Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made (2015) User Reviews

Now that's dedication

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 12 April 2015]

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.

Nice, though more dramatic than it needed to be

[peefyn · 7/10 · 10 December 2016]

I've been following these guys for many years, just after the internet starting buzzing about them. I am glad that they are finally getting all of this recognition, and that they were able to "finish" their film.

This documentary does a neat job summing up the journey they have been on, with both its highs and its lows. It also manages to balance between the two narratives it is following, one being the process of making the film itself (starting when they were just kids), and the other one being the process to getting to finish the final scene of the movie.

It's the story of the old film that is the interesting one, while the filming of the airplane scene feels it's mostly in the documentary to justify the topic being relevant. I'm sure they knew this on some level, as the focus on the airplane scene is more towards the guys themselves than it is on the actual filmmaking they are doing.

It's typical of the genre, and maybe it's needed to fit a modern day audience, but I wish that they didn't lean so much on the drama of it all. I'd much rather watch a documentary giving the story to me straight, instead of trying to build so much excitement. That said, this movie does not do that a lot, but enough that I got slightly annoyed at it.

Other than that, I think they handled the subject well, and it gave a good glimpse into the brilliant fan movie, and the resilience of youth.

Beautifully captures what a 'love for movies' is all about!

[Hellmant · 8/10 · 2 June 2016]

'RAIDERS!: THE STORY OF THE GREATEST FAN FILM EVER MADE': Four Stars (Out of Five)

A documentary on the making of the fan film 'RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK: THE ADAPTATION'; which is a shot-for-shot remake of the classic 1981 Steven Spielberg movie. It was made by two 11-year-old Mississippi boys, and their friends, over the course of 7-years. They finished the entire remake, except for the final airplane battle sequence. The friends reunited, 30-years later, to finally film that one missing scene (and finish their movie). This film documents that process. It was directed and written by first time filmmakers Jeremy Coon and Tim Skousen; and it was based on the book by Alan Eisenstock. Being a past childhood filmmaker, myself, and a huge movie nerd, as well (to this day), I really enjoyed this documentary.

Two 11-year-old childhood friends, Eric Zala and Chris Strompolos, setout to remake their favorite movie, 'RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK', in Mississippi in 1981. The film was not available on video yet; so they had to rely on a lot of other resources to pull it off (like a published script, and magazine articles), as well as their friends and memories. They completed filming every scene of the original movie, over the next 7-years, except for the landing pad battle sequence. 30-years later, the friends finally reunited; and raised the money they needed (through a Kickstarter campaign) to finish their childhood dream.

I've never seen the fan film, this movie is about, but I have (of course) seen Spielberg's 1981 masterpiece (multiple times). I love the original film still, and I'm sure I'd probably like the kids' remake too. Spielberg has seen it (and he loves it), so have many others; like filmmaker Eli Roth and film critic Harry Knowles (who both appear in this documentary). Even though I haven't yet seen the beloved fan flick 'cult classic' (this is based on), I could still really appreciate this documentary; because it beautifully captures what a 'love for movies' is all about. I was a childhood filmmaker, and I still try to make movies (today); so I definitely found this film inspiring and relatable (to say the least).

Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: https://youtu.be/_3w7EWxV5vg

Highly Entertaining Look at Going for Your Dreams

[Michael_Elliott · 16 May 2017]

Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made (2015)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

This documentary tells the rather exciting and at times sad story of Chris Strompolos and Eric Zala, two young friends who decides to try and do a scene-for-scene remake of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. Their journey would eat up seven years of their childhood and the two would eventually be brought back together as they try to film the one scene that they couldn't as children.

There are countless fan films out there and especially in today's age where anyone can film something on their phone and upload it to YouTube within minutes. What's so amazing about RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK: THE ADAPTATION is the fact that it was done back in the 80s with real effects and the fact that it ended up becoming a huge hit after the bootleg tape fell into the right hands.

This documentary does an excellent job at not only covering the making of the film but also how its making impact the two main people involved. After the fan fare started to pick up, a Kickstarter campaign was started so that the two could go back and finish one piece of the movie that was missing. We get to see the actual shooting of this scene as well as learn about the original shooting as well as all the ups and downs that went into it.

