After seeing Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, three 12 year old friends, Chris Strompolos, Eric Zala and Jayson Lamb, began filming their own shot-by-shot adaptation of the film; starring, of course, themselves and their friends. Filming took place in the basements and backyards of their Mississippi homes. It took them 7 years and thousands of dollars of allowance money to finish their film. Unlike most low-budget filmmakers who try to set reasonable exectations and cut back on special effects to save money, these three teens were determined to have their film be exactly like the original. The final film includes lots of flames (where on earth was the babysitter?) and a car chase scene in which Indy is dragged underneath and behind a moving vehicle. Since this was before VHS, the teens had to bring an audiotape recorder into the theater and take meticulous notes in order to recreate the film themselves.

The final film is a testament to determination and passion for film. I saw it in Minneapolis recently, and honestly, for the first 10 minutes it was funny to see 12-year-olds in their ill-fitting Sundayschool suits pretending to be businessmen. After that, I laughed and hooted and clapped because Indy got away from the headhunters, not because this film was made by 12-year-olds. At the screening I attended, the film got a standing ovation from the packed house.

For more info:
http://www.theraider.net/films/raiders_adaptation/index.php