HAPPY 35TH ANNIVERSARY TO A MASTERWORK THAT INSPIRED EVERYONE FROM YOURS TRULY TO A HANDFUL OF SUPREMELY CREATIVE KIDS!
Article by Adam Mast
From Harrison Ford‘s charismatic portrayal of everyman adventurer Indiana Jones to Karen Allen‘s turn as spunky and fiercely independent Marion Ravenwood to John Williams‘ unforgettable score to the iconic pairing of cinematic heavyweights George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK is a film that has endured for a number of reasons. It spawned a prequel, two sequels (with another follow-up slated for summer of 2019), an educational and somewhat underappreciated t.v. series, and countless imitators, but it is the 1981 original that is closest to my heart.
My mother, God rest her precious soul, was my favorite movie buddy growing up. Many of my fondest movie going experiences involved she and I simply going to the theater (we’d go at least once a week) when I was but a young, impressionable dreamer. Thirty-fives years ago today, she took me too see a little movie called RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK at a theater in Anaheim, CA. I’m now considerably older and a lot less impressionable, but that dreamer mentality remains, and I attribute a lot of that unwavering inner creative spirit to RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.
The masterwork that is JAWS is my earliest memory of a theatrical experience and the cinematic juggernaut that is STAR WARS left my 8-year-old self awestruck and literally speechless, but it was RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK that would ultimately cement my life long love affair with movies. I saw RAIDERS in the neighborhood of 20 times during its initial run and it’s a film that I’ve experienced well over 100 times since. I’m not exaggerating in the slightest. Nearly 240 hours of my life have been dedicated to RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK and that number nearly triples if you factor in TEMPLE OF DOOM and THE LAST CRUSADE. If you toss CRYSTAL SKULL into the mix, then you can throw another 4 extra hours on top of those gaudy numbers.
In this homage to the beloved serials of the 1930’s, Steven Spielberg (who, at the time, desperately wanted to make a James Bond movie) and George Lucas (who had just unleashed THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK upon the world) would bring their own version of 007 to the silver screen in the form of Indiana Jones. Filtered through the eyes of Harrison Ford’s rugged soldier of fortune and glory, RAIDERS would go on to capture the imaginations of movie goers all over the world.
Simply put, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK is lightning in a bottle. The performances, the action sequences, the overall vibe, etc. It’s a movie that fires on all cylinders and while it’s damn near impossible to pick a favorite Spielberg film, RAIDERS certainly ranks somewhere near the top of the list. It’s great enough that it inspired my friends and I to craft a goofy but incredibly well intentioned short called IDAHO SMITH AND THE TREASURE OF THE EMERALD POOL (a prequel to our own IDAHO SMITH AND THE SWORD OF LABAN.) This affectionate no budget homage was put together for an amateur filmmaking event in Southern Utah and even though it was shot in a very limited amount of time with no money, it was an absolute blast to be part of.
More impressively though, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK was grand enough to inspire a handful of kids to mount a shot-for-shot remake in the early 80’s, long before digital technology and accessible editing software made it possible for the average Joe to play movie maker. Chris Strompolos, Eric Zala, and crew would feverishly work on this seemingly impossible production over the course of several summers. For years, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK: THE ADAPTATION was thought to be nothing more than urban legend until HOSTEL director Eli Roth eventually came across a copy and took it to Aint-It-Cool-News creator Harry Knowles. Knowles would eventually screen a portion of the worn down VHS copy of THE ADAPTATION to one of his legendary Butt-Numb-A-Thon audiences, and the film would be met with rapturous applause and unbridled enthusiasm.
From that point on, The Raiders Guys, as they would come to be known, would be hailed as the makers of the greatest fan film of all time, a title that is more than deserved. In fact, their film and the story behind its making would be immortalized in a new documentary called RAIDERS!: THE STORY OF THE GREATEST FAN FILM EVER MADE. This wonderfully crafted doc covers the lives of The Raiders Guys during their humble beginnings as kid dreamers infatuated with RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK and how they would ultimately achieve the impossible. The doc also covers their adulthood dream of completing THE ADAPTATION by way of going back into the trenches and capturing the lone sequence they were unable to shoot in the early 80’s due to a lack of resources and the inherent danger that would come with shooting said sequence.
I’ve seen RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK: THE ADAPTATION several times and it’s an incredibly ambitious (and joyfully mesmerizing) effort that works for a myriad of reasons. What’s most entertaining about the film is seeing how these kids creatively use every resource they have available to them in an effort to get the shot. I’ll refrain from spoiling any of the magic here and will end by saying that If you’re a RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK fan or a fanboy in general, it’s a must see!
I was also fortunate enough to see RAIDERS!: THE STORY OF THE GREATEST FAN FILM EVER MADE. It’s an absolute gem of a doc that perfectly captures the perils and pitfalls that come with the making of any movie all while emerging as an inspirational look at the power of storytelling and a joyful examination of why movies are so important to so many of us. I was such a champion of this doc, in fact, that I lobbied incredibly hard to get it into the 2015 DocUtah International Documentary Film Festival line-up. The movie literally picked up a distribution deal while the fest was locking in the lineup so unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be.
Having said that, I’m happy to report that The Raiders Guys are currently on the road and they’re doing something supremely badass; They’re taking both RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK: THE ADAPTATION and RAIDERS!: THE STORY OF THE GREATEST FAN FILM EVER MADE on tour! That’s right! You can see both films on a double bill, and with a post screening Q & A with the filmmakers, no less. If this tour is stopping in your neck of the woods, I can’t recommend it enough! Both films are essential viewing for Indy fans and given that RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK is currently celebrating its 35th anniversary, the timing couldn’t be any more perfect. For venue locations, showtimes, and tickets, CLICK HERE!
As for the movie that started it all, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK will continue to inspire future storytellers because that’s what the best art does (populist or otherwise.) Spielberg, Lucas, Ford, and crew hit a home run with this one and the fact that 35 years later, we’re still talking about it is a testament to its greatness.
Happy 35th anniversary to RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK!
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