Film School Rejects » Official Guide to Indiana Jones

Indiana Jones DVD Display Case

Brian C. Gibson — Fri, 23 May 2008 12:05:50 +0000

Here is another gem straight from the best Indy merch website, Throwmetheidol. Blockbuster has released an exclusive hand crafted resin DVD display case. I think one of the most admirable things about this collectible, is that it was fashioned to hold the original Indiana Jones Trilogy set, not the brand new copycat edition. Which means you don’t have to buy a DVD set to accompany this awesome piece, if you already bought it awhile ago. The display case retails for $49.99, but as this disheartened fan found out…it is really hard to find. Swing on out and try to find one though, this one is awesome.

Source: Throwmetheidol

If you have any suggestions for our Officially Cool feature, please send an email over to Brian@filmschoolrejects.com.

Become Indiana Jones: Part II, The Attitude

Dr. Cole Abaius — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:06:35 +0000

Now that The Movie Style Guy has got you geared up to be the next Indiana Jones, you’re gonna need some accessories that you can’t get at the fedora store. In fact, step one is to avoid being seen at a fedora store. Step two is top secret, but FSR is more than happy to present steps three through eight.

Get Crackin’

You can’t step out your front door without getting a whip first. You can buy whips through most major online retailers and some local sporting goods stores, although you should avoid stores with “pleasure” and “palace” in the name. With some easy hunting, you can even buy replicas of Indy’s own ten foot bullwhip. “Am I ready for adventure?” you ask rhetorically. No! You’ll still need to clock several hundred hours practicing your technique on soda cans and low hanging beams. And since we’re never careful here at FSR but want others to be, check out the safety tips at Bullwhip.org. Most of the advice seems to focus on not utilizing your whip in the presence of infant children, which takes most of the fun out of it.*

Grow a Pair

Most of Indy’s appeal is that he appears to be fearless unless you take him to the Herpetarium at the zoo. He appears fearless, but in fact, to have courage you have to have fear. Pretty deep, I know. That’s how Indy rolls. Despite constantly being run over by tanks, being chopped to pieces by rotary blades and facing Hitler’s bad breath, Dr. Jones’s passion for finding dusty artifacts and fighting evil outweighs the threat of bodily harm. Start off by facing limited danger like insulting a rabid dog or asking your boss for a raise. Then, have your friends set booby traps in your house for you to navigate. You’d be surprised how brave you’ll be after surviving the poison darts that fly out of your microwave. Get experience facing tough stuff, and parachuting off the Sphynx will look like just another day at the office.

Don’t Have a Plan

Preparing beforehand is for losers and Communists. Planning makes you inflexible, and situations can change at the drop of a fedora. According to Scientific Proof Monthly (a magazine which may or may not exist), planning and organizing shuts down your Amygdala – the animal part of your brain. You become focused on the plan, disregarding new information that might change whether you follow through in heading to Beirut or switch gears to go save your family in Moscow. Friends can help with this one, too. Have a close one steal your car without telling you when and where he or she does it. The new paradigm will force you to think on your feet, both figuratively and literally. If that seems drastic, try taking an Improv course at your local comedy club or regional theater.

Sarcasm

Despite most people believing you have to be born with the gift of sarcasm, there are a few tricks that can help you fake it. For starters, the next time someone threatens your life, instead of wetting yourself, do what Indy does: insult your attacker in a calm voice. After all, he or she is probably going to monologue for a while or needs your help to find an old bejeweled dagger or something. Assess the situation, and if you know for sure they aren’t going to kill you, promise them in a matter-of-fact tone that you’ll cause them specific bodily harm once you get free. If there’s a chance they might end you, accepting your own demise gives you the freedom to find humor in the situation. Does your assailant have a funny haircut? Now’s the only time you’ll have to tell them, so let ‘er rip. Of course, while you’re waxing calm and comedic, boot up that Amygdala of yours to panic mode so you can figure out an escape plan that doesn’t involve a coffin. Most importantly, though – never let them see you sweat.

Hit the Books

Henry Jones, Jr. has a PhD – perhaps the sexiest of all degrees – and you think you’re big time with your community college certificate of completion. Just like you don’t go to a construction site without your tool belt, you don’t take on the Nazi empire without stuffing your head full of knowledge first. Until you can translate an ancient riddle written in a dead language and solve it to find out where the baddies are holding your best girl hostage, you might want to pick up a library card and take some night courses. And you thought you’d never need Algebra or Sanskrit in the real world.

