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

  • 2015
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 46m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
2.2K
YOUR RATING
Eric Zala and Chris Strompolos in Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made (2015)
A documentary chronicling the story of the decades-spanning production of a shot-for-shot remake of Steven Spielberg's adventure classic by three childhood best friends.
Play trailer2:08
3 Videos
12 Photos
Documentary

A documentary of the story behind Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation (1989).A documentary of the story behind Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation (1989).A documentary of the story behind Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation (1989).

  • Directors
    • Jeremy Coon
    • Tim Skousen
  • Writers
    • Tim Skousen
    • Jeremy Coon
    • Alan Eisenstock
  • Stars
    • Chris Strompolos
    • Eric Zala
    • Jayson Lamb
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.9/10
    2.2K
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Jeremy Coon
      • Tim Skousen
    • Writers
      • Tim Skousen
      • Jeremy Coon
      • Alan Eisenstock
    • Stars
      • Chris Strompolos
      • Eric Zala
      • Jayson Lamb
    • 12User reviews
    • 52Critic reviews
    • 70Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos3

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:08
    Watch Official Trailer
    Festival Trailer
    Trailer 2:32
    Watch Festival Trailer
    Shot-for-Shot Side-by-Side Trailer
    Featurette 2:33
    Watch Shot-for-Shot Side-by-Side Trailer

    Photos12

    Chris Strompolos as Indiana Jones cracks the whip for a pivotal scene.
    Chris Strompolos and Eric Zala hold their replica of the Ark of the Covenant.
    Chris Strompolos stands next to the iconic fake boulder re-made for the Raiders of the Lost Ark adaptation.
    Eric Zala and Chris Strompolos in Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made (2015)
    Eric Zala and Chris Strompolos in Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made (2015)
    The airplane explodes for the final scene.
    Eric Zala and the explosions expert rejoice at a successful scene.
    Chris Strompolos, Eric Zala, Jayson Lamb and others take a break in between filming the Raiders of the Lost Ark adaptation.
    Eric Zala and Chris Strompolos in Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made (2015)
    Eric Zala and Chris Strompolos in Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made (2015)
    Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made (2015)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Chris Strompolos
    Chris Strompolos
    • Self - 'Indy' & Producer
    Eric Zala
    Eric Zala
    • Self - 'Belloq' & Director
    Jayson Lamb
    • Self - Camera & Effects
    John Rhys-Davies
    John Rhys-Davies
    • Self - 'Sallah' in Raiders of the Lost Ark
    Chris Gore
    Chris Gore
    • Self - Founder, Film Threat
    Eli Roth
    Eli Roth
    • Self - Film Director
    Harry Jay Knowles
    Harry Jay Knowles
    • Self - Founder, Ain't It Cool News
    • (as Harry Knowles)
    Steve Strompolos
    • Self - Chris' Father
    Elaine Stevens
    • Self - Chris' Mother
    Kurt Zala
    • Self - Eric's Brother
    Milton Bienvenu
    • Self - Eric's Sixth Grade Teacher
    Alan Eisenstock
    • Self - Author of Raiders! The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made
    Cassie Zala
    • Self - Eric's Wife
    Darcy Zala
    • Self - Eric's Child
    Quinn Zala
    • Self - Eric's Child
    Mark Spain
    • Self - Plane Builder
    Dan Todd
    • Self - Pyro Expert
    Mary Jensen
    • Self - Eric's Mother
    • Directors
      • Jeremy Coon
      • Tim Skousen
    • Writers
      • Tim Skousen
      • Jeremy Coon
      • Alan Eisenstock
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Chris Strompolos, Eric Zala, and others organized a successful Kickstarter campaign to fund filming of the only scene missing from Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation (1989): Indy's battle on the landing pad with the plane, ending in a bloody mess. Filming completed in 2014.
    • Crazy credits
      Despite being listed as a 2015 film, the final title card of the released version of the film references events that occurred in 2016.
    • Connections
      Features Good Morning, South Mississippi (1977)
    • Soundtracks
      If the Kids Are United
      Written by James Pursey and David Parson

      Performed by Red Alert

    User reviews12

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Now that's dedication
    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.
    helpful•14
    4
    • ferguson-6
    • Apr 12, 2015

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 17, 2016 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Искатели
    • Production company
      • Jeremy Coon Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $71,916
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $26,059
      • Jun 19, 2016
    • Gross worldwide
      • $71,916
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 46 minutes
    • Color
      • Color

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