This Documentary Rocks

A good documentary will introduce the viewer to something, somebody, or some idea for which, up to that point, the viewer has, most likely, not had much exposure. That sentence had five commas. Not everyone can do that. One such documentary that, not so much introduces the viewer to something new, but delves into it’s particular subject is “The Rock-afire Explosion.”
“The Rock-afire Explosion” details quite well the history of the animatronic band that was installed at every Showbiz Pizza restaurant in the United States between 1980 and 1983. In “The Rock-afire Explosion,” you will meet Aaron Fechter, the man who created the animatronics which were used in building the mechanical rock band. Fechter’s company was given the task, in the early 80’s, of building and shipping 200 sets of Rock-afire Explosions for every Showbiz Pizza in the country. In the documentary, the viewer also meets a handful of Rock-afire Explosion devotees whose passion for the animatronic creation is certainly evident.
I enjoyed meeting every subject of this film. This documentary succeeds because it allows the subjects to be themselves and share with the filmmakers and the viewers their interests. This is a necessity in an exemplary documentary. There are no false notes, no fabricated drama anywhere in the film. Bravo to the documentarians, Brett Whitcomb and Bradford Thomason, who simply put together a wonderful film about a very interesting subject. The film is not made in such a fashion by which the viewer feels as though the filmmakers are making fun of anybody or passing judgement on anyone because they have what may be considered to be a “strange” interest. Once again, bravo to the filmmakers for resisting that urge in what seems to be a current trend in much lesser documentaries. Only once in the film is that annoying trick of showing the subject on camera looking away from the camera while that same subject is heard on voiceover used. This seems to be something that started in documentaries in the 90’s. It simply looks ridiculous.
Anyway, that is the only thing wrong with “The Rock-afire Explosion” and it is a very minor infraction. Otherwise, it is a lot of fun. I was surprised by how much is covered in the film. I learned the history of the creation of the band, the man who created it, and the history of Showbiz Pizza. The documentary is also very well structured and never loses focus on it’s subject. It could not have cost that much to make this film. That is a testament to how a fine documentary can be made without any fancy camera angles and allowing the subjects of the film to tell the story. If you grew up in the 1980’s and early 1990’s, you will surely enjoy it. It is a solid film and worthy of your time. It can currently be seen on Netflix instant streaming. The dvd of the film is also available at the film’s website.