Love ‘Em and Leave ‘Em

Not knowing whether you’ll be in Cyprus or Micronesia next week makes it difficult to maintain a steady relationship. But you’ve got needs, and it just so happens that Cyprus, Micronesia, and other assorted exotic locales are perfect for finding a fly-by-night romance. In fact, if adventuring properly, your arch-nemesis will probably provide you with a gorgeous one night stand. When she delivers you into the hands of your enemy, it’s a good time to call off the wedding. Or the second date. For practice, try picking up a stranger at a bar. Speak in grandiose terms and drop in cool archaeological fun facts into the conversation. Pull them close and kiss them deep without asking permission. The worst that could happen is you’ll get slapped and then kissed again. Make love with reckless abandon and have a ready quip to say when you leave the next morning. “That grail isn’t going to find itself,” seems to work. If you’re too shy to find a stranger to fling with – practice at home by making out with your hand. Just make sure not to call your hand the next day.

Develop a Healthy Fear of Snakes

Snakes are poisonous hell-beasts that ravage the land with their very existence. You’d do well to avoid them at all costs. If you’re not already afraid of snakes, have one bite you. By the time you wake up out of your coma, you’ll have a new psychological trauma related to the legless ones, and you’ll have grown braver by facing danger. Two birds with one bite.

The best thing about Indiana Jones is that he’s a real guy, but not exactly like you and me. With some dedication, his skills are attainable. Get into a graduate program, make some enemies, adhere to a life philosophy, be romantic in your spare time, face a few dangers, and you’ll be on your way to adventure. Combine your new skills with the gear listed in Part One of our Become Indiana Jones Feature, and you’ll be the spitting image of a guy who was named after the dog.

*The Rejects don’t condone having babies, let alone using weaponry around them.

Indiana Jones Monopoly!

Brian C. Gibson — Thu, 22 May 2008 12:15:05 +0000

So there have been quite a few awesome versions of Monopoly over the years but for Indiana Jones fans, this is (for the lack of a better comparison) your Holy Grail edition. This Indiana Jones Monopoly Edition is exclusive to Wal-Mart. Starting with the “artifact crate” packaging, down to the game tokens and fertility idols for houses and Ark of the Covenant for hotels…this is one badass collectible. I bought mine at Wal-Mart for just under $30.

Source: Throwmetheidol.com

If you have any suggestions for our Officially Cool feature, please send an email over to Brian@filmschoolrejects.com.

Indiana Jones’ Biggest Fan…

Brian C. Gibson — Thu, 22 May 2008 12:09:05 +0000

Now don’t get me wrong, I love Indiana Jones…and I have alot of respect for Harrison Ford. I think it’s cool that he is as much into all the Indy marketing as everyone else is. It’s almost how you wonder if a professional athlete always plays as themselves in video games, or if an actor enjoys his own movies as much as we do. It’s just cool to see Harrison Ford buying Indiana Jones toys. However, he doesn’t look much like Indy with the grandpa outfit on (the hair and the glasses). Also, do I spy an earring?

Source: Throwmetheidol.com via Thisislondon.co.uk

New Lego Indiana Jones Game Trailer Debuts

Neil Miller — Wed, 21 May 2008 16:19:16 +0000

The fine folks over at Empire — and when I say “fine”, I mean that I am literally in love with their magazine — have debuted a brand new trailer for the upcoming video game Lego Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventure. The game follows the storyline from Raiders of the Lost Ark all the way through to The Last Crusade. The trailer makes the game look pretty cool — as in, a whole lot of fun. So for all of you big kids who are busting out your fedoras and running out to your local cineplex starting tonight at 12:01, you might want to give this little trailer a look.

The Lego Indiana Jones game is available for pre-order on XBOX 360, PC, PS3, PSP, Nintendo DS, PS2 and the Nintendo Wii over at the LucasArts Store. The game ships June 3.

To view the trailer, just click the image below:

The Ten Coolest Indiana Jones Collectibles of All Time

Jason Dorough — Wed, 21 May 2008 10:00:30 +0000

This is the first installment of “The Collector’s Corner”, a special weekly installment of Officially Cool written by guest author Jason Dorough of www.Mechazilla.com. Jason is an avid collector of cool geeky gear and one of the internet’s authorities on things that are “Officially Cool”. Be sure to check back every Wednesday here on Film School Rejects, as Jason will be bringing you the best collectibles that the world has to offer.

It’s been a long time since Indiana Jones last bullwhipped his way into theaters, but now he’s back with a vengeance, and the Indy license never has been hotter. Here’s a look at 10 of the coolest Indiana Jones collectibles from the past, present, and future.

Click any of the images below to see the bigger versions.

1. Well of Souls Playset

In the early 80’s, it was hard to beat Kenner when it came to action figures. They made all those awesome original Star Wars action figures, and they also had the license to Raiders of the Lost Ark. Part of their initial wave of toys for the line was this deluxe playset based on the Well of Souls from the film. The playset came with a breakaway wall, ornate arches, plenty of snakes, and even a mummy. Possibly coolest of all is the Ark of the Covenant accessory, complete with carrying poles.

