Long before the Internet grew into the cultural cornerstone it is today, producing new forms of accessing media via YouTube and Spotify, corner shops were the go-to hotspots for all of your cultural needs. From film to comic books, video games to music, these focal points experienced a steep decline in the mid-to-late ’90s, and perhaps one of the more high-profile downfalls was that of Tower Records. Established in 1960, the company steadily grew into an industry titan, but towards the turn of the millennium, Tower Records’ might began to fade and fade fast.
For his upcoming documentary, Colin Hanks will chart the company’s trailblazing rise and fall with All Things Must Pass. Lending its title from the George Harrison album of the same name, today brings the first trailer for Hanks’ musical picture, and it’s a nostalgic peak into the blossoming, cultural-centric music scene of yesteryear.
Interviews with Foo Fighters’ lead Dave Grohl, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John and even Tower Records founder, Russ Solomon, will feature in All Things Must Pass, and you can check out the emphatic tone of Colin Hanks’ documentary in the snippet above.
All Things Must Pass will make its bow in select theaters on October 16. In the meantime, here’s the official synopsis teasing Tower Records’ abrupt decline.
Established in 1960, Tower Records was once a retail powerhouse with two hundred stores, in thirty countries, on five continents. From humble beginnings in a small-town drugstore, Tower Records eventually became the heart and soul of the music world, and a powerful force in the music industry. In 1999, Tower Records made $1 billion. In 2006, the company filed for bankruptcy. What went wrong? Everyone thinks they know what killed Tower Records: The Internet. But that’s not the story. All Things Must Pass is a feature documentary film examining this iconic company’s explosive trajectory, tragic demise, and legacy forged by its rebellious founder, Russ Solomon.
