I would guess that most people in the US at least have a passing familiarity with Chuck E Cheese. However, if you grew up in the ‘80s and were in certain parts of the country, their pizza restaurant/arcade hall competitor was probably your location of choice for birthday parties and rewards for good grade cards. ShowBiz Pizza Place operated from 1979 until it was completely absorbed by Chuck E Cheese in the mid-90s. At their peak, they had two hundred locations. I have many happy memories from their spot in Springfield, Ohio, in fact.
In 2009, filmmakers Brett Whitcomb (producer/director/co-editor/cinematographer) and Bradford Thomason (scripter/co-composer/co-editor) released their documentary, The Rock-Afire Explosion. Named after ShowBiz’s state-of-the-art (at the time) animatronic band, which entertained patrons in their dining areas, the film focuses on the band’s creator, animatronics engineer/musician/entrepreneur Aaron Fechter, and a clutch of rabid fans that keep the memories alive. Now, American Genre Film Archive, a partner label of Vinegar Syndrome, has just released the film on Blu-ray for the first time.
If you’re looking for an exploration of ShowBiz Pizza Place in its entirety, The Rock-Afire Explosion won’t meet those expectations. Whitcomb and Thomason are much more interested in the gregarious Fechter’s specific contributions to the business and what he’s been up to in the decades since his relative fame dwindled, as well as the most prominent of the band’s superfans, Chris Thrash, a soft-spoken man that scrimped and saved in order to obtain an authentic and working collection of the robotic band. These two diametrically different personalities combine to provide an engrossing portrait of comforting nostalgia and a fall from glory.
Though he’s effusive and personable, it’s difficult to not feel a little sorry for Fechter, as he shows off his moldering treasures in his dark and lonely warehouse. At one time, he employed over three hundred artists, technicians, and musicians, and even entertained Michael Jackson as a guest. Now, he is the sole employee of his company. While he actually found love in the arms of a ShowBiz superfan named Kerry, who also appears in the film, and he generally appears happy, a certain amount of disappointment, regret, and frustration hovers just beneath the surface of his segments.
Thrash, on the other hand, isn’t what you’d call emotive. Though in his own way, he resonates a lovably nerdy warmth. His dedication to the dream of recreating his favorite childhood sanctuary is nothing short of impressive. Whitcomb and Thomason use his journey and temperament to give us a view of the material from the common man’s perspective. This is bolstered by the inclusion of a handful of other Rock-Afire obsessives, but Thrash gets the most well-rounded portrayal of that coterie, by far.
Whitcomb shot the picture on digital video in 1.33:1. This is definitely a lo-fi and low-budget effort, but it’s not the work of amateurs. Framing is thoughtfully composed, and camera movement isn’t shaky. While there are certainly some traditional talking head sequences included in the 72-minute runtime, the explorations of Fechter’s messy hovel and Thrash’s unassuming property give the piece some rhythm. Of course, this is also bolstered by Thomason and Luke Lukas’ original music as well as shows by the titular band. The Rock-Afire performance that punctuates the film’s closing moments is bittersweet and pitch-perfect. Additionally, vintage news segments, archival footage, and classic television commercials pepper the proceedings and give us a view of the wider cultural impact of ShowBiz.
AGFA’s Blu-ray includes a small package of bonus features. There’s a commentary by Whitcomb and Thomason and a handful of uncut commercials, Rock-Afire comedy skits, and even a vintage in-house ShowBiz Pizza Place training video. We also get a trailer for the film and a behind-the-scenes image gallery. The outtakes feature is my favorite of the bunch, though. Here, we get Fechter relaying his involvement in the creation of the original Whac-A-Mole arcade game and Thrash discussing his father’s battle with cancer and how he wishes the two of them could hang out more in the clubhouse that serves as the home of his collection of animatronic friends.
Brett Whitcomb and Bradford Thomason’s The Rock-Afire Explosion is a lovingly rendered portrait of a prime mover behind an almost forgotten cultural phenomenon and a handful of true believers. The most recognizable aspect of ShowBiz Pizza Place’s impact on Generation X is thoroughly explored with a clearly defined POV. American Genre Film Archive’s Blu-ray gives us the best possible presentation of the material, given the limitations of the source, and a pleasing selection of bonus features. This initial pressing of the disc, which has an official release date of 3/26/24, also includes a sturdy slipcover featuring characters Fatz Geronimo on the front and the face of ShowBiz Pizza Place, Billy Bob Brockali, on the back. I had a blast learning what went into the creation of the robotic band and meeting Aaron Fechter and Chris Thrash. Highly recommended for fans of The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, The People vs. George Lucas, and Mom N’ Pop: The Indie Video Store Boom of the 80s/90s. It’s available to order now on Vinegar Syndrome’s site.
Michael Cavender