Directors: Jeremy Coon & Tim Skousen
Cast: Chris Strompolos, Eric Zala, Jayson Lamb, Harry Jay Knowles, John Rhys-Davies, Eli Roth
Running Time: 95 mins
Anyone who loved films as a child probably dreamed at some point of recreating their favourite film. This documentary is about a group of children in 1980 who did. The children made RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, shot-for-shot, over the course of seven Summer holidays. They managed to recreate every single shot in the film except one. This film follows the same group of kids (30 years on) as they try to finish that final scene.
Two childhood friends (Chris Strompolos and Eric Zala) reunite after the recent and unpredictable cult success of their fan film to make the missing scene. As children, they managed to shoot every scene apart from the famous fight in front of the airplane from Raiders of the Lost Ark. As we see their progress in this task, we also get to find out more about what initially inspired them along with their friend Jayson Lamb to dedicate seven years to this.
This film really is just a joy to watch. It discusses how passionate and dedicated children can be, and how these kids spent so much time trying their best to recreate their favourite film. It also goes into their personal lives, showing how most of them had somewhat tough childhoods and the making of this film was their escape. There is a great line in the film where someone says ‘that’s our childhood on that film.’ There are also really bizarre interviews with actor John Rhys-Davies, who clearly loves the fan film himself, but his comments are very odd!
The film was copied and passed around for years and somehow fell into the hands of horror director Eli Roth, who absolutely loved the film and decided to screen it at a local film festival. From then on, the fan film developed a cult following and many people decided to seek out Chris, Eric, and Jayson. We catch up with them after this shock rise to fame, something none of them ever expected, and watch as they try to finish the project for good.
Overall, you will leave Raiders! The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made with a smile on your face and a good feeling in general. It’s very tough to do that, but this documentary has managed. The nostalgia from that childhood adoration for films is something most of us can relate to, and the story about a group of kids who took that adoration to a new and more devoted level is quite fascinating.
Verdict
