RAIDERS! (Jeremy Coon, Tim Skousen, U.S.). 104 minutes. Rating: NNNNN
Back in the early 80s, long before YouTube, a group of then 11-year-olds attempted to do a shot-by-shot remake of the blockbuster Raiders Of The Lost Ark using a borrowed camera, DIY sets and their imaginations.
They continued for seven years, filming during summer vacations, completing all but the famous airplane scene. Years later the VHS tape was found, and thanks to folks like Eli Roth and Harry Knowles, earned a cult following.
Now decades later, they reunite to film that missing scene, bringing with them adult wisdom, a few old grudges and new money and safety issues. The result is an affectionate, suspenseful and moving look at ingenuity, fandom and friendship. The film is lovingly structured, carefully edited (although I’m not sure the spliced in interviews of actor John Rhys-Davies are needed) and is sheer fun.
If Criterion ever releases Raiders on Blu-ray, this would make a wicked extra.
Apr 26, 9:30 pm, Hart House Apr 28, 4 pm, TIFF 1 May 2, 6:30 pm, Revue