You can see more photos of the playset unboxed at Dr. Will’s Indiana Jones Toy Reference Page.

2. Belloq in Ceremonial Robe Action Figure

Sure, at first glance this might look like a toy baker wearing an I Love Lucy housedress, but it is in fact a super-rare action figure from Kenner’s Raiders of the Lost Ark line. How rare, you ask? Rumor has it that less than ten actually exist! This is not to be confused with the mailaway Belloq figure that didn’t come in ceremonial garb. That one’s cool as well, but it’s no less-than-ten Belloq. The pure rarity of this collectible lands it a spot on the list.

The afore-mentioned Dr. Will’s site also has more info about this scarce Belloq.

3. Sideshow Indiana Jones Premium Format Figure

Going more modern and high-end, there’s Sideshow Collectibles’ Indy premium format figure. Their premium format line traditionally delivers awesome quality in a larger-scale collectible with statue-sculpted figures and authentic fabric costumes. Clocking in around 22″ tall, the Sideshow statue will cost you a little less than $300. The Premium Format Figure is currently sold out on preorders, but you still can get onto Sideshow’s wait list and hope somebody ahead of you cancels.

Here’s Sideshow’s feature page for the statue: Link

4. Sideshow 12″ Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark Action Figure

That Premium Format Indy is fantastic, but it might be a smidge out of your price range. If you still want the Sideshow level of quality but don’t want to pay a couple hundred dollars, take a look at this Raiders of the Lost Ark 12″ scale action figure. This Indy comes with loads of accessories, including the famous idol from the beginning of the movie.

You can still place a preorder for this one: Link

5. Gentle Giant Artifact Crate Paperweights

Gentle Giant released a series of Indiana Jones paperweights as convention exclusives at this year’s New York Comic Con. Each of the crates looks the same from the outside and comes with a detachable magnetic whip, miniature fedora, removable lid, and rubber snakes. The contents of each crate was packed randomly, though, with a chance to unearth miniature replicas of the golden idol from Raiders, the temple tablet, the Sankara Stones, the Holy Grail, and the Crystal Skull.

The paperweights were exclusive to the convention and aren’t readily available now, but Gentle Giant does also have a new Indy bust and full-size Indy on Horse statue on the way.

6. Henry Jones Real Action Hero

It’s easy to focus on Indiana when you’re building your collection, but it would be a crime to forget about Indy’s dad Henry, played by Sean Connery. Medicom Toy has a 12″ scale addition to their Real Action Heroes line on the way, scheduled for domestic release in the third quarter of this year.

You can preorder the 12″ Henry figure from Sideshow Collectibles, as they’re handling the US distribution.

And if you want more imported Henry awesomeness, check out this ArtFX Henry Jones statue that almost made the official list.

7. ArtFX Raiders of the Lost Ark Statue

Continuing the trend of fantastic foreign collectibles, here’s a realistically styled ArtFX diorama statue produced by Kotobukiya. This is the first in a planned series of statues depicting scenes from the various Indiana Jones movies. The inaugural piece has perhaps the most iconic scene from the franchise, with Indy running from the giant boulder, idol in his grasp.

The Raiders statue is still available for preorder online.

8. Noble Collection Indiana Jones Replicas

But let’s say you’re less interested in collecting representations of Indy than in actually becoming the man himself. You’ll have to stock up on the essentials, starting with his trademark bullwhip and maybe even his machete. Licensed replicas of both have been produced by the Noble Collection.

Both items are available for order directly from the Noble Collection now.

9. Taters of the Lost Ark Indiana Jones

If your collecting tastes slide more towards the fun toy category than the high-end statue realm, you can’t go wrong with Playskool’s new Taters of the Lost Ark toy. This is an Indy Mr. Potato Head, in the vein of the Darth Tater and Spudtrooper toys they released in their Star Wars license. The Indy tater comes with several interchangeable parts, including a little tuber-ized fertility idol, and he plays the Indy theme when you press his hat down.

The Indiana Jones Potato Head is available for order from Hasbro’s website.

10. Indiana Jones Adventure Heroes

Rounding out the list is one of my personal favorites, the Indiana Jones Adventure Heroes from Hasbro. Hasbro has made chibified versions of characters from Star Wars, Marvel Comics, Transformers, and soon GI Joe, and now it’s Indy’s turn. These two-packs feature a wide variety of characters from all four Indiana Jones films, and they’re just as much fun for adult collectors as they are for kids to play with.

The Adventure Heroes are available for order online now.

Too Cool To Leave Out:

While it might be a little too bulky or high-end for most collections, one more item that I thought deserved a mention is this pinball machine from Stern Pinball, Inc. The backglass has art from all four movies, and I don’t have to tell you how engrossing pinball can be.

