…(insert witty comment here. At this moment, I’m too impressed to think of one.)
I’m totally bummed at the moment because I just found out that the two special screenings here in Portland of the film,“Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation”, are both sold out!! Boo!!
I just recently learned about this movie when it was written up in a local paper. Here is the story:
In the summer of 1982, three twelve year old boys living in Mississippi, inspired by their love for their favorite film, set out to create a shot by shot full length recreation of “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. Filmed entirely with a hand-held video camera, it took the boys seven summers to finish. As a result, the actors in the film jump back and forth in age between scenes (the movie was not filmed in sequential order). At one point Indiana is a child. Moments later he is suddenly 18. The budget for the film was only $5000 (the three boys allowance for the entirety of the 7 years).
The final product (from what I have seen) is simply amazing. However, for some reason it seems that the film makers didn’t realize what a feat they had accomplished. With the exception of one screening in 1989, the film sat on a shelf unwatched for 14 years!
In 2003 a copy of the filmed was leaked. One thing lead to the other, and eventually the film landed in the hands of Steven Spielberg. He invited the (now 30-something) filmmakers to his studio, and gave them the official go ahead to show the film in theaters. All proceeds go to charity. These screenings are very rare. If you miss one, you are not likely to get the chance again anytime soon.
ANYWAY… I’m totally dumb, because it didn’t occur to me the pre-order tickets…. So, the only parts of this movie I have seen are the ones on youtube. Here is the first 10 amazing minutes:
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