Raiders!

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Audience Member Raiders is a documentary about three 12 year old boys from Mississippi who set out to make a scene by scene remake of The Raiders of the Lost Ark over the course of 7 years. However, one scene was missing, the explosive airplane set piece close to the end of the movie. As adults they reunite to try and complete their masterpiece, raising money and calling in favours wherever they can. The Raiders adaptation is a film that has gained a cult following should through the sheer determination and skills of these young teenagers as they paid tribute to their favourite film. It's worth watching through the credits because if you haven't seen their film you can see a shot by shot comparison between their efforts and the Spielberg's and it is very impressive what they created with such a small budget and a bit of imagination. Worth watching for any film fan. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Like all good documentaries, the hook of kids spending several summers making a shot-for-shot low budget VHS version of Spielberg's blockbuster is only the surface. What this poignant and fascinating film reveals is how family trauma fuelled the burning hunger to recreate the exploits of such an idealised male figure as Indiana Jones. No wonder Spielberg - himself the product of a broken home - recognised kindred spirits and invited them to his offices. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review spencer p While I personally still don't see "The Adaptation" as the greatest fan film ever made (having seen many in that genre), and as a novice filmmaker, it's certainly painful to watch the process and hear the difficult stories, but after seeing the results after so many years of dedication, it would be harder to turn your attention away from this fascinating odyssey, and it actually packs a shocking twist to boot. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member "Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made" is definetly a must see documentary, and it really delivers a lot in depth with the people that the filmmakers had interview as well as the three guys (Eric Zala, Chris Strompolos, and Jayson Lamb). It really is fascinating to see how these guys were able to remake "Raiders of the Lost Ark" as it took them seven years to make; even trying to complete the airplane scene that they couldn't film, since they were kids at that time. I have read the book, which I really loved and I am very happy to see this documentary, and I am dying to see their fan film that I have yet to see. I love it, and I strongly recommend this documentary. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member "Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made" is a quirky documentary, but it is also kind of genius. This story is 30+ years in the making and its origins are just as fascinating as its current predicament. In 1982, a trio of 11-year-old friends began work on a shot-for-shot recreation of "Raiders of the Lost Arc." Not only did they decide to take on one of the greatest action films to date, but they had to do so before VCRs and home video was an option! Their early storyboarding of the film is incredible on its own, but the actually filming is even more fantastic. The documentary is full of stories that involve nearly burning down a house, almost being run over, dealing with the police, and the resourceful MacGyver-like techniques used to bring these special effects to life on a budget that consisted of... their allowances. Unfortunately, there was one scene that was impossible to film with their lack of resources: the airplane explosion. Their incomplete film became a cult favorite at film festivals but now, it is time to invest the money into completing this final scene. One of the coolest parts of the film is seeing these boys grow up and watching the support that they now receive from their own children in pursuing their dreams. But there is a greater theme to this film than following your dreams. I feel that it really captures the imagination of a generation that didn't need the newest phone, tablet, and video game system to have fun. It is that group of "Sandlot" kids that would play baseball all summer, the group of "Goonies" kids who went on one final adventure. But the people in this documentary are not characters - they are real kids who lived the dream of every nostalgic coming-of-age film. "Raiders!" captures a piece of our childhood that has been lost in modern generations. Get ready unrefined acting, improvisatory special effects, and a strong dose of nostalgia. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member There's something fun about being steadily won over by a movie. What starts as a cute-at-best Americana doc with less-than-intriguing characters becomes surprisingly engaging as the drama unfolds. Through drug addiction, cheating friends, lost jobs, growing pains, and unforeseeable notoriety, this group of misfit cover-directors become beacons of film-love, suburban boyhood and human ingenuity. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Raiders!

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