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While other 11-year-olds in Biloxi, Mississippi might have spent their 1980s summer vacations playing endless hours of Space Invaders at the local arcade or tricking dimwits into painting picket fences, Chris Strompolos and Eric Zala, the subjects of the new documentary Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made (opening June 17th), were busy lighting each other on fire.

The two boys first saw Raiders of the Lost Ark in the summer of 1981, and like any right-minded latchkey kids in search of adventure (and father figures), they instantly fell in love.

I don't believe that they are "just" movies. I mean, sure, there are plenty of movies that I would consider inconsequential, and many of those are even movies that I like. But the entire culture of films, the idea of these shared narratives that make up something that unites people from around the world, is something that I think people dismiss too easily sometimes. Films are transformative. Films can force you to see things in a new ways. They can build or destroy communities. They can be powerful forces for social change, and they can shine a spotlight on things in a way that is undeniable and immediate. And, in their best moments, they can save lives. Right now, "The Wolfpack" is making its way into theaters, a documentary about a family of young men, all raised by a domineering father who intentionally cut them off from the outside world.

Over 30 years ago, a trio of 11-year-olds in Mississippi began making a shot-for-shot remake of their favorite film, "Raiders of the Lost Ark," a project that continued for seven years and resulted in an all-kid cult classic. Chris Strompolos, Eric Zala and Jayson Lamb chose a Spielberg film with impossible-to-replicate special effects and complex set pieces. For years, the boys requested only costumes and film props for birthday presents, and spent summers reenacting dangerous Indie stunts with their friends and family. Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News called the "Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation" a better remake than Gus Van Sant's "Psycho," because it was "made with love." Horror director Eli Roth and actor John Rhys-Davies, who starred in the original "Raiders," also praised the film, and Spielberg himself invited the boys to meet him. But the "Raiders" remake never got finished—one scene was...

If you're into movies and especially the Indiana Jones movies by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, then there.s a good chance you were already aware of Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation , the shot-for-shot homemade version of the Steven Spielberg action classic that teenagers Eric Zala, Chris Strompolos and Jayson Lamb spent seven summers during the .80s filming, a project that lay dormant for over 12 years before it was discovered on video tape and brought to the public.s attention by Eli Roth and Harry Knowles. This past November saw the release of Alan Eisenstock's book "Raiders! The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made," written with the participation of Zala and Strompolos which brings new attention to their fascinating story, one that offers lots of...

Lots of kids are inspired to make their own version of a movie when they're on a high walking out of a blockbuster on a hot summer day – but Chris Strompolos and Eric Zala and took their obsession much, much further after seeing Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981. The pair set out to remake the entire Steven Spielberg classic shot-for-shot, and while making the bargain-basement film almost destroyed their friendship, the incredibly impressive final cut has reached cult status and even caught the attention of Spielberg himself.

Watch the first 10 minutes of Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation Here.

"It's really something to meet your boyhood hero and find that you've chosen your heroes well, " Eric tells Et exclusively about their meeting with the Hollywood legend, describing Spielberg as "warm and paternal" and detailing how they spent 45 minutes talking about "life and movies" before he treated them to some never-before-seen Raiders outtakes. "It was a real...

They do make them like they used to, says Luke, as he checks out Jj Abrams' Super 8...

On the off chance anyone should underestimate the influence Steven Spielberg had on a generation of moviegoers in the 70s and 80s, one story sums it up better than most. In 1982, three 12-year-old friends from Mississippi had grown so obsessed with Raiders Of The Lost Ark that they embarked on their own shot-for-shot remake. Armed with a Betamax camera, some five dollars a week worth of pocket money, and a willingness to set themselves on fire for that all important burning bar scene, it took them just seven years. 

Eric Zala, Chris Strompolos and Jayson Lamb's paean to the adventures of Indiana Jones, Raiders Of The Lost Ark: The Adaptation, is a fitting tribute to one of the most glorious adventure movies of all time. It's goofy, sure, yet also exhilarating.

In 1981 Raiders of The Lost Ark was released and like many young boys Eric Zala, Chris Strompolos and Jayson Lamb saw the film and were enraptured by it.

Like many kids Chris wanted to be Indiana Jones, to have his own adventure, to fight nazis, hunt for treasure and get the girl. He therefore decided that he would remake the whole film shot-for-shot and that he would play the starring role of Indy. Chris discussed this with his friend Eric who agreed to help and realising they could not achieve the necessary special effects themselves they got another friend, Jayson, involved in the project.

Together, over the next seven years, the three boys, with the help of almost 100 others, made the greatest fan film ever made, Raiders Of The Lost Ark: The Adaptation. When the boys started they were just 11-12 years old and when they finished they were adults.