Check out a couple of preview shots at Stern Pinball’s website.

Collectible That Thinks It Should Be In The Top 10:

This final piece definitely isn’t worthy of a spot in the top 10, but it deserves mention purely on the virtue of a company’s ballsiness to charge $2000 for a 24″ statue that is sub-par in nearly every way to Sideshow’s much less costly Premium Format Figure. I’m talking about the Indiana Jones Cinemaquette, which you can blink at in financial incomprehension at Cinemaquette.com.

An Indiana Jones Spoof Fit For The FSR Fat Guys

Brian C. Gibson — Tue, 20 May 2008 12:00:06 +0000

This little gem was plucked right from the pages of Youtube. Some students from Emerson College have thrown together an awesome parody of the ending of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade for their final project. They call it “Montana Young And The Monte Cristo”, and trust me, this is a must see…I will leave it up to these guys to summarize the plot of the video.

“Arch nemesis Anderson forces our hero, Montana Young to pass three challenges, and retrieve Bennigan’s Monte Cristo sandwich in order to save his fat friend from certain death”

These guys deserve a pat on the back and some exposure for this one. The video stars Joe Collesano, Ezra Horne, Anders Nelson, Jonathan Paula, and Greg Kanter. With Daniel Raybin, and Matt Murphy. I would wonder how the Fat Guys at the Movies would rate this homage to fatness, and to Indy. Enjoy the video!

Source: Youtube

If you have any suggestions for our Officially Cool feature, please send an email over to Brian@filmschoolrejects.com.

Photoshop Your Own Drew Struzan Indy Poster

Brian C. Gibson — Mon, 19 May 2008 12:00:44 +0000

No offense to Drew Struzan, the guy is a legend and his work speaks for itself. But as one photoshopper points out, by breaking down his style and using some photoshop magic…anyone can put together their own Struzanized movie poster. As Rick Davidson points out “A standard movie poster is 27 x 40″ (68.6 x 101.6cm) with about 150ppi (pixels per inch)”, so get ready for a huge file. This is a pretty awesome tutorial that shows you how to go from the raw materials found in the first image…all the way to the last image below. Great work Rick, and I’d love to see what some of our readers could come up with. Please visit Developertutorials.com to see how Rick did this, and try something on your own.

Source: Developertutorials.com

If you have any suggestions for our Officially Cool feature, please send an email over to Brian@filmschoolrejects.com.

Indiana Jones Has Gone Japanese

Brian C. Gibson — Sun, 18 May 2008 22:00:53 +0000

It looks as if Indiana Jones is a pretty big deal, even across the globe. Our friends from Japan are immortalizing our favorite whip-wielding spelunker with the cutest little figures you will ever see. These little figures measure up to be about 5cm (1.97″), and will hit stores around June for about $5 apiece. So keep in mind, the whole lot will cost you about $40.

The set will include eight different figures including Indiana Jones, Indiana Jones in a mine cart, Henry Jones Sr., Marion Ravenwood, and Mola Ram. Three figures are a secret and in agreement with Peter from Slashfilm, I would say that at least two of these figures will come from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Maybe we can expect figures for Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, and Ray Winstone’s characters.

If you’d like to order these, head over to this site…and I hope you know japanese.

Source: Slashfilm.com

If you have any suggestions for our Officially Cool feature, please send an email over to Brian@filmschoolrejects.com.

The Ten Most Memorable Indiana Jones Moments

FSR Staff — Sun, 18 May 2008 22:00:53 +0000

It’s not until you look back at the original Indiana Jones trilogy that you realize just how many memorable moments there are in the series. To whittle that list of seminal moments down to just ten is excruciating, and it will be different for everyone.

These are the moments that stuck with us long after the credits rolled. They are shocking, humorous and exciting. Some have become part of the iconic legends (like the boulder) while others can be quoted in pop culture with no need of an explanation (like “No ticket!” ala Kevin Smith).

The reality is that the films overall are memorable and worth another look for any fan of the adventure genre. Here are our favorites…

10. “The three challenges” from The Last Crusade

Although much longer than a mere moment, this scene began the climax of the third movie, giving us some booby traps that had otherwise been absent from the script.

9. “The Jones boys tied up” from The Last Crusade

The addition of Sean Connery to the cast of the Indiana Jones saga was brilliant, and his chemistry with Harrison Ford was impeccable, as shown in this scene.

8. “The mine chase” from Temple of Doom

While The Last Crusade was the installment that spotlighted chase sequences, it was the breathtaking mine chase from Temple of Doom that was most exciting.

7. “I hate snakes” from Raiders of the Lost Ark

What better way to demonstrate Indiana Jones’ loathing of snakes than to drop him into a pit of vipers?

