HAPPY REX MANNING DAY!

"We musn't dwell ....

No, not today ...

We can't ...

Not on Rex Manning Day!"

Each year on April 8, fans of the 1990's cult classic movie "Empire Records" — like myself — celebrate the fabulously fictitious holiday known as Rex Manning Day.

We eat cupcakes.

We put on our special buttons.

We crank up cool tunes.

We might even glue quarters to the floor ...

But, most importantly, we break out that old DVD and watch as the gang at our favorite imaginary record store fights to "Save The Empire."

If you know ... you know.

If not, let me tell what you need to know about the film which inspired a stu-pid, but certainly not DIS honest tradition.

Rex Manning Day is celebrated on April 8 because that's the day when the singer visits the small-town record store to sign copies of his new album. You can see the date if you look really closely at the flyer on the front door.

Screenwriter Carol Heikkinen picked April 8 to honor a fallen musical icon.

"That's the day they found Kurt Cobain’s body. We (filmed the movie) the same year (1994). So, it represents the death of a rock star."

Cobain and his band, Nirvana, are never mentioned. Those themes of loss and change, though, carry over to the biggest plot point in the movie.

Store manager Joe Reaves (Anthony LaPagila) is trying to prevent the independent record store from being bought out by a big, corporate conglomerate — Music Town.

When one of his employees, Lucas (Rory Cochrane), finds about the clandestine plan, he takes all of the money out of the register at the end of the night — $9,104 (he counted it twice) — and heads to a casino in Atlantic City.

"In the immortal words of The Doors, 'The time to hesitate is through,'" he says before jumping on his motorcycle.

His attempt to save the store fails — miserably.

He returns empty handed and Rex Manning Day begins with utter chaos as the staff of misfit teenagers arrives.

SPOILER ALERT!

By the end of the day, they are able to raise enough money for Joe to buy the store. That struggle, however, gives the film its signature slogan/rallying cry.

"DAMN THE MAN! SAVE THE EMPIRE!"

In between, the turbulent personal lives of the store's employees take the film seemingly into a thousand different directions.

Corey (Liv Tyler) has a crush on Rex Manning and plans on offering her virginity to the middle-aged singer. Instead, her friend Gina (Renee Zellweger) has sex with Manning in the cash out room of the store.

Debra (Robin Tunney) shows up at the store that morning with a bandage on her wrist. She shaves her head in the bathroom and later admits to trying to kill herself the night before with a "pink, plastic razor with daises on it and a moisturizing strip."

"It took me forever just to get through my skin. I don't know. I was just tired of being invisible."

A.J. (Johnny Whitworth) decides that Rex Manning Day is the perfect time to tell Corey that he loves her ... and he has to do it before 1:37 p.m.

"That's an excellent time," Lucas responds.

Lucas returns from his ill-fated trip to trip to Atlantic City a changed man.

"What's with you?," A.J. asks. "Yesterday you were normal and today you're like the Chinese guy from Karate Kid. What's with you today?"

That question prompts one of the most memorable lines from the movie.

"What's with today, today?"

Mark (Ethan Embry) decides he wants to start a band and call it Marc, with a C — not a K.

"That way it's kind of psychedelic, you know, trip thing," says Mark, who later joins the band GWAR on stage after eating some "special" brownies.

In the midst of all the personal drama, a shoplifter — who claims his name is Warren — is caught by Lucas and taken away by the police. He later returns with a gun to threaten the staff.

"Stop calling me Warren," he says. "My name's not fucking Warren!"

Ironically, Rex Manning (played by Maxwell Caulfield) isn't the main focus of this convoluted storyline.

He is a tragic, but yet very unlikeable character, who is desperate to recover the fame he enjoyed as a teenage heart throb.

His latest song, "Say No More, Mon Amour" is pure pop garbage with cringe-worthy lyrics like, "You call me on my car phone with that je ne sais quioi ... you say you need a little of my ohhh-la-la."

(And yes, that is Caulfied singing on the track)

Sexy Rexy's manager walks out on him during his visit to Empire Records and the singer slinks out of the store with a defiant message.

"Why don't you all just fade away."

In an alternate ending to the movie (which is available as a bonus feature on the DVD), Rex Manning returns to hang out with the staff after they save the store.

As with many cult classics, Empire Records was a flop at the theatre. The $10 million film was the 236th highest grossing movie of 1995.

The soundtrack was much more successful. It featured a pair of top-10 singles — "Till I Hear It From You" by the Gin Blossoms and "A Girl Like You," by Edwyn Collins.

The movie also featured songs from artists like Dire Straits, AC/DC, GWAR, The Buggles, Toad The Wet Sprocket, Cracker, The Cranberries, The The and Suicidal Tendencies.

The music has helped keep the movie relevant.

And so has social media.

Rex Manning and Empire Records-themed accounts on X, Instagram and Facebook have thousands of followers and fans of the movie gather each year for public screenings of the movie.

The House of TARG, an entertainment venue in Ottawa, Ontario, is playing host to a Rex Manning Day Vendor & Makers Market this year, featuring 1990's karaoke. They will also be giving away Empire Records-style buttons and employee lanyards.

So, on April 8, say no more ... and don't dwell. Join into to this unique tradition.

But, just remember ... Marc Sucks!