Empire Records (1995) review

It sure is a busy working day at the title independent music retailer: manager Joe (Anthony LaPaglia) is preparing for a corporate takeover, Lucas (Rory Cochrane) steals $9,000 and takes it to Harrah's in Atlantic City (and loses it), A.J. (Johnny Whitworth) is in love with Corey (Liv Tyler) but she's going to Harvard, a kid who calls himself Warren Beatty (Brendan Sexton) shoplifts CDs (and later shows up with a gun) ... and washed-up pop star Rex Manning (Maxwell Caulfield) is in town to sign albums.  It's some sort of vague attempt at a post-Clerks "hangout movie" except not in the same hemisphere comedy-wise and quite frivolous, like a 90-minute sitcom: it finishes off with an impromptu concert, the place is saved and next thing you know the credits are rolling.  The cast is fresh and likeable, however: Gina (Renee Zellweger) is sexually liberated and Debra (Robin Tunney), undergoing an emotional crisis, is the group's grouch.  But Mark (Ethan Embry) has the best fantasy of all of them: to appear on-stage with irreverent thrash metal band GWAR ... and be devoured by one of their props.