6. “Hitler signs the diary” from The Last Crusade

Tongue-in-cheek humor has been a hallmark of these films, and it is demonstrated here when Indiana Jones has an unpredictable run-in with der Führer himself.

5. “Snake surprise and chilled monkey brains” from Temple of Doom

As a child watching these films in theaters on Saturday afternoon, nothing was more fun than the gross-out moments. That was taken to its fullest level in Temple of Doom with a feast at Pankot Palace.

4. “Face melting” from Raiders of the Lost Ark

The climax of Raiders of the Lost Ark showed how shocking the series could be, and what better way to dispatch the Nazis than with lightning to the chest, face melting and exploding heads?

3. “Burn your heart out” from Temple of Doom

Our first look at the Temple of Doom where a young man is sacrificed by the Thuggee cult caused a furor about the film’s PG rating. But to the 13-year-old kid in a multiplex in Ohio, it was glorious.

2. “Giant boulder” from Raiders of the Lost Ark

In reality, the entire opening sequence of Raiders is so full of moments, it’s hard to pull one out. But if we had to choose, the giant boulder climax to the scene is the most memorable.

1. “Shooting the swordsman” from Raiders of the Lost Ark and Temple of Doom

The scene where Indy shoots the swordsman in Raiders easily got the most laughs in the theaters, as did the call-back in Temple of Doom when Indy realizes he doesn’t have a gun.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

“What’s black and white and red all over?” from Raiders of the Lost Ark – A Nazi in a propeller, natch!

“The rope bridge” from Temple of Doom – What would Indy do?

“No ticket!” from The Last Crusade – There’s better ways to get rid of Nazis, but none as funny.

Article composed by Kevin Carr. Additional reporting by Nathan Deen.

Indiana Jones: Mapping Out the Trilogy

FSR Staff — Sun, 18 May 2008 21:35:27 +0000

A wise man once said that in order to really understand something, sometimes all you have to do is make a pie chart. And while we don’t have a way to make a pie chart to help you understand the Indiana Jones trilogy, we have come up with this pretty cool regular-style chart to help put things into perspective.

Check it out below and be amazed. And heck, you may just learn something.

	Radiers of the Lost Ark	Temple of Doom	The Last Crusade
Release date	June 12, 1981	May 23, 1984	May 24, 1989
Rating	PG	PG	PG-13
Budget	$18 million	$28 million	$48 million
U.S. gross	$245 million	$180 million	$197 million
Worldwide gross	$384 million	$333 million	$495 million
Year setting	1936	1935	1938
Artifact being sought	Ark of the Covenant	Shankara Stones	Holy Grail
Villains	Nazis	Thuggee Cult	Nazis again
Lead bad guy	Dr. Rene Belloq	Mola Ram	Walter Donovan
Love Interest	Marion Ravenwood	Willie Scott	Elsa Schneider
Sidekick	Marion Ravenwood	Short Round	Henry Jones, Sr.
Opening sequence	Searching for sacred Idol in South America	Night club in Shanghai	Young Indiana Jones in the Utah desert
Creepy crawly	Snakes in the Well of the Souls	Bugs in the catacombs	Rats in Venice
Coolest booby trap	Weight-senisitive idol display	Shrinking room with spikes	The Breath of God (leads to beheading)
Coolest chase	Horse following Nazi truck	Mine cart	Horse following Nazi tank
Coolest gross-out moment	Melting faces	Tearing out of heart	Instant aging by drinking from non-Holy grail
How Indy beat his opponent in one-on-one combat	Chopped up by propeller	Ground down by rock crusher	Swan dive off a cliff in a tank

Chart data compiled by Kevin Carr.

Indiana Jones: Breaking Down the Legacy

FSR Staff — Sun, 18 May 2008 21:35:20 +0000

THE IDEA

George Lucas starting playing around with the idea of an adventurous archeologist at about the same time he starting writing a space opera that was inspired by his love for the comic book character, Flash Gordon. He put the former idea on the shelf and the latter into production and the end result was a cult phenomenon known as Star Wars.

Lucas wasn’t sure about how the public would react to Star Wars. He couldn’t handle the stress, so during the film’s release he decided to take a vacation to Hawaii to get away from the buzz and invited his friend Steven Spielberg, who in the same year released Close Encounters of the Third Kind, to tag along. While lying on the beach, the two started playing ideas off one another and began thinking about their next projects. Spielberg mentioned that he always wanted to do a James Bond film, but Lucas interrupted his idea and said he had something better. He told him his idea about the archeologist and Spielberg was immediately won over by it.

