Go Back  DVD Talk Forum > Entertainment Discussions > Movie Talk
Reload this Page >

Showbiz Pizza movie!

Movie Talk A Discussion area for everything movie related including films In The Theaters

Showbiz Pizza movie!

Old 11-02-09, 01:28 PM
  #26  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Pomona, CA
Posts: 801
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Re: Showbiz Pizza movie!

For those who live in Los Angeles, there is a screening of the movie on November 5th, that includes free pizza and arcade games! I won tickets on a local radio station, so I'm pretty excited.
Old 11-02-09, 01:42 PM
  #27  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,608
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Re: Showbiz Pizza movie!

This was playing again last month here in Austin... so it seems to be still making the rounds (I saw it ... oh.. probably 6 months ago).

It's a very interesting, funny, and sad film. It was especially hilarious because the Alamo Drafthouse found a bunch of old Chuck E Cheese/Showbiz Pizza training videos and played them before the show.

I'm surprised it's not on DVD yet... I'm guessing it must be still doing well with its' roadshow-style release.
Old 11-03-09, 12:24 AM
  #28  
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Los Angeles , California
Posts: 3,596
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Re: Showbiz Pizza movie!

It's on DVD : http://www.rockafiremovie.com/

Never mind, just read Drexl's post.

Last edited by SPiRAL; 11-03-09 at 12:34 AM.
Old 11-03-09, 02:26 AM
  #29  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Santa Barbara, Ca
Posts: 1,856
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Re: Showbiz Pizza movie!

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/36353...explosion-the/

Nostalgia, the undiluted variety, can assume the form of tender memories that enhance the human experience, providing illumination in the strangest of places. Nostalgia can also foster obsession, either for objects or a return to a supposed simplicity of life that's impossible to reconstruct in the modern world. "The Rock-afire Explosion" itemizes the efforts of sensitive individuals who ache to grasp the elusive comfort of the past to help brighten their future, only the object of desire at play here might raise a few eyebrows.

The band was called The Rock-afire Explosion, and their hits and vigorous stage demeanor electrified a generation of fans who still hold the memories of the group's triumphs deep inside their hearts. Taking center stage at Showbiz Pizza restaurants, The Rock-afire Explosion was actually an assortment of gigantic animatronic animal characters decked out with flashy costumes and oversized instruments, running through a pre-programmed list of songs and funky robotic moves to charm the giddy groups gathered to boisterously celebrate, play video games until their fingers bled, and eat gobs of pizza. Reigning supreme for the better part of a decade, the Explosion took the nosepicker set by storm, leaving some, like Alabama resident Chris Thrash, to dream of the day when they could possess their very own version of the band.

It took Thrash about 20 years, but through serious small-town vocational efforts and the availability of some extra space on his property, the soft-spoken man claimed his wish, building his own Rock-afire Explosion with help from the band's creator and online guardian, the excitable Aaron Fechter. "Explosion" tells the story of these two men and how their obsession with the group shaped their lives, bringing the audience on a documentary expedition of harmless fixation and dedication to a childhood distraction that was rudely taken away through the unforgiving process of bankruptcy and generational maturity. How these men maintained their fandom for such an unusual object through decades of jarring pop culture shifts and increasingly cutting-edge entertainment demands is only the tip of the iceberg here.

Working with his Creative Engineering, Inc. company, Fechter was the brainchild behind the formation of the Rock-afire Explosion, installed into 200 Showbiz Pizza restaurants by the mid-1980s. Creating a musical act defined by intricate animatronic movement, catchy cartoon personalities, and a set list of comforting family-friendly tunes, the act was an immediate smash, bewitching the imagination of kids like Thrash. Showbiz and the Explosion eventually imploded, but Fechter and his everlasting enthusiasm for inventing and entertaining remain in full effect to this day, as witnessed by Whitcomb, who visits the Creative Engineering headquarters in Orlando to inventory the scraps left of the Explosion and Fechter himself.

