''Raiders of the Lost Ark''s Biggest Fan and Moviemaker Comes to Rahway

In 1981, Raiders of the Lost Ark hit the silver screen and delighted a generation of fans with the return of 1940s-style swashbuckling action and adventure. 

Three pre-teen boys in Mississippi were so enarmored with Indiana Jones and the first movie in the series that they set out to film their own adaptation. The frame-by-frame recreation of Raiders took them 7 years, several broken bones, a burned down garage, and most of their adolescence.

But the finished product, stored on a shelf for years, resurfaced, and this time, even Stephen Spielberg, the director of Raiders, loved it so much he sent the boys - now adult men - a letter of thanks for what is probably the loving tribute to a movie in the history of filmmaking.

Friday night, Chris Strompolous, one of the tribute film's originators who played Indiana Jones, will come to the Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) at its Hamilton Stage venue in Rahway to screen the movie and engage in some Q&A. 

He'll be joined by Alan Eisenstock, whose new book "Raiders!" documents how the Raiders tribute film was put together, and what effect seven years of moviemaking on a shoestring budget had on Strompolous and his fellow creators, Eric Zala and Jayson Lamb.

The screening, talk, and booksigning takes place on Friday, January 4, at 8 pm at the Hamilton Stage, located at 360 Hamilton Street in Rahway.

Get your tickets quick, because the event has gotten rave reviews wherever its played and it's sure to be a sellout. You can buy them online at this link. You can also call the box office at 732-499-8226.

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