Lucas named the character Indiana, after his dog. (This might sound familiar to fans, who will remember that Henry Jones, Sr. tells Sallah and Brody that this is where Indy got his name from.) Originally, Lucas tried the name Indiana Smith, which had about as much ring to it as Lucas’s other first name choice, Luke Starkiller. Fortunately, Spielberg suggested a name change, and they eventually agreed upon Jones. Can you imagine if they stuck with Indiana Smith?

CREATING THE STORY – FROM RAIDERS TO THE LAST CRUSADE

The first Indiana Jones film was given the title Raiders of the Lost Ark. A writing credit is given to Phillip Kaufman, who collaborated with Lucas on the original story before he even discussed the project with Spielberg. It was Kaufman who came up with the idea to have supernatural artifact at the center of the film: the Ark of the Covenant. Lawrence Kasdan was brought on to pen the script.

After the success of the first film, an outside screenwriter was brought in for Temple of Doom. Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz (who wrote American Grafitti and went on to write Howard the Duck, both for Lucas), penned the script that took Indy to a different area of the world altogether: India. Indy was given a child sidekick, Short Round (named after Huyck’s dog) and a new love interest, Willie Scott (named after Spielberg’s dog).

Lucas chose this film to have a darker tone, which helped usher in the PG-13 rating. Lucas felt this had worked for The Empire Strikes Back, and he took another page from the Star Wars saga by making the film a prequel that took place a year before Raiders. Spielberg had fun too, as he met his future wife Kate Capshaw during the production.

When it came time to make The Last Crusade, Spielberg wanted to appease his critics from Temple of Doom. He had also agreed to make three of the films with George Lucas, and this time they went back to the tone, feel and villains fo th efirst movie. With Temple of Doom being the only sequel Spielberg directed at the time (with Jurassic Park: The Lost World being his only other sequel outside of the Indiana Jones canon), it was a first for the legendary director.

Jeffrey Boam wrote the script from a story by Lucas and Menno Meyjes, who had adapted The Color Purple for Spielberg. It featured the return of fan favorites like Sallah (John Rhys-Davies) and Marcus Brody (Denholm Elliot), but more importantly it featured Sean Connery as Indy’s dear old dad.

SHUFFLING THE FIRST CAST

Harrison Ford was made famous by Lucas with his roles in Star Wars and American Graffitti. Originally, Lucas rejected the idea of having Ford play the part, saying that he didn’t want Ford to become his De Niro. Tom Selleck was the original favorite to star in the lead but was unavailable because of the launch of “Magnum P.I.” Eventually, Spielberg convinced Lucas to invite Ford aboard. Could you imagine anyone else playing the part? Jones’ character is known for his pluckiness and his appearance, which includes his trademark hat and leather jacket, and his trusty whip and pistol.

Karen Allen was also not the original favorite to play Marion Ravenwood. Sean Young, who later appeared with Ford in Blade Runner, was almost decided on, but she also became unavailable. She and Selleck even did one of the film’s first screen tests together. Spielberg was interested in Allen via the raunchy comedy Animal House and she agreed to do the part. She brought to Marion a feel of total independency and brawniness, as well as a sweet and light side.

BUILDING THE BAD GUYS

Like most sane people in the world today, Spielberg has no love for the Nazis, and he made them the overbearing villains in both Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. However, these two films also featured a villain that would make up for their lack of brawn with cleverness and scheming in their battle against Indiana Jones.

In Radiers, Belloq is played by the British actor Paul Freeman. Physically, he is not Indiana’s equal. Indy is the daring workhorse that does the dirty work, and Belloq is the sly little weasel who makes his move at the opportune moment. Belloq always seems to be one step ahead of him. In the middle of Raiders, he tells Indiana “There is nothing that you can possess which I cannot take away.”

Similarly, in The Last Crusade, it is Indy’s initial benefactor Walter Donovan who ends up double-crossing him. Donovan, like Belloq, is after antiquities for his own benefit, which proves disastrous to their characters as they die some pretty gruesome deaths.

Laying the groundwork for the Nazi baddies, Raiders gives us Ronald Lacey as Toht, the most intimidating and creepy of the Nazis. Throughout the movie, Lucas and Spielberg are paying their tributes to the classic films that inspired them. While Indy was inspired by the types of character Humphrey Bogart played in the 1940s, Lacey kinda gave Spielberg that sense of creepiness that reminded him of Peter Lorre in The Maltese Falcon. He is easily one of the more interesting villains in any adventure movie ever made. Finally, Wolf Kahler plays the less memorable Colonel Dietrich, head of the excavation. The two villains are most well known for the climax scene in which their faces are completely melted off.

The Nazis return as the villains in The Last Crusade, and the filmmakers continue the tradition of international bad guys with the new release Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, releasing May 22.

Article by Kevin Carr. Additional commentary by Nathan Deen.