I'm sure most people have pretended that they made a movie or they dreamed of doing so. What's so fascinating about these kids is the fact that they actually went out there and did it. Their stories are certainly something that leads to a highly entertaining story and there's plenty of nice drama throughout this documentary of them trying to complete the picture. If you're a fan of the original Steven Spielberg film then you'll certainly be entertained by this documentary and the stories that come with it.

What to Make of all This

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 17 November 2016]

Typically this is the sort of documentary I would avoid. I love documentaries and I love film, but a group of kids who recreate "Raiders"? Sounds stupid.

Luckily, others were less dismissive and numerous sources have praised both the kids' film and this documentary. It made me curious, and as it turns out, there is a great story here. There is the plot that these folks are filming the final shots of their remake, but there are so many other parts of this. I don't know why we should care about these kids and their families, but the film convinces us that we should. Romance, drug problems, abusive stepparents... all of that is here.

A remarkable documentary about remarkable kids!

[Ramascreen · 9/10 · 18 June 2016]

When you watch a classic like 'Raiders Of The Lost Ark,' it's hard to not feel motivated to see and try if you can recreate those scenes or at the very least walk around cosplaying as Indiana Jones with your friends. So you may watch this docu and start out by wearing your adult or parenthood lenses on and wonder what in the world are these kids thinking but five minutes into it, you'll get a sense of respect and wonder because you've realized that they managed to accomplish what many of us can only wish for.

I think one of the many fascinating things about this docu is that directors Jeremy Coon and Tim Skousen were given so much access into the lives of Eric Zala, Chris Strompolos and Jayson Lamb, even the darkest moments in their past when at one point their friendship fell apart. If anything, what's most inspiring about this 'RAIDERS!' docu is to see these guys from when they were kids all the way on till they've become grown men and have their own families, how over all those years, they still had that dream and passion lingering on the back of their heads and they act on it and see it through. While others would probably give up because of life happens, in their case, yes life happens for them as well, and the roads haven't been easy either, they have families to feed and think about as well, but they found away to support each other and to realize this dream and to ultimately finish their film.

The docu jumps back and forth from the gradual process of shooting the explosive airplane scenes to the interviews with talking heads or people closest to them, to old archive footage and the outtakes revealing that only by some luck or miracle that the house at which they shot their fan-film did not burn down. This goes to also show that making a fan film, let-alone a full on feature film is never a walk in the park, it's a long and hard collaborative process, you work with people who may have different opinions and approaches, you see how this particular project impacts these kids, their friendships, their relationships, their personal struggles and their reconciliation. This shot per shot remake of "Raiders Of The Lost Ark" is nothing short of a labor of love, the result of following through on one's passion no matter what haters may say. Absolutely remarkable, worth a standing ovation.

-- Rama's Screen --

Well done documentary

[Zbigniew_Krycsiwiki · 8/10 · 7 August 2016]

Inspiring, often times funny documentary about a trio of eleven years- olds who set out to do Raiders Of The Lost Ark- they didn't remake it, they *made* Raiders Of The Lost Ark- in its entirety, in the homes and cellars, with next to no money, and over the course of several summers in the 1980s. Four documentary film crews then followed them in 2014, as they filmed the sole scene they could not film originally.

This doc includes new interviews with them, along with clips from the film itself, and a few blooper reel scenes and outtakes, and original, hand-drawn storyboards (of which there were 602, as explained in a film festival Q&A session after the screening, and before showing Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation) and people like John Ryhs-Davies, who have publicly commended the film.

Required viewing for fans of Raiders Of The Lost Ark, film buffs, and anyone who ever dreamed and fantasised about making a film.

This documentary is one of the reasons I truly love movies and making them.

[bryank-04844 · 9/10 · 6 May 2015]

There are a lot of good movies out there. Hell, there are even some damn near perfect ones, but there are only a small handful of films that fall into the legendary category. These films that have become legend only come around once in a blue moon, but when they do, they tend to hit an emotional cord and stick around forever. I'm sure we can talk for days about what movies fall into this category, but there is one film in particular that definitely belongs here, and I'm willing to bet dollars to donuts that you've never even heard of it, nor seen it. Reason being, is that I'm talking about a home movie here. That's right, a home movie.

