|
Starring
Aaron Fechter
and
Chris Thrash
Directed by
Brett Whitcomb
Film Grade: A+
DVD Grade: A+
MPAA Rating: N/A
Kids-in-Mind Rating:
N/A
a review by Neil Carnahan
The Basics
The Rock-Afire Explosion is a feature-length documentary about an animatronic band of the same name that played shows in the 1980s at a chain of popular kids-themed restaurants called Showbiz Pizza Place. The film tells the story of The Rock-Afire’s rise to popularity, its subsequent fall, and the band’s small but poignant rebirth with the help of an obsessed fan, Chris Thrash, and his YouTube videos.
Chris is a small town car dealer by day turned skating rink DJ by night who loved going to Showbiz as a kid and could not get The Rock-Afire out of his head as an adult. Determined to get his hands on a set of his favorite robot band, Chris contacted Aaron Fechter, President of Creative Engineering and the inventor of the Rock-Afire Explosion. Chris’s childhood dream of owning The Rock-Afire Explosion came true.
When I first saw the trailer for this film back in 2008, it was like someone had reached deep within my cerebral cortex to dig up memories I only thought were lost. Needless to say, it blew my mind. This is an all-around amazing film. It has special interest to me because I loved going to Showbiz Pizza Place every chance I got when I was little. I had countless birthday parties there, and attended parties for other kids. But after all these years, a lot of people still don’t know what The Rock-Afire is, and watching the film felt like being in an exclusive childhood club for only a special few who remember.
The whole story -- from seeing what has become of Creative Engineering with Aaron interwoven with Chris’ story (as well as other obsessed, oddball fans) -- has so much genuine, nostalgic honesty to it that it made me feel like I did when I was a young kid seeing The Rock-Afire myself. Most of all, I enjoyed watching the footage of the actual robots perform. From vintage footage from the 80s to Billy Bob and the gang playing new songs, just seeing the band alive and well and exactly how I remembered it was an amazing experience to me. If you remember The Rock-Afire at all as a kid, then this film is one you cannot miss. Don’t think of it as just another reboot of something else from the 80s; think of it as the reboot of your childhood.
What the DVD Offers
There are over 40 minutes of amazing special features on the DVD. It’s got deleted scenes, extended interviews, old Creative Engineering footage and the original film trailer that was popularized on the internet. I was so glad to see that the trailer was included on the DVD. I’ve seen it probably dozens of times in the past year and a half, and it still gives me goose bumps. No other trailer has gotten me so excited to see a movie... ever.
The only thing I thought was missing in the special features was director’s commentary. I was hoping for more insight to how director Brett Whitcomb got involved with Aaron and Chris and just his personal experience with The Rock-Afire Explosion. But even with no commentary, these extras are insightful, entertaining, and fun, every single second of them. Even the box art and DVD menus are really fun to look at. This film has a special place on the shelf of my DVD collection.
For more information visit the official website at www.rockafiremovie.com!