A Look Back: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Kevin Carr — Sun, 18 May 2008 21:33:41 +0000

How This Movie Was Different

While Temple of Doom was a monster hit, fans complained about Short Round and the general gross-out nature of the film. Spielberg and Lucas went back to basics to make The Last Crusade. Not only did they do a story that had a similar feel to the first, they brought back the Nazis as the bad guys and even shot sequences in the beginning of the film that were direct homages to Raiders of the Lost Ark. They also brought back some of the fun supporting cast from the first film, including Sallah (John Rhys-Davies) and Marcus Brody (Denholm Elliot). Finally, they replaced Short Round with Indy’s dad, played expertly by Sean Connery.

The Story

Indiana Jones is approached by millionaire Walter Donovan to help him in his search for the Holy Grail. When Indy tells Donovan that he should contact his father, the foremost expert on Grail lore, Donovan tells him that he already had… and the elder Jones has gone missing. Indiana then embarks on a worldwide search for his father and the Holy Grail, and he soon discovers that he’s not the only one looking for the cup of Christ.

The Characters

Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford), archeologist extreme and scoundrel hero.

Henry Jones, Sr. (Sean Connery), stuffy professor father to Indiana and foremost expert on the Holy Grail.

Marcus Brody (Denholm Elliot), Indy’s boss at the University and his clueless partner in the search for Jones Sr.

Sallah (John Rhys-Davies), Indy’s Egyptian contact who helps arrange everything from cars to camels.

The Bad Guys

Colonel Vogel (Michael Byrne), a Nazi leader who spearheads the military’s search for the Holy Grail.

Walter Donovan (Julian Glover), eccentric millionaire in search of everlasting life from the Holy Grail.

Elsa Schneider (Allison Doody), insanely hot but insanely treacherous Nazi collaborator who wants the Grail for herself.

What This Movie Meant to the Fans

After what some considered a stumble with Temple of Doom, The Last Crusade represented a return to Indiana Jones’ former power. The film included numerous call-backs to Raiders, and it was beloved for its return to the adventure roots of the series. Fans also welcomed Sean Connery with open arms. Sadly, it was a bitter-sweet movie for the fans because it was the last in the series for 19 years, and we never understood why it took so long to make a new one.

How This Movie Impacted American Cinema

The Last Crusade was released in the summer of 1989 when Tim Burton’s Batman was king. Because of these two films, 1989 was known for years as a great year for summer blockbusters. More specifically, The Last Crusade helped bring back the career of Sean Connery who, until The Untouchables came out two years prior, had been struggling to make a hit and shed his James Bond persona. The Last Crusade paved the way for Connery to make a comeback as an A-list actor.

Additionally, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade won an Oscar for Best Sound Effects Editing and received a nomination for Best Score by John Williams and Best Sound. By 1989, the budget had ballooned to $48 million, but the film raked in almost $200 million in the U.S. and close to $500 million worldwide.

A Look Back: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

Kevin Carr — Sun, 18 May 2008 21:32:15 +0000

How This Movie Was Different

This was the first sequel, but Spielberg and Lucas decided to make it a prequel (sound familiar?). They stepped up the adventure on this one, with more action and a different location. The Nazis were traded for the evil Thuggee cult, and the ark was switched for the legendary Shankara Stones. Although it was arguably more violent than the previous film, with the addition of Ke Huy Quan as Short Round to the cast, it was aimed at the family market.

The Story

After narrowly escaping an assassination attempt in Shanghai, Indiana Jones hops a plane with nightclub singer Willie Scott and his assistant Short Round. The plane crashes in India where our heroes must help a suffering village by finding their sacred stone. Indy and gang head to Pankot Palace where they discover an underground temple in which the evil Thuggee cult practices human sacrifice, child slavery and all sorts of nasty shenanigans. Indy is determined to not just find the sacred stones but to free the children from the mines.

The Characters

Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford), archeologist extreme and scoundrel hero.

Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw), gold-digging and fussy nightclub singer along for the ride.

Short Round (Ke Huy Quan), orphaned child with a smart mouth but a lot of heart.

The Bad Guys

Mola Ram (Amrish Puri), evil leader of the Thuggee cult whose hobbies include painting his head red, tearing people’s hearts out and tennis.

Chattar Lal (Roshan Seth), political cover for the Thuggee cult and all-around douchebag who provides spin to the public and assistance in the Temple of Doom.

Lao Che (Roy Chiao), the evil Chinese gangster whose double-cross with Indiana Jones causes him to crash in the jungle of India.

What This Movie Meant to the Fans

Released the year after the last of the Star Wars movies of the 80s, Temple of Jones showed that Hollywood (along with Lucas and Spielberg) was ready to keep another franchise going. While it is often maligned as the worst of the three films, Temple of Doom was a box office hit that paved the way for The Last Crusade and solidified Harrison Ford as an action star. This was also one of the last films that retained relatively high quality from Steven Spieldberg, who shortly after 1984 put his name on dozens of films from The Goonies to *batteries not included.

