5 Ways ‘Empire Records’ Fans Can Celebrate Rex Manning Day

Happy Rex Manning Day!

In case you aren’t familiar with Rex Manning Day, it’s a momentous day in the cult hit Empire Records because it’s the day fictional recording artist (and icon) Rex Manning comes to the record store for a signing.

It’s also a day Empire Records fans like to celebrate because… they can? (And because it’s the date listed on this poster featured in the movie.)

So in honor of the film’s 20th anniversary — as well as it being Rex Manning Day and all — here are five ways you can celebrate Rex Manning Day right now from the comfort of your own computer screen.

1. Watch the Rex Manning Day musical montage from Empire Records

2. Now stand up and dance…

3. No, we mean really dance!

4. After you’ve built up a ferocious dance-sweat, sit back down and watch one of Rex Manning’s delightfully corny music videos.

5. Finally, check out this great interview with Empire Records star Ethan Embry, who recalls this story about the real meaning behind Rex Manning Day:

“It’s funny, do you know how the whole Rex Manning Day thing happened? I was just talking to the writer, Carol [Heikkinen], and she was saying it’s in one of the drafts. April 8th is the same day they found Kurt Cobain’s body. It’s not the day he died. We shot that the same year they found him, so it represents the death of a rock star. Nobody ever says it in the movie. Nobody ever says April 8th. It’s a flyer on the door that says Rex Manning Day, April 8th. I can’t believe people actually grabbed onto that and it turned into that. I had no idea until last year. I don’t know how long this has been going on.”