Documentary reveals passion project: A 'Raiders' remake
First it was an internet legend, then the subject of an engrossing Vanity Fair article. Now, the tale of two Mississippi kids who shot their own version of the Steven Spielberg/George Lucas classic "Raiders of the Lost Ark" over seven summers is the backdrop of a documentary that is equal parts charming and frustrating.
"Raiders! The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made" is now available as a digital rental and purchase, and will hit stores Tuesday, Aug. 16, in a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack with special features. The documentary by Jeremy Coon and Tim Skousen chronicles the misadventures of Chris Strompolos and Eric Zala, who saw Indiana Jones' first adventure on the big screen back in 1981 and decided to remake it themselves. Two preteens with no money called upon their friends to be actors and did things they definitely shouldn't have - like dragging Chris behind a truck to mimic Harrison Ford's climactic chase scene, or re-creating the Nepal bar shootout by setting a garage on fire.
Three decades later, Chris and Eric are still trying to finish their adaptation, which became the stuff of legend when Ain't it Cool News webmaster Harry Knowles showed it at his annual 24-hour film festival in 2002. The documentary depicts our now-adult heroes ponying up money to shoot the one action scene they could never pull off when they were kids, the one that ends with a gigantic Nazi warplane going up in flames.
"Raiders!" works best when we see glimpses of the kids' adaptation, which is by turns genius and alarming. The new Blu-ray release does not include the fan film in its entirety, presumably because Lucasfilm would want to reap the benefits. So instead, we watch as Eric Zala almost bankrupts his family to make the warplane scene a reality. I think the filmmakers want us to see this as a dedicated fan's labor of love, but it plays more like an act of unthinkable irresponsibility. That act culminates with a pyrotechnics expert on the ground, clutching his face, after the climactic explosion goes wrong.
Should we expect anything else from men who willingly set themselves on fire as children? I suppose not.
While it's more a love letter to itself than a love letter to the Spielberg original, "Raiders!" is an engaging curiosity worth a look.
• Speaking of engaging curiosities, "The 'Burbs," a darkly funny gem from "Gremlins" director Joe Dante, makes its Blu-ray debut this Tuesday as well. (It's also currently streaming on Netflix.) Tom Hanks plays a nosy dad who uses his staycation to spy on the new neighbors in their seemingly perfect suburban paradise. Why were they digging up the backyard? What's that sound coming from the basement? Why are they so ... weird? This offbeat movie didn't set the world on fire in 1989, but it deserves a second look. The cast includes Carrie Fisher, Bruce Dern, Corey Feldman and Dante's usual troupe of "hey, it's that guy!" actors. The Blu-ray release includes an alternate ending.
• Sean Stangland is a Daily Herald multiplatform editor. You can follow him on Twitter at @SeanStanglandDH.