmpire Recordsare now rarities that only seem to provide to vinyl partizan in 2025 . But in the daytime before cyclosis and file - share-out change everything , these store were the best mode to purchase and experience medicine . That may have gone away in the last 30 years , but it ’s still satisfying to look back at this film and appreciate the second it was create for .
WatchEmpire RecordsonHulu .
