Raiders of the Lost Arc: The Adaptation

It’s currently about 2:15am.  I just got home from Paul Lazear’s house.  While I was there, I had the privilege of viewing what may be the single greatest testament to passion and dedication that I’ve ever seen. 

If you’re like me, when you were a kid growing up, you and your friends had some fun with your parents’ VHS camcorder.  You might have borrowed it on the weekend, dressed up in silly outfits, grabbed your old toy guns or swords, and pretended that you were making a movie or tried to recreate scenes from one of your favorite films such as Star Wars or Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Well, apparently, starting in 1981 a group of 10-12 year-old kids named Chris Strompolis, Eric Zala, Kurt Zala, and Jayson Lamb decided to do just that.  Seven YEARS later, they completed a shot-by-shot recreation of the ENTIRE Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark film.  I kid you not.  With the exception of ONE scene, they captured the whole thing.  They set their parents’ basement on fire and jumped around in the flames to capture the bar fight in Nepal.  They found period cars and trucks.  They created their own costumes.  They did car chases with each other hanging off of the moving vehicles. 

The attention to detail was stunning.  They didn’t just deliver the vague semblance of the scenes.  They recreated the camera angles; they captured the timing and delivery of nearly every line; they found or created locations, props, and costumes that resembled those from the film.

I’m really kind of amazed that I hadn’t hear about this piece of work before.   I can’t decide if watching it was more exciting or humbling.  I feel like I should have had to pay admission just for the privilege of seeing it.

I realize that what I’m saying probably sounds hyperbolic.  If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I’d probably be pretty skeptical.  So, I’m working on getting a copy of the film in a digital format.  If I can, I’ll try to find a way to post it here, either for viewing or for download.  Stay tuned.

In the meantime, if you don’t believe me, or you’re just plain curious, here is some info from a few more "credible" sources:

1. A side-by-side comparison of a bunch of shots from both the original feature film, and "The Adaptation." 
2. The review by Harry Knowles of AintItCool.com, who first publicly screened it at a film festival in Austin, Tx.
3. A great article from CulturePulp that includes additional background info on the making of the film.
4. And this, a BBC report on it that includes a little bit of footage: