Showbiz Pizza was the magical place all the kids wanted to go to in the early eighties. It had pizza, rides, video games, and an animatronic singing band composed of anthropomorphic animals.They were called the Rock-afire Explosion. They didn't last too long, because, in the early nineties, they were mysteriously pulled from the showrooms and replaced with the popular Chuck E. Cheese characters. Many children had fond memories of Showbiz Pizza and especially The Rock-afire Explosion, and it left an impression on some and they've never forgotten what it means to them. They carry this love even today, some twenty years later.
One super fan featured in this film, the small town roller rink DJ Chris Thrash went as far as contacting the man who made this singing robots, Aaron Fechter and bought an entire Rock-afire show that included all the characters and the set. He set it up and got the idea to have the band sing popular songs and put them on YouTube. The videos were extremely popular and had millions watching them again.
This film is more or less about Thrash. There are some other fans showed, but they seem to focus on him. Which is good, because he is probably the most interesting of the cast. He is a strange man. The best way I can think of to describe him is he is a real life Dwight Schrute. I mean, he only drinks Mountain Dew and he swishes it in his mouth like mouthwash, which makes my teeth hurt just thinking about it. He also seems almost obsessed with the characters and the show. I think he associates the band with happiness during his childhood, which he is trying to keep alive.
The film also focuses on the creator of the Rock-afire Explosion, Aaron Fechter and the downfall of his company, Creative Engineering, Inc. You can't help but feel bad for the guy. He seems like a decent man, and you can tell he feels bad for having to slowly fire his friends that worked in the company. At one point, he even broke down into tears talking about the friends made and lost. Showbiz really screwed him over. They wanted his characters, but wouldn't buy them. They just switched over to the Chuck E. Cheese ones, leaving him with nothing.
I have to admit, I have a phobia of mascots and life-like robotic things. I had my third birthday party at a Chuck E. Cheese. There is a picture of my grandpa holding me up to an animatronic head thing on the wall and I have a pretty unhappy look on my face. If I'm remembering right, I don't think I would even go near them unless someone was holding me. When I was little, I had a Teddy Ruxpin that I was so afraid of, I wouldn't be in the same room as it. I have vivid memories of knowing he was in the room I wanted to cross through and running fast through the room to get where I wanted to be. I still am today unnerved by a Teddy Ruxpin when I see it. I also get very anxious if someone in a mascot suit comes near me.
Needless to say, the robots freaked me out in this movie. I just don't like the way they look and move. I don't like the fact they are trying to imitate human life. I think a large part of the creep factor is the paint jobs on the characters. It's just horrifying to me. The empty workshop full of semi-completed animatronics seemed just like a house of horrors. There was a moose head on a wall that melted in the heat, dripping onto an old television. There was also a mysterious puddle running onto the floor that Fechter warned the cameraman not to step into because they haven't had it analyzed yet. They showed an old tape of stuff they were working on, and it included this horrible clown that stared into my soul. I literally jumped and yelped when I saw it. I took a screenshot of it. Here it is. Don't say I didn't warn you.
I did end up enjoying the film. It was very sentimental and nostalgic. I think the director tried not to paint the subjects as a freak show, even though some of them practically are. There are also some surprisingly moving moments where you find yourself caring about these people. The scene where Fechter gives a tour of the abandoned workshop and everything looks like it was immediately dropped, is simply heartbreaking. If you like a good documentary, I highly recommend this film. I think everyone can enjoy this film-- I'm afraid of the animatronics, and I still liked it.
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