Empire Records - The Gen-X Guilty Pleasure

There are certain movies, that lack in various departments but have a sort of redeeming quality to them. For example, Empire Records (1995), the Generation-X comedy that came out at the peak of the Grunge era. Now, Empire Records is far from a great movie; it is, in an opinion, a shallow pop version of Clerks (1994). Nevertheless, there is something about it that makes it a somewhat enjoyable experience. Maybe it's the idea that we might one day want to work at a place like Empire Records, an idealized version of a record store, where life problems are solved within the lapse of a day.

Empire Records is occupied by stock characters, who all basically seem to fit into their respective stereotypical 90's archetype. They all play their part within the story and follow their own predictable re-awakening. This is what makes the it feel very superficial, even if it tries to strive for a message against non-commercialism and individuality. At the end, everything is too neatly resolved and put together, especially after one day. However, I have to say, maybe that is the appeal of it. We all fantasize about resolving our inner and outer conflicts in the matter of about 24 hours or less, so Empire Records gives us what we want, as opposed to what we need. I think it is important to stand back and view the movie not as something that strives for realism but for formalism. Empire Records is, in a sense, a fantasy film that tries to ground it's self in reality.

Probably the only great thing about Empire Records is the soundtrack. The array of music that pulsates through the movie is it's ultimate redeeming factor. Every song is not placed in an ad-hoc fashion, but is instead placed in the right scene at the right time. I think this is the reason it succeeds, even in the wake of it's faults. It is pure entertainment filled with great songs; it is a 90's pop artifact. If you dis-like the film, then you at least have the soundtrack to make up for the lost time. This is the track listing:

1. Til I Hear it from You - Gin Blossoms
2. Lair - Cranberries
3. Girl like you - Edwyn Collins
4. Free - The Martinis
5. Crazy Life - Toad and the Wet Sprocket
6. Bright as Yellow - The Innocence Mission
7. Circle of Friends - Better Than Ezra
8. I Don't want to Live Today - Ape Hangers
9. Whole Lotta Trouble - Cracker
10. Ready, Steady, Go - Meices
11. What You Are - Drill
12. Nice Overalls - Lustre
13. Here it Comes Again - Please, Please
14. Ballad of El Gordo - Evan Dando
15. Sugarhigh - Coyote Shivers

Plus there are the songs that are played in the movie but are not on the soundtrack, which include but are not limited to: Plowed - Sponge, Hey Joe -Jimi Hendrix, Counting Blue Cars - Dishwalla, Romeo and Juliet - Dire Straits, Daniel Johnston - Rock 'n' Roll/ EGA, so forth and so on...

(500) Days Of Summer Review

(500) Days of Summer is a fresh breeze in the stale summer air. I have to say personally it is on my top ten list for this year, so far. It has more honesty and relativity in one frame than most films this year have been able to achieve in their full running time. Now it goes without saying that this film is not for everyone; the film techniques and the non-linear format might turn those off who are more comfortable with regular narrative structures. Nevertheless, the creative approach that the film-makers take to tell the story is what gives the film another layer of nuance. For it's introspection into how we think about relationships in our minds, as scattered fragments of time instead of chronological moments, is what makes the film personally relevant, at least in my opinion.

In a similar way as Annie Hall, High Fidelity, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, (500) Days of Summer takes a male perspective on a romantic relationship. Actually it is more like a relationship built on unrequited love. Although, there are moments where Tom Hanson does share a connection with Summer Finn, she never truly reciprocates his love for her. We never get a full reason for Summer's actions as a character, since we mostly view her through Tom's perspective. However, that is the point, Summer seems undecided about her emotions and her actions because that is how Tom remembers her. She will always be kind of a mystery to him and us the audience.

The film takes different creative techniques to show us Tom's emotional ups and downs. These give us an open window into his mind throughout his 500 day journey. There are too many to highlight, but I will make note of 3 different occasions that I thought were poignant. The first is the dance sequence that occurs after Tom leaves Summer's apartment. I think this dance sequence is a near perfect metaphor for the emotional high a person feels when they fall in love with someone. Of course, it's followed by the depressive downturn many days later. The second is when Tom is sitting in the cinema and is watching himself inserted into different French films. For example for The Seventh Seal homage, Tom plays chess with cupid, instead of death. The third and the one that resonated with me the most was the Reality vs. Expectation sequence. I think we all go through situations expecting an outcome but end up dealing with the reality, which is usually the opposite of what we expected.

(500) Days of Summer is a film that connects with it's audience on a personal level. It delves into the range of feelings that can occur in unrequited love. It takes an authentic introspection into it's themes of heartbreak and hope. Tom is a hopeless romantic and Summer is skeptical about the very notion of romance; these characters both fundamentally represent different sides of the spectrum. However, both are able to reach a middle ground about their varied perspectives. In the end, we are all just waiting for an Autumn after every Summer.