I’m not sure what the deal is with some recent documentaries (BACK IN TIME is one example) getting in-home releases and reissues less than a year apart, but ALL THINGS MUST PASS: THE RISE AND FALL OF TOWER RECORDS is the latest to get the treatment, hitting Blu-ray/DVD back in January via Filmrise, and now getting a September 13 DVD reissue at a slightly lower price point through MVD. Colin Hanks’ acclaimed doc is a film I’d first written about way back in 2011 or so, and after a theatrical/VOD run through Gravitas Ventures last year, the film continues to grow legs as more music fans discover it and delve into the history of what was once one of the biggest names in music.
From today’s Announcement: Established in 1960, Tower Records was once a retail powerhouse with 200 stores, in 30 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 an astounding $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.
Directed by Colin Hanks, and featuring music icons like Dave Grohl, Elton John and Bruce Springsteen, 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. For seven years, Hanks took on the documentary that lamented and celebrated the Sacramento-based record store that grew from his hometown into an American retail powerhouse.
“I remember buying ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magik’ by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was the informative record for me on my musical path, which I bought at Tower Records,” he said.
Variety validated the efforts of Hanks saying the film was “soundly constructed, briskly paced and, in the end, affectingly wistful.”
