I remember distinctly being at my brother's birthday, likely circa 1988, and burying my head in my mother's sweater for the entirety of the party to avoid watching the permagrinning anthropromorphic robot band, the Rockafire Explosion, on stage. At one point, I distinctly remember "Man in the Mirror" coming through the mouth of some wolflike puppetman, so momentarily perking up thinking maybe everything would be OK...only this is what the spotlight began shining on...
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let me introduce you to Fats Geronimo...the source of many a nightmare |
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Billy Bob clearly has a knife to their backs. |
Fast forward about 20 years, I get an excited text from my gingerry gentleman friend telling me that the Rockafire Explosion Movie is up on Netflix. [Tangent: Like many things that traumatized me as a child, I have had come to embrace them as an adult. It's my penance for underappreciating them at their height by watching them through clenched fingers. I would never say I am obsessed, at all...but I do get a big kick out of things like this.] I don't care if you are performing a heart transplant at this very moment, I implore you to drop your scalpel and add this to your netflix queue NOW.
Sure the characters are a little rapey, and not even the animatronics [Tangent: Although I can easily picture Dook Larue hanging out in a windowless van]...I am talking about the 31 year old part time skate center DJ who has spent his life on a custom Rockafire Setup to showcase in his backyard shed [Tangent: Yes, the guy walking in the Billy Bob suit at the beginning of the above trailer is a mere 2 years older than me. Yikes. Mountain Dew should really sue him for endorsing their brand so much in the movie as being "the only liquid i drink." He has nary a tooth in his noggin.] and the inventor of the the robo-band who looks like he would make a fantastic Star Search magician [Tangent: Even though he would likely only earn 2 and quarter stars.].
I don't want to give too much away, because I feel it is must watch programming...it may also toss you headlong into the world of Netflix impulse watching. You know the feeling. After watching a streaming video, the wiley bastard that is Netflix will say, "If you liked that...you'll love..." [Tangent: It is especially strong if you watch a lot of their documentaries.] Minutes later you find yourself marathon watching the following titles:
Strictly Background - A movie all about film extras
Being Elmo- the story of the voice and personality behind Sesame Street's favorite red monster
For the Love of Dolly- 5 strangers explain their Dolly Parton obsession
I Think We're Alone Now - focuses on two individuals obsessed with 1980s pop star Tiffany: an "intersexual" and a 50-year-old man with Asperger's syndrome.
It's a slippery slope...and I have been down it. Night Folks...may this haunt your dreams...
um i have recently watched "for the love of dolly (question, do you have feathers? OSTRICH feathers?") I think we're alone now, AND being elmo (which was AWESOME.) i am SO STOKED to watch this!! i have been waiting! i'm tempted to stay up and watch it! they have a rock afire band at the strike and spare off charlotte still. pretty amazing. i remember going to showbiz as a kid and loving it!
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