Have you ever seen a movie and just wanted to immerse yourself in that world forever? These days fans do that by writing fanfiction, drawing fanart, or creating faux Twitter accounts. But back before there was Internet, three eleven-year-olds from Mississippi decided to make a fan adaptation of their favorite movie: Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) is an adventure film about archeologist Indiana Jones who is tasked with finding and securing the lost Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can get their hands on it. The shot for shot fan remake, Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation, first began production in 1982 and took filmmakers Tim Skousen and Jeremy Coon until 1989 to finish filming. Well…almost. They were unable to recreate one scene and that was Indy’s fight against a German Mechanic on the landing pad in Tanis, Egypt. Thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign, the duo reunited to complete filming in 2014.
On June 17, Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made will be released. It’s a documentary about the filmmakers, the making of their fan film, and includes interviews with John Rhys Davies and Eli Roth.
There are so many reasons why I’d recommend you, dear reader, to re-watch Raiders of the Lost Ark before you head out to watch Raiders!. But since I don’t have all the time and space in the world, I’ve narrowed it down to five reasons. Five really good reasons why you should watch this amazing film again (and again and again).
Great Action Scenes
Death defying stunts that include large rolling boulders, car chases, and Nazi Fly Wings.
A (Subtle) Love Story
Just enough to add some sexual tension but doesn’t take over the movie’s plot.
Laughing in the Face of Danger
Despite all the killing (and snakes), there is a lot of deadpan humor.
Nazi Butt Kicking
Because you know you’ve always wanted to punch Hitler in the face. So why not live vicariously through Indy as he does just that?
Hot Leading Man
He’s definitely easy on the eyes.
Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made will be released in select theaters this Friday. Click here to check out if the film is showing in a theater near you.