MovieChat Forums > All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records (2015) Discussion > I was bored.

I was bored.

posted 9 years ago by M_Exchange
5 replies | jump to latest

During the drive home I pinpointed exactly why the film was so dull to me and why I walked out after 50 minutes:
The employees who were interviewed never moved beyond those menial jobs (or, at the very least, most of them worked there for an uncomfortably long period of time). Therefore their lives seemed more like dull tragedies than something noteworthy to me.
And A LOT of the film centered around their lives.
The founder's story and the stuff about Elton John was interesting, partly because I had heard about Elton sightings at the Sunset location well into the '90s.
Something that the founder said sort of summed up his attitude toward the employees and why I have zero respect for those old losers (paraphrasing): "It's the Tom Sawyer thing: get someone else to paint the fence for you."
Oh, and they did.

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[–] sforrester-3 9 years ago

I have just watched this and I think we must have been watching a different film. The employees who were there for a long time (or those old losers) did very well, working their way up to top managerial positions. One guy who started as a clerk ended up basically pioneering the opening of the first American retail store in Japan without Japanese partners. I found it more interesting finding out about the real people who actually helped build Tower Records than just hearing about celebrities who shopped there. I think your interpretation of how Solomon regarded his employees is also a bit warped as, if you had watched to the end, you would have seen his loyalty to them and there's to him.

[–] billymac72 9 years ago

I agree! The consistent theme with all those employees was not that they continued with their "menial jobs". They all started as clerks or in shipping/receiving and worked their ways up to executive management and development. This level of in-company support fostered the family vibe of the business.

When people tell me their "bored", a little voice in my head asks if maybe it's because that person is themselves boring. Sorry, couldn't resist! It's such a fascinating story I'm surprised that it would be read that way, and in this case, misunderstood.

[–] TeenGangDeb 9 years ago

Only boring people get bored.

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Love means never having to say you're ugly. - The Abominable Dr. Phibes

[–] BlackiesDad 9 years ago

The employees who were interviewed never moved beyond those menial jobs (or, at the very least, most of them worked there for an uncomfortably long period of time). Therefore their lives seemed more like dull tragedies than something noteworthy to me.

I'm not sure that we watched the same film.

[–] KDizzler 9 years ago

Well, you left halfway and only got half the story. It's that simple.