Thursday Movie Picks: Store/Supermarket/Mall Movies
1) Mallrats
I imagine I'll see Clerks somewhere this week, but I prefer Mallrats. I worked in a mall when I was a teenager, and this film captures the essence of that well. The boredom, the drama, the weird shit. This film has it all.
2) Empire Records
This film is very nostalgic for me. It's been ages since I've seen it, but my friends and I used to watch it in high school all the time. I still wish I could buy Renee Zellweger's version of SugarHigh on iTunes.
3) Dawn of the Dead
One of my favorite horror movies, and easily one of the best zombie movies takes place in mall. It's the perfect setting for humor and gore.
I bet I could still quote every last line of Empire Records.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure I have a burned CD somewhere with a KaZaA burned version of Renee Zellweger singing SugarHigh on it. lol
DeleteI was expecting to see Mallrats pop up somewhere. I don't love it but it made some sharp observations while still being pretty funny.
ReplyDeleteHorror movies aren't my thing so I've never seen Dawn of the Dead but I Empire Records is a fun ride. With record stores all but defunct it is full of nostalgia to watch now. Terrific choice.
I reached farther back but all three of these came to me quickly.
Who’s Minding the Store? (1963)-Dog walker Norman (Jerry Lewis) loves the beautiful Barbara (Jill St. John) but Barbara’s from money, a fact Norman is unaware of. Her family owns a highly successful department store and her mother, Mrs. Tuttle (Agnes Moorehead) is determined to break them up. Norman goes to work in the store and tries to prove himself while Mrs. Tuttle’s minion, Mr. Quimby (Ray Walston) gives him ever more humiliating tasks. Typical Lewis comedy is a bit sweeter than usual and has a great cast.
The Devil and Miss Jones (1941)-Annoyed to hear workers at one of his stores are trying to form a union the world's richest man John P. Merrick (Charles Coburn) decides to check it out for himself. Going incognito he gets a job there on the hunt for what he sees as troublemakers but discovers instead that the employee’s grips are legitimate when he befriends Miss Mary Jones (Jean Arthur), another worker at the store. In time Merrick ends up carrying the flag for the workers to be treated decently…and maybe has found a love of his own. Played for laughs but with an underlying serious social tone.
Employees Entrance (1933)-Harsh pre-code tells the story of a soulless bastard (Warren William) and what he does as he ruthlessly oversees the running of a large department store during the depression. He thinks nothing of trading work for sexual favors, throwing people out of work who displease him, demeaning his employees sometimes to the point of suicide. A candid if unpleasant portrait of a contemptible man all the more vivid because of being produced just before the Hays Office would have made its production unthinkable.
Of course I haven't seen any of those lol. One day I won't suck so much with classic films. Thanks for sharing!
DeleteEmpire Records and Dawn of the Dead are the popular choices. I'm not into horror like this...too scary and depressing but Empire Records sounds good. I have to see Mallrats. I'm surprised that Clerks isn't around more.
ReplyDeleteEmpire Records is classic. I feel like everything thought Clerks was too obvious?
DeleteI am so damn mad at myself for not thinking of Empire Records. Pure 90s bliss! I LOVE that movie. Mallrats, on the other hand, is no Clerks in my mind, but it's still funny as hell. Great picks!
ReplyDeleteThat's me at least once every week - getting pissed I didn't think of something else. lol
DeleteI love MallRats. It was such a solid follow-up to Clerks and its so underrated and fun. And for me, it definitely falls into the category of great hangout movies like Dazed and Confused, Fast Times at Ridgemont High and well..Clerks.
ReplyDeleteBig fan of the Dawn of the Dead remake too. Actually thought it improved over the Romero original where the zombies looked a little too fake :P
I didn't care for the original either. This was one of the rare instances where a remake so was nuch better.
DeleteI've never actually seen Mallrats or Empire Records and I feel like I've failed as a 90s teen.
ReplyDeleteLol you didn't fail! I feel that way too sometimes with TV. I never watched Friends or Buffy.
DeleteI too prefer Mallrats over Clerks as well. I liked the remake of Dawn of the Dead. Empire Records.... not so much. I didn't like it when it came out as I found everyone to be whiny and I still don't like it. I do miss the record store but there's a better movie set in a record store, sort of.... High Fidelity.
ReplyDeleteI think I've seen parts of High Fedelity but never the whole thing.
DeleteI've not watched any of these in their entirety. I've seen bits and pieced of Empire Records. For what it's worth, I'm not a huge fan of Clerks, so I just never bothered with Mallrats. I might give it a go.
ReplyDeleteMallrats is way better than Clerks and you get douchey Ben Affleck lol.
DeleteI haven't seen any of these, but Empire Records is quite popular this week!
ReplyDeleteIt's been so long since I've watched it. This week is making me want to see it again.
DeleteEmpire Records and Dawn of the Dead are quite popular this week. Maybe I should check them out.
ReplyDeleteYou should!
DeleteI still cannot believe, given how good it was, that Snyder directed DotD
ReplyDeleteLol all down hill from there and The Watchmen.
DeleteI've never seen Mallrats, though I probably should as I'd get a kick out of seeing Eden Prairie Center Mall on screen. I go there every once in a while as it's not too far from my house.
ReplyDeleteI forgot it was Eden Prairie they used! I like seeing anything Minnesota on screen.
DeleteGreat minds think alike - Empire Records! Love it. Not seen Mallrats - but I'm not a Kevin Smith fan.
ReplyDeleteYessss Empire Records!
DeleteI love Empire Records! Picked it before for some other themes.
ReplyDeleteStill have yet to see Mallrats; it and Clerks are on my to watch list.
Check out Mallrats first!
DeleteIt is quite beneficial, although think about the facts when it reaches this target. Digital Global JV
ReplyDelete