Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation

For those of you who have not had the chance to see this film please watch for the next screening. Go to their facebook page for the most up to date information on screenings in your area.

I had the pleasure of finishing off the one last final epic scene in the this film. see the kickstarter "RAIDERS GUYS AND THE LOST AIRPLANE SCENE" site for more info.

I took part in many rolls for this final HUGE scene and have to say there is nothing like these two guys with their passion and desire to have this film come full circle and finish in the town they grew up in.

This final epic scene will be edited in the the current film with a great cut from them as kids to them as their current age. With so much thoughtfulness behind this project and what this project does for the fans as well as the charities they donate to. Nothing compares to a project such as this and please do come to a screening and see how it all comes together, and as with any fan film there are little tidbits of secret items hidden throughout this new scene that fans and newcomers will certainly appreciate. I know I did.

-JAy

I just got back from the Indie SF Film Festival where this film was showing, and all I can say is that a few minutes into the film (home Betamax video camera (not Betacam)) I was in tears laughing.

True to Zala's comment during the Q&A at the end of the feature, there is no better audience to watch this with than a theatre filled with San Francisco Bay Area indy film makers and enthusiasts.

There were cheers. There was applause at key moments in the film. There were the obligatory "Oooooooohs" for the kissing scenes. Home made stunts: SFX: chase scenes: you name it, this film had it.

In case you don't know, this is a video production done by a bunch of middle-school cum high-school students who wanted to do their version of Spielberg's and Lucas' "Raiders of the Lost Ark". Nearly every shot is duplicated with a home video camera, showing the raw energy, "spunk", and otherwise enthusiasm of young aspiring film makers.

Seeing this production reminded me of all the video "films" my friends and I shot during the early 80s. Though not comparable in length, they were certainly comparable in zest for the medium. I, and the rest of the audience tonight at the Victoria theatre (off 16th and Mission) were kindred with Zala and company. Everything from the "adult supervision" who was more immature than the actual cast and crew, to the truck dug out of the swamp, to the good natured destruction of personal lives for a greater glory! It goes without saying that there's a huge cheese factor in this film, but its amateur quality striving for professionalism is its absolute charm, and does not fail from opening sequence to end credits.

But, with all highs, there are some lows, and regrettably the tragic loss of Snickers was keenly felt amidst tonight's group. Salute to a K-9 actor from all of us who've used their pets in various productions.

To conclude; if you're even a small Indiana Jones fan in the slightest, then you must, nay, need to see this production in all of its 20th dupe VHS glory. A must see for all film students, teachers, and professionals alike.

Enjoy! :-)

Like Blueghost, I saw it at SF Indiefest and had a great time.

To take stars away from this film based on its technical merits (eighties Betamax, bad sound) would be grinchlike and silly. Sure: when you go into a remake with a $5,000 budget, made by three friends who started in 1982 at age 12 and wrapped the project seven years later, you admire the concept even as you think you just might be in for a couple hours of junk. You would be wrong about the latter. This will stand as one of the most ridiculously awesome successful experiments ever committed to film.

They set one of their parents' basements on fire, and (at least as they tell it) the parents only belatedly caught on and demanded adult supervision, which apparently didn't help much in that the "supervisor" was a total pyro. They did the famous truck chase in all its glory. They obtained snakes. Spider monkeys proved trickier, so Snickers the dog filled in. They scored an honest-to-God submarine. What can I say? Bring on the documentary, and the original on video for all to see.

A trio of schoolchildren spent eight summers in the 1980s filming Raiders Of The Lost Ark in their parents' cellars, impressively setting the cellars on fire, and doing all of the stunt-work themselves, getting ships to film scenes, with all of the passion and intensity Spielberg must have had.

The trio used comic book adaptations, and saw the film as many times as possible, snuck in audio recorders to the cinema, hand drew storyboards, and filmed and starred in it themselves.

A true labour of love, and well worth it. We, the audience, watch, knowing what scene comes next, and not wondering *if* these kids will do it, but trying to figure *how* they will do it.

Some of the fire stunts were quite impressive, and could have turned disastrous, had anything gone wrong. (One of many jokes put into the closing credits says, thanks to "Mary Zala, for her support and for destroying her home")

This film, and its 2015 documentary counterpart, Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made, are required viewing for Indiana Jones fans, and film buffs.

10 out of 10? Yes!!! They did the impossible. How could I rate it any lower? If I could I'd give it an 11. Remarkable achievement. Remarkable desire, drive, and creativity. When I was the age they were when they started this, I was sitting around wasting time. Heck, I didn't think I could do the work for even one Boy Scout merit badge-and I didn't. Look what these boys accomplished. Love it! I hope it inspires young people for generations to come. Video games are fun, but get out there and create!