Where A Kid Can Be A Kid!

I was brought back in time on Friday night to a wonderful part of my childhood. My inaugural trip to the Robinson Film Center in downtown Shreveport was to see "The Rock-afire Explosion," a documentary about the animatronic robots that played in Showbiz Pizza Place from 1980-1991. If you recall, The Rock-afire Explosion were different characters, from a dog to a gorilla, who performed music and even told jokes during shows on three stages.

The official press release says: “The Rock-afire Explosion” is the story of a small-town car salesman, a struggling inventor, and an animatronic rock band, that quickly becomes an eccentric portrait of childhood memories, broken dreams, and the resilience of the human spirit.

The documentary featured Chris Thrash, a die-hard fan and "preservationist" of The Rock-afire Explosion. He saved his money for years, working multiple jobs to purchase an original Rock-afire Explosion show to have at his home! Yes, this guy is very kooky but fun loving. It also featured Aaron Fechter, creator of The Rock-afire Explosion, as well as some of the remaining Rock-afire Explosion fan base. Two of the people featured in the documentary drove into town to attend the special two-night screening! Billy Bob, the Showbiz mascot bear who interacted with kids, was even there to great people who came to the screening. The DVD is set to be released on September 29, 2009. If you have fond memories of going to Showbiz Pizza Place, I recommened addidng this gem to your Netflix queue.

Do you remember Showbiz Pizza Place? I grew up going to Showbiz as a kid and it was A MILLION times better than what Chuck E. Cheese is now (the two companies merged in 1991-92). Thinking back now, I can give some credit to Showbiz for getting good grades -- they gave kids free tokens for each "A" earned on a report card. My mom would take me & my sisters there the weekend we received our report cards so that we could celebrate and play. My mom reminded me today that my dad would celebrate his birthday at Showbiz because he knew it would make his kids happy! Great memories and I am thankful that they were brought back to life through this documentary.