Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made
Directed by Jeremy Coon and Tim Skousen
Starring Eric Zala, Chris Strompolos, Jayson Lamb, Angela Rodriguez and Guy James
In 1982, three 11 year-olds in Mississippi set out to remake their favorite film: Raiders of the Lost Ark. It took seven turbulent years that tested the limits of their friendship and nearly burned down their mother's house. By the end, they had completed every scene except one... the explosive airplane scene. 30 years later, they attempt to finally realize their childhood dream by building a replica of the 75 foot "Flying Wing" plane from Raiders in a mud pit in the backwoods of Mississippi... and then blow it up! This is the story behind the making of what is known as "the greatest fan film ever made."
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Reviews
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★★★½ review by Justin LaLiberty on Letterboxd
Adult supervision provided by a zombie from Dawn of the Dead.
My childhood was so boring.
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★★★★ review by Anika on Letterboxd
"this is going to be dangerous"
5 minutes later
*siren noises* -
★★★½ review by Waldo on Letterboxd
I think I would've remade The Warriors with my friends. Maybe Enter the Dragon.
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★★★½ review by FilmApe on Letterboxd
I certainly loved all the originally shot footage, particularly near the end of the 80s shot stuff, where they were really getting ambitious, but I found the plane sequence shoot to be not overly interesting, and contained a lot of forced conflict (with the explosion at the end feeling a bit suspect regarding its validity). Still, I love the passion and ambition that is showcased, and the way the documentary spun the work on the adaptation as an escape for these kids in the 80s. definitely works well.
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★★★★ review by Keith Adams Jr. on Letterboxd
Quickie Review
In 1982, a group of friends took a camcorder and DIY know how to recreate, at length, the epic blockbuster Raiders of the Lost Ark. Decades later, these group of friends who are now of adult age attempt to finish their childhood passion project. This documentary puts the world of fan films into perspective as it shows the blood, sweat and tears that this band of amateur filmmakers was putting into a shot-for-shot remake of a movie classic and how they pushed themselves in order to complete their childhood dream. Raiders! is definitely a fascinating story to see for those who ever made homemade movies or dreamed about making one. - See all reviews