How This Movie Impacted American Cinema

Along with Gremlins, which was also released in the summer of 1984 (and produced by Spielberg), Temple of Doom was violent enough that parents and watchdog groups called for a rating harsher than just PG. Shortly afterwards, the MPAA came out with a PG-13 rating which has become the most coveted rating by the studios in movie history.

Additionally, Temple of Doom won an Oscar for special effects and received a nomination for Best Score by John Williams. The then-large $28 million budget returned a worldwide gross of $333 million gross.

A Look Back: Raiders of the Lost Ark

Nathan Deen — Sun, 18 May 2008 21:30:44 +0000

Where It Came From…

After the success of the first two Star Wars films, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Jaws, it only seemed only natural to have Steven Spielberg and George Lucas collaborate on a film. The two had developed a story about a swashbuckling archeologist while on vacation following Lucas’ success of Star Wars and Spielberg’s success of Close Encounters. The film was meant to be an homage to the adventure films and Saturday matinee serials of the 1940s. It became one of the most popular film series of all time.

The Story

Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones is an archeologist who takes perilous journeys to discover rare artifacts. One day he is approached by two government officials who tell him that Hitler has become obsessed with archeology and has a special excavation in progress. They intercepted a message from the Nazis that reads: “Tanis development proceeding. Acquire head piece to Staff of Ra. Abner Ravenwood , U.S.” Indy realizes that this means that the Nazis are close to discovering the lost Ark of the Covenant, in which the Hebrews put the shattered pieces of the original Ten Commandment. It is said an army which carries the Ark is invincible, which could give Hitler invulnerability. They ask Jones to recover the Ark before the Nazis do. To do so, he has to reunite with an old acquaintance, Marion Ravenwood (the daughter of Indy’s old colleague Abner) who is in possession of the head piece, as well as old friend and digger Sallah. Meanwhile, Jones has to take on not only the Nazi baddies, but his old archeologist rival, Dr. Rene Belloq.

The Characters

Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford), archeologist extreme and scoundrel hero.

Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), daughter of Indy’s old college professor and the girl in Indy’s past whom he loved and left.

Sallah (John Rhys-Davies), Indy’s Egyptian contact and loveable sidekick, providing plenty of humor throughout the film

Marcus Brody (Denholm Elliot), the clumsy department head and Indy’s longtime friend.

The Bad Guys

Dr. Rene Belloq (Paul Freeman), Indy’s archeological nemesis who often steals what Indy finds.

Toht (Ronald Lacey), the Peter Lorre-inspired Nazi maniac with a fondness for torture and long walks on the beach.

Colonel Dietrich (Wolf Kahler), a somewhat forgettable Nazi military leader who heads the excavation.

What It Meant to the Fans

There have been a lot of great movie franchises over the years; too many to count really. But if you were to ask me who my absolute favorite character is, I would tell you none other than Indiana Jones. After the success of Star Wars, Lucas could pretty much make any movie he wanted and have it be a hit, but this movie arguably outdid his sci-fi masterpiece. This is the kind of movie that fans eat up. It’s the kind of movie that reminds us why we love them in the first place. You have an adventure concept so awesome it makes your mouth water, and a courageous and interesting hero who is vulnerable but never fails to kick ass and even make you laugh while he does it, gets the girl, and saves the world from annihilation. What more could a fanboy ask for? Don’t take it from me, just look at the 8.7 average rating on IMDb, which ranks as No. 17 on the all-time Top 250 list.

How It Impacted American Cinema

For starters, we wouldn’t be discussing a third sequel if it didn’t have an impact. What Lucas and Spielberg created is an untouchable masterpiece that currently has a solid spot on AFI’s Top 100 list. It was the dawn of a truly unforgettable character that we will be able to share with our children, our grandchildren and our grandchildren’s children. With the sight of a giant boulder chasing our hero as he tries to escape a cave, a legend was instantly born. We’ve seen films try to emulate Raiders of the Lost Ark, but their only purpose is to remind us of how great it is. Stephen Sommers came the closest with The Mummy, but that’s not saying very much at all. It’s not even in the same ballpark. This is the ultimate adventure movie, the ultimate summer blockbuster, and they just don’t make ‘em like this anymore. Hopefully, that’ll change a little as the fourth installment to the franchise, The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, hits theaters on May 22.

Additionally, Raiders of the Lost Ark won Oscars for Best Set Decoration, Visual Effects, Film Editing and Sound, as well as a Special Achievement Award. It received nominations for Best Picture, Director, Cinematography and Score. Its budget was $18 million, with a domestic gross of $245 million and a worldwide gross of $384.

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