Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation (1989) (V)

User Rating:

8.4/10   

Director:

Eric Zala

Writers:

Lawrence Kasdan (writer)
Philip Kaufman (story)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

Plot:

A shot-for-shot remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark started by three 12-year-olds and completed over a period of six years.

Plot Keywords:

Remake | Obsession | Indiana Jones | True Life Adventure | Coming Of Age

Cast

Chris Strompolos	...	Indiana Jones
Angela Rodriguez	...	Marion
Eric Zala	...	Belloq
Ted Ross	...	Toht
Alan Stenum	...	Sallah
William Coon	...	Brody
Kurt Zala	...	Gobler
Clay LaGrone	...	Satipo
Sam Cummings	...	Barranca
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael Bales	...	Dietrich

Runtime:

USA:100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Biloxi, Mississippi, USA

Company:

Rolling Boulder Films

Trivia:

Nearly all of the interiors were shot in Eric's mom's house in Ocean Springs, Mississippi - The Cave Scene, the Well of Souls, the Map Room, the Catacombs, the Bantu Wind hold, and the Bar fight (which nearly burned the house down) were all shot in the basement. Sallah's Porch, the Cabin Scene, the Tent Scene, Indy's House, were shot inside the house proper, while Indy's flight from the Hovitos across an open field was shot in Eric's backyard. Eric's parents to this day still show the basement walls frescoed with hieroglyphics to wide-eyed youngsters around town.

Movie Connections:

Remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Inspiring, to Say the Least

I haven't watched all of this yet, though I'm thrilled to now have a copy of this hard-to-find video which I had read about at various times over the past few years. Makes me want to get out my camera and start shooting. I'm also thrilled to hear that Daniel Clowes is working on adapting these kids' adventures for a big-screen film. Maybe their story will inspire the next generation of Spielbergs.

I'm somewhat surprised to see that no one else has commented on this film, though I suppose it's a bit difficult to find. My suggestion is to look for obscure film torrent sites like Karagarga, though some probably require invitations. I believe the film was shown in Austin a few years ago at the Alamo Drafthouse, but I wonder what sort of condition it was in at the time. The copy I have is fairly poor -- not unlike something you'd find on a VHS tape from 1985 that was re-recorded over several times. Makes me wonder if they'll show clips from the actual adaptation in Clowes' film or if they'll re-shoot clips using the actors who will play the kids in the movie. It'll be interesting to see how it pans out...