‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ Delivers the Excitement and Thrills (Dietrich Film Favorite Series)

‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ Delivers the Excitement and Thrills

In 1981, a little adventure feature film called “Raiders of the Lost Ark” opened in theaters nationwide and spawned a very popular film franchise. With “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” film audiences were introduced to the well-known archaeologist Indiana Jones and enjoyed all of his adventures. Now, you can check out Indiana Jones’ first cinematic adventure on the big screen at the Dietrich!

In “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” the film is an epic tale in which an intrepid archaeologist tries to beat a band of Nazis to a unique religious relic which is central to their plans for world domination.

Battling against a snake phobia and a vengeful ex-girlfriend, Indiana Jones is in constant peril, making hair-raising escapes at every turn in this celebration of the innocent adventure movies of an earlier era.

“Raiders of the Lost Ark” is an all-time classic that will keep you entertained and glued to the screen no matter how many times you have seen it. The first Indiana Jones film does an outstanding job keeping the action moving throughout the entire film. The action sequences are quite exhilarating and some are even filled with a touch of suspense. In between all of the thrilling action, there are a few bits of humor scattered about. “Ark” also has some moments that are visually outstanding, especially towards the epic conclusion. And, of course, who can forget the infamous “Indiana Jones” theme from John Williams! So, come on down to the Dietrich and check out the epic adventure on the big screen the way it should be seen!

Some of the cast includes: Harrison Ford (Call of the Wild) as Indiana Jones, Karen Allen (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) as Marion, Paul Freeman (Centurian) as Belloq, Ronald Lacey as Toht, John Rhys-Davies (Aquaman) as Sallah, Wolf Kahler (Wonder Woman) as Dietrich, Anthony Higgins as Golber, Alfred Molina (Frozen II; The Front Runner) as Satipo and Denholm Elliot as Brody. “Raiders of the Lost Ark” is written by Lawrence Kasdan (Solo: A Star Wars Story and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”) and directed by Steven Spielberg, who has recently directed “Ready Player One,” “The Post,” “The BFG” and “Bridge of Spies.”

Producer George Lucas came up with the idea of “Ark” while he was getting “Star Wars: A New Hope” developed. The first Indiana Jones feature is the only film in the franchise to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. Despite having the collaboration of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, it was initially turned down by every Hollywood studio. Only after much persuasion did Paramount agree to do it.

In 1999, “Ark” was added to the National Film Registry by the US Library of Congress. It’s the only film in the franchise to have been inducted. The Well of Souls sequences required 7,000 snakes. The only venomous snakes were the cobras, but one crew member was bitten on-set by a python. The last cinematic adventure of Indiana Jones was in 2008 with “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” After Lucasfilm was acquired by Disney, development for a fifth film has been slowly progressing. As of right now, a fifth “Indiana Jones” feature is currently slated for a July 29, 2022 release.

“Raiders of the Lost Ark” was heavily praised by critics when it was released. The 1981 film earned $248.1 million domestically and $390.1 million worldwide.

“Ark” was released nationwide on June 12, 1981. The film is rated PG and has a running time of 115 minutes.