For readers over a certain age, the thought of Tower Records -- or any storefront music shop -- probably evokes a pretty strong nostalgic pull. In Ye Olde days before the internet, pop culture geeks assembled at these stores located at cultural hubs across the world to mine out new tunes, obscure flicks, and seek recommendations from the knowledgable staff.

With All Things Must Pass, Colin Hanks chronicles the rise and Tower Records, from it's explosive inception to it's eventual demise. And while everyone blames the internet for the end of the iconic music store, Hanks digs into the real story behind the end of an institution. All Things Must Pass features interviews with Dave Grohl, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, and Tower Records founder Russ Solomon. Check out the trailer below.


While we tend to get carried away with nostalgia these days, physical storefronts are something I genuinely miss. There was a sense of community and camaraderie with your checkout clerks, and while algorithms get more impressive by the year, there was something about getting recommendation from idiosyncratic individuals that led to uncovering unexpected gems.

All Things Must Pass arrives in select theaters October 16th. Here's the official synopsis.

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.

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Image via Gravitas Ventures