Like a fool I didn't buy tickets several days in advance so I didn't catch Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation at the Hollywood Theater over the weekend. Still, after rummaging around on this site I think I probably know more about the movie than those that have sat through it. The first nine minutes can also be found on You Tube:

Not impressed? This BBC clip will better explain everything.

If this is all news to you, here's a quick rundown (a long one can be found here). In the '80s a group of kids in Mississippi spent seven years recreating and filming nearly ever scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark (they couldn't quite pull off the airplane fist fight). During the course of their odyssey, they nearly burnt down a house, almost killed one of their actors, broke a limb or two, learned how to make pipe bombs, conned someone into loaning them a real submarine and went through five prop boulders. From what I've been told, their recreation of the truck chase is amazing.

It's all an inspiring tale of geekery and indomitable determination. The makers are now in the process of trying to get their careers going in Hollywood. Supposedly, there's also a movie about the production of The Adaptation in the works. Until then, here's hoping the real-deal comes back through town again. As I understand it, it can only show it at charity screenings due to innumerable copyright issues.

Labels: movies