Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made
Seen it?2015 | 93 min | Documentary
Saturday Specialearly ratingWhy it’s a Saturday Special
It earned strong reviews (91% on Rotten Tomatoes), despite almost no lasting buzz. A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for the curious.
- The mood
- Eye-opening.
- The pace
- Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 33 min.
- What might put you off
- Nothing much for most grown-ups.
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."
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
91% on Rotten Tomatoes, 70 on Metacritic
- AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
- AwardsWeak
0 wins and 1 nomination from smaller awards and festivals
- Reach & staying powerBelow par
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 4K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Tim Skousen, Jeremy Coon
- John Rhys-DaviesSelf
- Eli RothSelf
- Eric ZalaSelf
- Chris StrompolosSelf
- Jayson LambSelf
- Kurt ZalaSelf
- Angela RodriguezSelf
- Guy KlenderSelf
- Michael BalesSelf
- Mark SpainSelf