Part of Weekend Classics’ Greatest Hits
Originally released in 1981 as a collaboration between George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK redefined the possibilities of adventure cinema and launched actor Harrison Ford to a legendary status. Indiana Jones is the classic hero for this adventure set in the 1930s, as the quick-witted and hardy archaeologist goes on the hunt for the Lost Ark of the Covenant. Facing insurmountable odds, Indy always manages to succeed in the nick of time, joined by endearing companions and opposed by notorious villains.
With an impressive team of supporting actors including Karen Allen, John-Rhys Davies, Denholm Elliott and Paul Freeman, combined with innovative special effects techniques by Industrial Light & Magic, RAIDERS has captured the imaginations of movie-goers for generations.
“...An out-of-body experience, a movie of glorious imagination and breakneck speed that grabs you in the first shot, hurtles you through a series of incredible adventures, and deposits you back in reality two hours later…. This movie celebrates the stories we spent our adolescence searching for in the pulp adventure magazines, in the novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs, in comics — even in the movies.” —Roger Ebert (January 1981) “It's the thrills that keep it moving. From the opening reel, the action just never lets up...The finale suggests that Ford's Indiana Jones character will soon be back with further adventures, and I'm all in favor of it.” —Arthur Knight, Hollywood Reporter (June 1981)
