MovieFreak.com - Empire Records Remix! Special Fan Edition DVD Review

Empire Records is an independent music store about to be sold to a large chain. After a failed attempt by employee Lucas (Rory Cochrane) to raise money to buy the store, Joe (Anthony LaPaglia), the owner, finds all the money gone. This prompts all employees to band together to stage a wild party and raise the cash to buy out the store. However, throughout this seemingly normal day they also must come to terms with who they are and who they want to be. It's a tale of love, personal tragedy, and finding ones true self, with the added splash of a little rock and roll.

Empire Records has most of the ingredients of a teen flick, but that doesn’t put it in genre. Genre films are more like American Pie and Can’t Hardly Wait, two good films by the way. Empire Records is a little more mature as it deals with some really interesting and important issues. Confused teenagers are the focus point of some of these issues. There are six of them, three guys and three girls, all of whom have different aspirations and/or problems they need to face or correct within them.

There’s Lucas (Cochrane) who needs to learn responsibility. He wasted the money in Atlantic City, putting Empire Records in jeopardy. Now all the employees need to figure out how to get $9,000 to save the store. A.J. (Johnny Whitworth) is the quiet artist with an infatuation with Corey (Liv Tyler). Corey is the A-type student lacking bravery and independence. Gina (Renee Zellweger) is the slut-type of girl who’s scared to do what it takes, such as to sing in a band like she wants to. Mark (Ethan Embry), the heavy metal guy, wants to be in a band, but needs to figure out himself first. And there’s Debra (Robin Tunney), the suicidal-type girl who needs to start a new life and move on to her dreams. Joe (LaPaglia), the owner, is single and in need of a better life. Lastly, Warren (Brendan Sexton III) needs to face the consequences of his actions before he can be accepted.

I guess one could psycho analyze the underscores or deep layers within the script, but then again, it’s more like a refreshing John Hughes, 80s-type teen comedy, but it’s not limited to that. The comedy works well, too, and all around it’s a good time. There is some schmaltz here and there, with some enforced stereotypes as well. However, the drama within the characters is worth making a note of. Despite that, the simplicity of it all is a little too convenient for the film’s own good. The dilemma to save the store is easily erased by a late-night party outside on the street, with literally hundreds of people coming down to donate money or buy things for jacked-up prices; all for the good of the store, all for the opportunity to buy the store from the evil Mitch, the man; as in "don’t let the man get you down."

Empire Records is simple teenage fun with a little bit of messaging mixed in. It’s not a straight-out teen flick. Carol Heikkinen’s script is smarter than most others of the teen flick genre. Director Allan Moyle seems to have it all down as the film plays on a great level. There’s the sense of wanting to be there, working with these characters, interacting with them, etc.

This Warner Bros. release of Empire Records is labeled as a Remix, or Special Fan Edition. What this entails is sixteen minutes of footage added back into the film, making the original running time of 90 minutes go up to 107 minutes. However, Warner needs to compensate for the nature of the new scenes, which is why this remix is not rated, instead of the original PG-13 rating. These new scenes add some depth to the film and the characters, but that doesn’t stop the pace from slowing down just a little. It’s nice to see more of Empire Records, but more doesn’t always mean better. Still, this new cut of the film is worth checking out, especially for fans of the film, which ultimately this DVD plays to.

Warner Bros. presents Empire Records in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is an all-new digital transfer, but it only looks half that. Basically, the film’s color palette includes a variety of colors in a great environment, but color detail is not consistent. Detail is somewhat sharp and sometimes a little off the mark. I didn’t notice any major artifacts or compression problems, but the print image does have some grainy spots. There are no scratches, except for a few during the end credits. Dark tones and black level are decent at best, showing some signs of wear-and-tear, if you will. I would say this remix transfer is a slight improvement over the previous DVD release, but then again it’s been a while since I’ve seen the old version. Overall, the transfer is decent and there are no major problems affecting the viewing experience.

Warner Bros. presents Empire Records in English Dolby Digital 5.1, which is an all-new (remix) transfer from the previous DVD release. Well, here you have a film about a record store. They play music there, don’t they? Well, yes. Empire Records includes at least 15 different songs, some of which are from Gin Blossoms, Better Than Ezra, The Cranberries, Evan Dando, Cracker and Toad the West Sprocket. The point is, all these songs should make the surround sound work its arse off, but what they really do is play soft notes on the rear speakers and loud on the front speakers. Nevertheless, this remix makes dialog scenes clear and easy to understand. Empire Records sounds pretty decent.

4 Additional Scenes (~5 mins) – The actual label on the back cover reads "scenes that even this remix couldn’t contain." What it really means is that these four scenes are really nothing to be excited about. They’re not in the film for obvious reasons. One is timing. Two is unneeded subplot. Three is not interesting. All four scenes are presented in 2.35:1 widescreen with a poor image quality, most likely from some video output.

You also get the film’s Theatrical Trailer. However, this is where things get a little interesting. There are at least two, maybe three shots in the trailer that don’t appear anywhere in Empire Records Remix! One such shot is A.J. (Whitworth) and Corey (Tyler) relaxing on a small pier. Why is this not in the Remix? Tobey Maguire’s scene got cut initially, but is purported to be included in this version, but I didn’t see him. Maybe I just didn’t pay enough attention.

That’s it, unless you count the three Music Videos and Cast & Crew Bios/Filmographies as anything special. But yeah, that’s all there is to this Fan Edition. I’m pretty sure fans of this film wanted to see more footage and cut scenes, which is what they get here. However, why not make this Fan Edition a little more? How about a commentary? How about a short making-of featurette? A promotional press kit of some kind would have sufficed, if only in the least bit. But no, all there is to this DVD are the four additional scenes plus sixteen minutes added back into the (remix) film. Oh well, maybe fans now have something else to wish for… real special features. Hint, hint, Warner Bros.

You can select to view the film with optional English, French and Spanish subtitles. The DVD’s menus are not animated. The 107-minute feature is organized into twenty-eight chapters. Empire Records is packaged in the old and useless snapper case.

Empire Records Remix is as good as the original cut of the film. The added footage is certainly nice to see and creates more of a whole experience, but most likely only for the fans. The 2003 digital transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 are pretty decent, but nothing great. The lack of real special features, however, is a little bit disappointing, considering the special fan edition label. Nevertheless, Empire Records comes recommended. Fans should definitely buy the DVD while anyone else should consider a rental.

THE MOVIE	7
THE VIDEO	7
THE AUDIO	7
THE EXTRAS	3
OVERALL (not an average)	6