Back in the early 80s, a few friends by the name of Eric Zala, Chris Strompolos, Jayson Lamb, and Angela Rodriguez, who were all around 11 years of age, saw 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'. It blew Zala and Strompolos's minds and at the age of 11 they decided to make a shot for shot remake of 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'. Over the next seven years, Strompolos and Zala would enlist the help of all their friends and their friend's friends each summer to complete their film, which was made with money from their allowances and on their home video camcorders. The result is nothing less than spectacular or well, legendary.

These kids spent the best summer years of their lives making a movie that hell, has already been made, but it's their sheer passion and love for this film and character that drove themselves and everyone else around them to finish the movie. The result is actually a very kick-ass kid made film that captures each camera angle and expression just like it was made in the original film by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. over the years, some of these friends lost touch, but the movie was still stored away on VHS, until a few people got a hold of it and began showing it to other people.

Those people then got it into the hands of a few filmmakers who are well known, which led to this homemade 'Raiders' movie being shown at a film festival, to which the crowd went crazy over. Everyone loved it, because it was pure magic. It reminds those of us who use to take our dad's over the shoulder camcorder and make our own movies with friends. Back to a time when nothing else mattered but making a fun adventure film with your best friends.

Let's fast forward to present day where filmmakers Jeremy Coon and Tim Skousen ('Thunder Broke the Heavens') found out about this documentary and thought there would be a good story to tell here in the form of a documentary. Well, they did just that. Coon and Skousen tracked down Eric Zala, Chris Strompolos, Jayson Lamb, Angela Rodriguez and their families and asked them to tell just how they accomplished this amazing achievement in movie-making. Come to find out, this homemade film was not yet finished.

It was still lacking one scene, which was the iconic fight scene on top of the Nazi airplane with Indiana Jones and that huge giant of a beast guy. So, 'Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made' tells the story of the ups and downs of the making of this homemade movie along with the entire cast and crew reuniting to make the last scene with a decent sized budget. This documentary has tons of archival footage of these kids making this movie during their youthful summers as well as interviews from each cast member and their families.

For those of you who have ever tried to make something, whether it be a movie, a song, or a piece of art, will completely become infatuated and fall in love with these people's stories and passion for making a movie and for their undying love for 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'. You'll laugh throughout, shed a tear or two, and jump out of your seat at a couple of truly shocking moments. This documentary is one of the reasons I truly love movies and making them.

Simply Inspiring

[timdalton007 · 8/10 · 22 September 2016]

I suspect that all of as geeks, no matter what it is we are geeky about, having wanted to create something to express our passion for what it is we enjoy so much. For example, I spent much of my time in high school writing and trying to get to film a James Bond fan film adapting the original Ian Fleming novel of Moonraker. I never quite pulled it off but I'm not the only one who a dream like that. Back in 1980s Mississippi, a group of childhood friends decided to do a shot by shot remake of Steven Spielberg's Raiders Of The Lost Ark. In doing so they would would create a tale worthy of a Hollywood film and the subject of the documentary Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made released in 2015, now available on home video and streaming.

The documentary essentially tells two different narratives. The obvious one has the documentary makes documenting the making of "the Raiders tape" as it came to be known. They do use so through footage from the finished adaptation, outtakes, and more recent interviews how this fan film came to be made to begin with and how it came to wider attention than it ever should have thanks to pirate video copies and eventually the internet. Watching these sections of the documentary makes for incredible viewing in its own right as we watch a group of twelve year old's become young adults across the seven years it took to make it and the lengths they went to to do so. How did a group of people so young pull off the truck chase and fight sequence? What about the burning bar sequence? The answers are here as told by those who were there, parents who watched it all go down, and by those who watched the film later and were amazed by what they saw including John Rhys- Davies.

Yet that's only half the story. The other narrative is one that is every bit as inspiring and taking place decades later. After a Kickstarter campaign, these now adult filmmakers get back together in the Mississippi town they shot so much of it in to film the one sequence they never shot: the fight sequence around the Nazi flying wing and the explosive conclusion to it. In trying to film this one sequence and more than a hundred shots, we're presented a story every bit as dramatic as anything they did decades before as weather and real life threaten to leave it unfinished. Watching the difficulties of film making, the lengths they have to go to, what is put on the line, and all in the need of finishing up a childhood dream makes for some of the most engrossing viewing I've experienced in recent memory.

