Before even watching this documentary about the decline of the local record store, I completely identified with the title of the film. I am an avid music store shopper/sifter/thumber/dweller. Every time I end up in a city I make sure to look up ahead of time what record stores I should visit. In fact, I have taken to writing reviews on Yelp for the stores that still exist. This documentary addresses a concern that I’ve had since a few old favorite spots have been closing over the past decade here in Boston. I imagine there are many like me who feel the same frustration in the places they live.
Brendan Toller put together 77 minutes of film that discusses the past few decades of how the music industry has changed. These changes are usually shown through statistics that Toller has researched. The statistics show the rise and fall of certain mediums that people have listened to as well as the number of record stores in the country as the decades wear on. None of these statistics come with a notation of where you can find them on your own, but hey, this is a movie not a research paper. Just absorb it.
Like other influential documentaries that dish out one depressing fact after another, this one also makes you want to get out there and start buying up expensive CDs just to keep mom and pop in business a little longer. Toller also includes a few quotes from music business executives that, uh, sound rather humorous in hindsight. Thankfully, the facts and information that Toller squeezes into his documentary never feel overdone or at too high a level; anyone can come into this movie cold and be able to follow the timelines easily enough.
The interviews are what give the documentary its character. Toller talks to at least 20 people for this film, many of which are record store owners and customers. These people give their testimonies about why record stores are important not only in terms of their music tastes but also for their sense of community. I particularly enjoyed the film’s dedication to seeing how Ian, a former music store owner, tries to find life after his loss.
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