Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made

Typically this is the sort of documentary I would avoid. I love documentaries and I love film, but a group of kids who recreate "Raiders"? Sounds stupid.

Luckily, others were less dismissive and numerous sources have praised both the kids' film and this documentary. It made me curious, and as it turns out, there is a great story here. There is the plot that these folks are filming the final shots of their remake, but there are so many other parts of this. I don't know why we should care about these kids and their families, but the film convinces us that we should. Romance, drug problems, abusive stepparents... all of that is here.

Greetings again from the darkness - from the Dallas International Film Festival 2-15. Most documentaries are pretty simple to recap: A filmmaker makes a movie about a topic or person. However, simplicity just doesn't fit here. Filmmakers Jeremy Coon and Tim Skousen made a movie about the making of a movie that is a movie re-made in honor of a movie that was already made. This isn't Coppola's Hearts of Darkness which portrays his difficulty in making Apocalypse Now. Far from it. This is a modern day look back at two/three geeky eleven year old boys making a shot-for-shot remake of Steven Spielberg's classic Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Coon and Skousen catch up with forty-somethings Eric Zala, Chris Strompolos and Jayson Lamb as they are trying to put together the financing and logistics to film the final scene of their unfinished movie Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation. These are the same boy that started the process in 1982 and filmed each of the next seven summers until they graduated from high school.

If you are a total film geek, you have probably heard of their film and know that it has been an underground film favorite for years. But you may not know the real life details behind it and certainly not the modern day drama of Eric and Chris as they try to complete it. How about some interviews with their mothers? How about the real world possibility that Eric risks losing his job to complete this thirty plus year old kid's summer project? How about the personal struggles of Chris over the years, or the fallout with Jayson as he is left out of this final chapter?

Director Eli Roth was instrumental in spreading the word of this film project throughout Hollywood, and the boys even got invited to meet with Spielberg. Mostly we are left with the fascination that young boys can have such passion and persistence over so many years. When asked about whether they missed out on their childhood, Chris responds "We filmed childhood". A true and fitting response, that doesn't tell the whole story. Fortunately, Coon and Skousen do.

With a title that's more than a mouthful, "Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made" follows the exploits of a group of boys-now men-who once set out to make a shot-for-shot remake of Steven Spielberg's classic, "Raiders of the Lost Ark". Beginning in the early 1980s when they were young kids, the film took seven years to complete, using nothing more than rudimentary home video equipment and a lot of passion. This documentary picks up their story almost thirty years later when a successful Kickstarter campaign enables them to attempt filming a final scene and finish the project that defined their childhoods.

In an age where Hollywood's every second release is a remake, few topics could be more appropriate than a shot-for-shot recreation of a beloved film. Besides the obvious amateur nature of their production, the major difference here is that Chris Strompolos and Eric Zala's adaptation of their chosen source material was made without a heavy dose of corporate cynicism. This is one of those rare occasions where "remake" is not a dirty word-it was made with love.

That love for the material and passion for their project shone through enough to make it an underground viral hit. Over the years, it was circulated via bootleg VHS tapes until it found its way into the hands of Eli Roth, who passed a copy to Harry Knowles. Knowles then helped bring it to a wider audience. There's a natural appeal to the idea that speaks to the fan inside all of us, so it's no wonder that it inspired people to donate to the Kickstarter campaign. The main players visibly age throughout the remake, as its seven-year production unfolds before the audience's eyes-like a Spielberg-flavored version of Richard Linklater's "Boyhood". Their remake is a distillation of childhood fandom projected onto the screen.

But we're here to talk about the documentary that tells the story of its making, which frames its narrative around Strompolos and Zala's struggle to film the final scene on a limited budget. The rest of the runtime is filled with interviews featuring their friends and family, along with ample clips from the film itself.

There's a frustration here-felt not only by myself but also by some of the interviewees-that so much creative time and effort was spent on an inferior version of a film that had already been made. Other documentaries about low-budget filmmaking (such as American Movie) had a much easier job getting the audience to root for the success of their subjects. As Zala pours more of his own money into finishing the film, it's hard not to yell at the screen, "Why? Why are you doing this? Make something of your own!"