Yet as much as it's about young filmmakers coming back to finish something they started three decades earlier, it's also a personal journey as well. You watch them grow up, you get to see them as adults talking about the experiences, their personal lives, and how the latter could often impact the making of the film. We hear about their struggles and falling out with one another in the years after their adaptation was finished. We also get to hear how their friendships were restored, how the film brought them back together and with an ending that would be ludicrous in a Hollywood movie if it wasn't the truth. It proves, once again, that fact can be every bit as dramatic as any work of fiction.

What makes this so watchable in the end is that, in the final analysis, it's about a dream. It's about pursuing that dream in the face of adversity, of naysayers and those who wonder why you would bother doing it to begin with. Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made is a film for every artist and dreamer out there and for anyone with even a spark of creativity in their soul. It's ninety-six solidly inspiring minutes, a love letter to fans, fan films, and anyone who has ever dreamed of doing anything big.

An Insightful and Fascinating Documentary of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made

[moviemattb · 10/10 · 12 December 2016]

Around the 2000s, I've always been interest in watching the "Indiana Jones" because I've never watch them or own them on tape during the 90s. Now I am a fan of the series, that includes the fourth one (in my humble opinion); there was another version of "Raiders of the Lost Ark," that I have came across on the internet and started to learn on how another version was made as it wasn't made in Hollywood. Instead, it was made by the three guys from Mississippi as they remade this movie for the course of seven years, and has now become a cult classic. I've never seen the fan film, but I have been desperate in wanting to see it; the fan film is now available on DVD, and hoping to get a copy of it one day; just had to get it on their website: www.raidersguys.com or their Facebook page. Also, I have a copy of the book which it features the same title as the documentary, and I really loved it as it reminds me of a Richard Linklater movie that I loved "Boyhood." I imagine if Linklater makes a movie out these guys that made the fan film. With that said, I was really amazed by to hear their story as the filmmakers had to go in depth with by interviewing the three guys that worked on the fan film Eric Zala, Chris Strompolos, and Jayson Lamb. They also interview their family and friends as well as Harry Knowles from Ain't it Cool News, and filmmaker Eli Roth who was well known for "Cabin Fever" and the first two "Hostel" movies. The documentary does not only gives us about their experience on making the fan film, but sharing about what their childhood is like where they share about their parents getting a divorce, and the downfall of their friendship. Of course, they get reunited as they become themselves again as everyone was extremely positive on the fan film they made, and meeting Steven Spielberg for the first time as he also loves their fan film and how it inspire Spielberg too. The documentary also features Zala and Strompolos with the help of Lamb as they are working the airplane scene that they couldn't do, since they were kids during that time. When you watch the end credits of the documentary, you do see the airplane scene where on top is the fan film, and on bottom is the actual movie with Harrison Ford and Karen Allen in it. "Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made" is an insightful and fascinating documentary of the greatest fan film ever made; I've watched this four times on Netflix, and it does get better as I watch it. I still want to see their fan film, if I ever get a copy it and I would love to own this documentary on Blu Ray (which is now available). If you haven't see it, check it out, I strongly recommend this documentary. If you don't have a copy of the documentary, then feel free to watch on Netflix. I am giving this documentary a powerhouse 10 out of 10.

An Unexpected Treasure

[jdmartin-59187 · 10/10 · 29 June 2022]

All I can say is watch this movie!! Very endearing and heartwarming story of dedication & love. Had us glued from the beginning. Brought me back to a simpler time and age. Absolutely Loved it!

THERE IS LOVE FOR YOU MR. JONES...!

[masonfisk · 9/10 · 5 July 2018]

It's not too many docs that can pull at the heartstrings when the paraphrased edict "the sincerest form of flattery is imitation" is evidenced in this, the ultimate piece of fan worship. Who would've known that a shot by shot "adaptation" of Raiders of the Lost Ark made by teenagers would be the guiding nexus for 35 years of their lives. Though I grumbled to myself, maybe their time would've been better spent doing something original, I can't deny the audaciousness of the enterprise. Not many of us can say they've lived their dreams to fruition, these Raiders kids can & they have the VHS to prove it.