The miracle of "Explosion" is how seriously Whitcomb takes this whole sparkly subculture. Interviewing band "groupies" (men and women replete with merch, tattoos, and enduring memories), the director illustrates a stunning portrait of fandom, Peter Pan syndrome, and genuine love for a lost childhood artifact. Thrash and Fechter are an idiosyncratic pair of men who are spiritually elevated by this pursuit, with the former working his Mountain Dew-fueled ambitions to positive ends of distraction, finding viral video majesty when he programmed the Explosion to "perform" modern pop songs from the likes of Shakira and Usher; using the reincarnation to herd like-minded souls out there suffering from Showbiz Pizza withdrawal and opening the group to a whole new generation of kids who never knew the pleasures of 1980's arcade culture.

It's amazing how much mileage Whitcomb squeezes out of the subject matter, tracing the history of Showbiz Pizza and the monetary drought that greeted Fechter when the Explosion golden age passed. This is a wonderful, enlightening, and affectionate documentary providing a sugar-shocked exploration of a distant memory kept alive by a faithful few. Through their considerable, indefatigable efforts, the legend of Billy Bob, Dook LaRue, Beach Bear, Rolfe DeWolf, and the incomparable Fatz Geronimo blazes on in the most unlikely of places and people.

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/36353...explosion-the/
Old 11-12-11, 02:24 PM
  #30  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Formerly known as Groucho AND Bandoman/Death Moans, Iowa
Posts: 18,282
Received 369 Likes on 263 Posts
Re: Showbiz Pizza movie!

This is on Netflix Watch Instantly now, if you haven't seen it.
Old 11-12-11, 03:16 PM
  #31  
Inane Thread Master, 2018 TOTY
 
OldBoy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Are any of us really anywhere?
Posts: 49,298
Received 889 Likes on 752 Posts
Re: Showbiz Pizza movie!

Originally Posted by majorjoe23
This is on Netflix Watch Instantly now, if you haven't seen it.
thanks so much!! i've been wanting to see this since this thread first started. yay!!
Old 11-12-11, 10:52 PM
  #32  
DVD Talk Gold Edition
 
lopper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Phoenix
Posts: 2,803
Received 85 Likes on 62 Posts
Re: Showbiz Pizza movie!

Originally Posted by majorjoe23
This is on Netflix Watch Instantly now, if you haven't seen it.
I knew it would pop up there someday. Thanks for the heads up!
Old 11-13-11, 08:43 AM
  #33  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 394
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Re: Showbiz Pizza movie!

I used to like Showbiz Pizza when I was a kid. I remember going there with my grandma and also for birthday parties. That documentary wouldn't interest me though. Actually I'm afraid it would give me nightmares b/c it would bring back vivid memories. No thanks.
Old 11-13-11, 10:41 AM
  #34  
Inane Thread Master, 2018 TOTY
 
OldBoy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Are any of us really anywhere?
Posts: 49,298
Received 889 Likes on 752 Posts
Re: Showbiz Pizza movie!

interesting docu, but i thought they could have explored a lot more. they didn't make the fans as sad as they should have been.
Old 11-13-11, 11:13 AM
  #35  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Formerly known as Groucho AND Bandoman/Death Moans, Iowa
Posts: 18,282
Received 369 Likes on 263 Posts
Re: Showbiz Pizza movie!

The female fan was pretty hot.
Old 11-13-11, 01:55 PM
  #36  
DVD Talk Legend & 2021 TOTY Winner
 
Obi-Wanma's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Detroit
Posts: 12,518
Received 737 Likes on 364 Posts
Re: Showbiz Pizza movie!

I remember seeing the commericals when I was a kid, but I never went to a Showbiz. I don't think there were any in my area. We had Chuck E. Cheese and Major Magic. I do remember thinking about how strage it was when Chuck E. Cheese adopted the Showbiz Pizza theme though.

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.