It's up to the documentary's filmmakers, Jeremy Coon and Tim Skousen, to provide insight into the determination and reasoning behind such a project. For the most part, we're left wondering-though there are a few moments where the surface is scratched, revealing that Strompolos' family life wasn't exactly ideal. Perhaps the collaborative process of remaking Indiana Jones was the only stable part of his and Zala's existence? Unfortunately, the documentary doesn't dig into their psychological motivations as much as it could have.

There's also not enough screen time dedicated to examining Strompolos and Zala's friendship. We know they must have been close in their teenage years, but in adulthood, they seem distant. They're rarely on camera together, leaving us to question why they're bothering to finish the film. If not to rekindle their camaraderie and complete what they started, then why? Are they simply doing it for the money or the limited fame this documentary might bring them? Are they playing it up for the camera? Has resurrecting their passion project tainted it with the same cynicism that plagues big-budget modern remakes? The documentary doesn't go deep enough.

Still, "Raiders!" is a tight and entertaining account. It's hard to fault Jeremy C. And Tim S.'s ability to craft an engaging narrative from what is inherently interesting material-not only for fans of Indiana Jones but also for anyone with an interest in low-budget filmmaking. It is slightly disappointing that there's no involvement from Harrison Ford, George Lucas, or Spielberg, but that's hardly surprising.

What is surprising is that there has been no litigation from the Disney camp thus far. They seem to be turning a blind eye. In fact, while they're in a good mood, I'd go so far as to suggest that Disney shortlist Zala and Strompolos for the director's chair when they inevitably reboot the Indy franchise. I mean, these guys spent almost three decades aping Spielberg-why not give them a shot? They wouldn't do a worse job than some of the current mercenary directors handling big-name reboots, right?

If the concept of "Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made" piques your interest, then it's certainly worth your time. I only wish it had dug deeper into its subjects.

Inspiring, often times funny documentary about a trio of eleven years- olds who set out to do Raiders Of The Lost Ark- they didn't remake it, they *made* Raiders Of The Lost Ark- in its entirety, in the homes and cellars, with next to no money, and over the course of several summers in the 1980s. Four documentary film crews then followed them in 2014, as they filmed the sole scene they could not film originally.

This doc includes new interviews with them, along with clips from the film itself, and a few blooper reel scenes and outtakes, and original, hand-drawn storyboards (of which there were 602, as explained in a film festival Q&A session after the screening, and before showing Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation) and people like John Ryhs-Davies, who have publicly commended the film.

Required viewing for fans of Raiders Of The Lost Ark, film buffs, and anyone who ever dreamed and fantasised about making a film.

'RAIDERS!: THE STORY OF THE GREATEST FAN FILM EVER MADE': Four Stars (Out of Five)

A documentary on the making of the fan film 'RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK: THE ADAPTATION'; which is a shot-for-shot remake of the classic 1981 Steven Spielberg movie. It was made by two 11-year-old Mississippi boys, and their friends, over the course of 7-years. They finished the entire remake, except for the final airplane battle sequence. The friends reunited, 30-years later, to finally film that one missing scene (and finish their movie). This film documents that process. It was directed and written by first time filmmakers Jeremy Coon and Tim Skousen; and it was based on the book by Alan Eisenstock. Being a past childhood filmmaker, myself, and a huge movie nerd, as well (to this day), I really enjoyed this documentary.

Two 11-year-old childhood friends, Eric Zala and Chris Strompolos, setout to remake their favorite movie, 'RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK', in Mississippi in 1981. The film was not available on video yet; so they had to rely on a lot of other resources to pull it off (like a published script, and magazine articles), as well as their friends and memories. They completed filming every scene of the original movie, over the next 7-years, except for the landing pad battle sequence. 30-years later, the friends finally reunited; and raised the money they needed (through a Kickstarter campaign) to finish their childhood dream.

I've never seen the fan film, this movie is about, but I have (of course) seen Spielberg's 1981 masterpiece (multiple times). I love the original film still, and I'm sure I'd probably like the kids' remake too. Spielberg has seen it (and he loves it), so have many others; like filmmaker Eli Roth and film critic Harry Knowles (who both appear in this documentary). Even though I haven't yet seen the beloved fan flick 'cult classic' (this is based on), I could still really appreciate this documentary; because it beautifully captures what a 'love for movies' is all about. I was a childhood filmmaker, and I still try to make movies (today); so I definitely found this film inspiring and relatable (to say the least).

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