Customer Reviews

Indyfans and the Quest for Fortune and Glory

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this is a really well made documentary about indiana jones fans by indiana jones fans.you can really tell that the director is a huge fan of the indiana jones series.i will be honest and say the first half of the dvd is a little bit better than the second and i wished about 10 minutes would have been edited off and about 10 minutes of the deleted scenes put back in but it is all there with the deleted scenes being available on the disc anyway.my hats off to the makers of this movie and i really enjoyed this dvd and recomend it to all indiana jones fans.

If you've seen documentaries about fandom -- "Star Trek" and "The Lord of the Rings" come immediately to mind -- you know how low the bar is set when it comes to producing a documentary about specific fandoms. In "Trekkies," released in 1997, pokes fun at "Star Trek" fans, beginning with its pejorative title. ("Star Trek" fans prefer to be called Trekkers, to begin with; and, no, they all don't run around in the real world wearing Starfleet uniforms when working their real jobs or appearing for jury duty, as does Barbara Adams, who lives the fantasy of being a Commanding Officer in Starfleet. (Aside: Why is it that civilians ALWAYS love to dress up in military uniforms with high rank, instead of spending time serving their country?)

Then there's "Ringers," a laughable bad, fixated-in-the-sixties documentary that, unless you knew better, was a parody, though those behind it had professed, at least in the beginning, to be taking a serious look at Tolkien fandom, in the wake of the Peter Jackson film adaptation of "The Lord of the Rings."

And so we come to "Indyfans," which is a breath of fresh air, as it comes from the passion of film director Brandon Kleyla, a die-hard Indy fan, who serves double duty in this documentary as the narrator.

"Indyfans" is, as my review heading suggests, BY, TO, and FOR the Indiana Jones fan. If you have absolutely no interest whatsoever in Indiana Jones, this documentary, which runs 78 minutes, is not for you. But if you have any interest whatsoever in the Indiana Jones phenomenon -- an archetypal character that burst on the film scene in 1981 -- you will find much to like with this honest and unabashed, extended appreciation of everybody's favorite archaeologist. (Well, adventurer-archaeologist is more accurate, but we're here having fun, aren't we?)

Meet Vic Armstrong, who served as Harrison Ford's stunt double; hear Indy costume designer Deborah Nadoolman-Landis talk about her approach to outfitting Indy; listen to veteran Disney Imagineer Tim Kirk talk about his work on the Indiana Jones attractions at both Disney Land and Disney World. Hear Indy fans on-the-street and at the San Diego Comicon talk about their passionate affection for Indy Jones. And be prepared for your eyes to bulge out like poached eggs, a la Roger Rabbit, when Brandon's Indy girls in t-shirts and khaki shorts show up en masse at the comicon or head to downtown Las Vegas to interview slightly giddy, and possibly inebriated, treasure-seekers (that is, gamblers) who have an opinion or two about Indiana Jones.

In a word: fun.

If you've wondered WHY Indiana Jones fans dress like him, quote their favorite lines ("Snakes. I hate snakes. Why does it always have to be snakes?"), and frequently brandish whips and holstered sidearms, this fun and fact-filled documentary (or, more accurately, FAN-tastic look at Indy is just plain fun. Grab your favorite can of soda from the fridge, make sure you've got a big bowl of buttered popcorn, and get cracking: Seat yourself down in your favorite chair and see how the roller-coaster-like movies have inspired generations of fans who, though they aren't adventurers in the conventional sense, are armchair adventurers who like to live through Indy and his feats of derring do!

Disney artist Tim Kirk nailed it with this review: "INDYFANS treats the subject of Indy fandom with great creativity, humor, warmth and most importantly, RESPECT." It's not, as is far too often the case, "just another fannish freak show," as Mr. Kirk points out.

A tip of the fedora to Brandom Kleyla for this worthy addition to my shelf of Indiana Jones movies!

This is a fun film looking at the fandom of Indiana Jones. One of the better films that I've seen on the subject of fandom. Instead of focusing to heavily on crazy fans, it talks with the cast and crew of the Indy films and gets their thoughts on the chaos behind one of the world's largest franchises!

Some great interviews with various people involved with the Indy films. Namely Vic armstrong and deborah noodleman. Nice piece on whip cracking from Anthony deLongis, could have been a bit longer if i was being picky.
Overall a great watch and nice to see that i'm not alone in the fan world when it comes to all things Indiana Jones!
Oh and give who ever did the DVD jacket a pat on the back. Job well done.

Looking back on how a simple adventure movie has affected so many folks around the world, from so many different ages and walks of life, speaks to the magic of Indiana Jones and this film captures it all! Listening to stuntpeople greats like Vic Armstrong and Wendy Leech to Dark Horse Comics' Mike Richardson all talk about why Indy is so great is fun and enlightening. Watching the fun fans have with Indy memories, whips, collectibles and so much more are great fun as well. If you have seen the Indiana Jones movies, read the novels and comics, bought the toys, rode the Disney rides, read TheRaider.net and listen to the Indy--Cast podcast -- well this movie is for you! [[ASIN:B001EKGY50 Indyfans and the Quest for Fortune and Glory] so watch it after you watch Indy and the Crystal Skull.
ASIN:B00005JPO1 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Two-Disc Special Edition)]]

I was in New Haven, CT when they were filming Indiana Jones & The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, because I happen to live there, and apparently I even looked 'authentic' enough to be cast as a professor in an old, brown suit. (I had to jump out of the way holding my briefcase and newspaper when the film's heros sped through the college courtyard on their motorcycle.) I also was fortunate enough to spend some time with the filmakers of INDYFANS, as they documented the process, highlighting the fans, the hype, and the overall excitement surrounding the entire production.

Considering the movie's pivotal chase scene was shot at Yale University, and the movie's library was actually a set created in Yale's huge dining hall, there was much to see, learn, discover, and enjoy---- Kleyla captures it all in his documentary, and then follows the film to other locales to bring us all a bit closer to the limelight. Get this dvd and share the thrills behind of one of the biggest movies of its year!