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.

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.

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.

When you watch a classic like 'Raiders Of The Lost Ark,' it's hard to not feel motivated to see and try if you can recreate those scenes or at the very least walk around cosplaying as Indiana Jones with your friends. So you may watch this docu and start out by wearing your adult or parenthood lenses on and wonder what in the world are these kids thinking but five minutes into it, you'll get a sense of respect and wonder because you've realized that they managed to accomplish what many of us can only wish for.

I think one of the many fascinating things about this docu is that directors Jeremy Coon and Tim Skousen were given so much access into the lives of Eric Zala, Chris Strompolos and Jayson Lamb, even the darkest moments in their past when at one point their friendship fell apart. If anything, what's most inspiring about this 'RAIDERS!' docu is to see these guys from when they were kids all the way on till they've become grown men and have their own families, how over all those years, they still had that dream and passion lingering on the back of their heads and they act on it and see it through. While others would probably give up because of life happens, in their case, yes life happens for them as well, and the roads haven't been easy either, they have families to feed and think about as well, but they found away to support each other and to realize this dream and to ultimately finish their film.

The docu jumps back and forth from the gradual process of shooting the explosive airplane scenes to the interviews with talking heads or people closest to them, to old archive footage and the outtakes revealing that only by some luck or miracle that the house at which they shot their fan-film did not burn down. This goes to also show that making a fan film, let-alone a full on feature film is never a walk in the park, it's a long and hard collaborative process, you work with people who may have different opinions and approaches, you see how this particular project impacts these kids, their friendships, their relationships, their personal struggles and their reconciliation. This shot per shot remake of "Raiders Of The Lost Ark" is nothing short of a labor of love, the result of following through on one's passion no matter what haters may say. Absolutely remarkable, worth a standing ovation.

-- Rama's Screen --

I've been following these guys for many years, just after the internet starting buzzing about them. I am glad that they are finally getting all of this recognition, and that they were able to "finish" their film.

This documentary does a neat job summing up the journey they have been on, with both its highs and its lows. It also manages to balance between the two narratives it is following, one being the process of making the film itself (starting when they were just kids), and the other one being the process to getting to finish the final scene of the movie.

It's the story of the old film that is the interesting one, while the filming of the airplane scene feels it's mostly in the documentary to justify the topic being relevant. I'm sure they knew this on some level, as the focus on the airplane scene is more towards the guys themselves than it is on the actual filmmaking they are doing.

It's typical of the genre, and maybe it's needed to fit a modern day audience, but I wish that they didn't lean so much on the drama of it all. I'd much rather watch a documentary giving the story to me straight, instead of trying to build so much excitement. That said, this movie does not do that a lot, but enough that I got slightly annoyed at it.

Other than that, I think they handled the subject well, and it gave a good glimpse into the brilliant fan movie, and the resilience of youth.