The dicey politics of animatronics are no longer to remain ensconded in secrecy. This fall, a documentary will expose the truth behind the rise and fall of The Rock-afire Explosion, the animal-robot house band for Showbiz Pizza Place (most recently featured in MGMT's "Electric Feel" video) before Chuck E. Cheese and a sinister idea known as "concept unification" became its ruination.
Since that demise in the early nineties, a small group of obsessed and entrepreneuring fans have fought to revive the lost magic. And, when Phenix City, Ala. car salesman Chris Thrash bought the Explosion last year, the movement found its messiah.
Judging by the trailer, The Rock-afire Explosion documentary will feature the story of the Thrash-led revival, including conversations with fans for whom the latex-and-metal characters mean the world. Old Showbiz employees show up as well, one of whom sums up the fervor behind Thrash's project: "Animatronics is like everything there is in the universe put together."
Thrash's restoration of the Rock-afire name has much to do with his zeitgeist-tapping song selection, exemplified by this video of the band of bears, birds, gorillas and mice (to name but a few creatures involved) performing Usher's "Love In This Club":
Related links:
The Rock-afire Explosion on MySpace
ShowbizPizza.com
YouTube: Concept Unification
Got a news tip for Paste? E-mail news@pastemagazine.com.
Judging by the trailer, The Rock-afire Explosion documentary will feature the story of the Thrash-led revival, including conversations with fans for whom the latex-and-metal characters mean the world. Old Showbiz employees show up as well, one of whom sums up the fervor behind Thrash's project: "Animatronics is like everything there is in the universe put together."
Thrash's restoration of the Rock-afire name has much to do with his zeitgeist-tapping song selection, exemplified by this video of the band of bears, birds, gorillas and mice (to name but a few creatures involved) performing Usher's "Love In This Club":
Related links:
The Rock-afire Explosion on MySpace
ShowbizPizza.com
YouTube: Concept Unification
Got a news tip for Paste? E-mail news@pastemagazine.com.
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