The Indy Experience.com - The Ultimate Guide to Indiana Jones!

New Fan Film: Indiana Jones and the Treasure of the Templars
September 30th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Scotland native Ken Gawne has begun work on an amazing fan film which has been in production for almost a year now. Indiana Jones and the Treasure of the Templars is not your conventional fan film. Being a student filmmaker, Ken has made it a point create a fan film which is unlike any other Indiana Jones fan film ever made. Here is a message from creator Ken Gawne:

For the last 6 months or thereabouts, I have been working on a project. In simple terms it is to shoot an Indiana Jones fan film. Now when most people hear the term ‘fan film’ they think of something shot on a home video recorder in their backyard. This is precisely what I don’t want to produce - I have much more vision for this film and have been going to every length possible to ensure that this is the biggest Indiana Jones fan film ever made.

We are all very excited about this film. The quality of the camera work we've seen is very impressive, giving the movie the look of a feature film rather than a fan creation, but it seems Ken has pulled off the impossible. Ken has a cast of excellent actors and a crew that is committed to seeing Treasure of the Templars completed. In Treasure of the Templars, Ken Gawne plays a young Indiana Jones. The film is being shot in both California and Scotland. Filming in California is complete and the Scotland shoot is moving along nicely. Once the film is complete, Ken is hoping to distribute to various theaters in the UK and US and at film festivals.

I am honored to be involved in helping out with the film and getting the word out. Ken and I have been working on the official site for Treasure of the Templars: www.treasureofthetemplars.com. The site was designed and co-created by Ken and shows he is truly a visionary. The site takes you closer to home with the theme of Indy's desk and we are very proud of what we've made. Be sure to check it out for all information on Treasure of the Templars as well as continuing updates on the film.

Ken Gawne also needs your help with his film. Having no official funding, Indiana Jones and the Treasure of the Templars is being made through the sweat and hard work of the production crew. Any help that you can give to the effort would be greatly appreciated. So to learn more on helping out with the film, visit www.treasureofthetemplars.com (just click on the eye glasses.)

We're all very honored to be featuring Treasure of the Templars in our fan film section in TIE.c's Treasure of the Templars Page. There you will find photo galleries, a story synopsis and film credits. And stay tuned to The Indy Experience.com for exclusive updates on Treasure of the Templars.

Big thanks to Ken Gawne for all his hard work and we wish him Godspeed!

Lucas Comments on Indiana Jones 4
September 30th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

The Daily Bruin spoke with Mr. George Lucas himself, to discuss his first feature film THX-1138. They also asked a few questions about Indiana Jones 4 where Lucas stated that they will start production on Indy 4 as soon as the script is finished. Here's an excerpt from the interview:

Daily Bruin: And what can you say about "Indiana Jones 4"?

Lucas: We're working on a script. Of course, we've been working on a script for about six years. You know, we're not going to do it unless we get something that's worth doing. And hopefully we'll be able to start as soon as we get the script finished.

Daily Bruin: So, how many more do you have in you? Or, for that matter, how many more do Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg have in them?

Lucas: I don't know – we just go one at a time. I have to come up with the idea of how it works, and it's pretty hard to come up with the supernatural part of the story and have it make sense. And so I wasn't sure we were ever going to do any more than just the three, but then I came up with an idea that I thought was good. So we've been working with that for a while.

Daily Bruin: Want to reveal?

Lucas: No. (Laughs.)

I think it's quite obvious to us all that Mr. Lucas has been and shall remain to be tight lipped about Indiana Jones 4 up until the very end. It is fun to see Lucas' reactions when people push the envelope and ask him to reveal something. He just won't budge. Be sure to check out the full interview at The Daily Bruin.

Big thanks to Eddie for the link!

Indy Reference in Heart of the City
September 30th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

The comic Hear of the City featured an funny reference to Indiana Jones today. Here's today's comic as well as the lead-up to it, check it out:

To view these and more comics, check out uComics. And for more Indiana Jones comic parodies, check out TIE.c's Comic Parody Page.

Thanks to the always reliable Indiana Gater from COW for the link!

An Indiana Jones Slot Machine?
September 29th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Some interesting news from the Las Vegas SUN. Apparently International Game Technology will be introducing more than 380 new machines at this year's Global Gaming Expo and one of their newly acquired licenses include two Spielberg related projects, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Back to the Future. Strange as it may seem we could be seeing some Indy themed slot machines in the near future. "Fortune and glory..."

Thanks to Eddie for the link.

Sean Connery Retiring Soon?
September 29th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

There's a rumor going around the web today that Sean Connery (Professor Jones in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) could be retiring from acting at the age of 74. Variety reported that Sir Connery has stepped down from his role in Josiah's Canon. The reason for Connery withdrawal from the film was said to be because he wanted to take some time to work on his memoirs. However, Variety says Connery's decision might be deeper than just that. CommanderBond.net posted a summary of the Variety article:

Sean Connery's salary is among Hollywood's highest, but the headaches of mega-budget studio films have completely drained his enthusiasm. What finally did it for him was the awful experience he had during his last film, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, where he clashed loudly with director Stephen Norrington.

Hopefully Mr. Connery will reconsider. His talent as an actor and commanding screen presence add so much to each film he does. Let's hope Hollywood hasn't completely lost its touch. Maybe with a decent script, Sean Connery would return to the screen again, possibly even a cameo in Indiana Jones 4. Stay tuned to TIE.c for the latest!

Thanks to CommanderBond.net and 00Kevin for the news!

'The Raiders Guys' Are Going to Hollywood!
September 26th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

'The Raiders Guys' are going to Hollywood soon as "creative consultants" on the screen adaptation of their journey to remake Raiders of the Lost Ark!

South Mississippi's The Sun Herald featured an article on the creators of Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation as well as Scott Rudin's purchase of their life story. Chris Strompolos, Eric Zala, Jayson Lamb and Alan Stenum (one of the local Mississippi kids who had a cameo in the film) were all in attendance for two screenings of The Adaptation in Ocean Springs last Friday.

Attending the Ocean Springs Film Festival for two showings of "Raiders of the Lost Ark - The Adaptation," Zala, Lamb, Strompolos and Alan Stenum, one of many local kids with a cameo role, took the stage of the Mary C. O'Keefe Cultural Center on Friday night.

"We're thrilled to be home to screen it," said Zala, who introduced some of the former cast members in attendance.

Strompolos is now an independent film producer in Los Angeles. Living in the San Francisco Bay area, Lamb works as an audio-visual technician. Zala, married and father to a baby boy, works as quality assurance director at a video game company in Florida.

All three will serve as creative consultants to the screen adaptation of their saga, which they describe as a story of friendship that "brings you back to that joyful place of childhood."

Stay tuned to TIE.c for updates on Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation as well as the screen adaptation of their life story. For more info on The Adaptation, check out TIE.c's Raiders: Adaptation page for bios, interviews, a photo gallery and press archives!

More on Darabont's Indiana Jones 4 Comments
September 26th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Turns out the interview with Frank Darabont that the Latino Review posted was a public interview, and Darabont had more to say about Indiana Jones 4 than we first thought. Turns out Darabont's Indy 4 was the movie he wanted to see. Here's the quotes from About.com:

As a fan, was it thrilling to be in charge of Indiana Jones? From a creative standpoint, absolutely thrilling. It was incredibly satisfying which makes of course the end results all the more disappointing. Let me put it this way, as a fan myself, and I’m talking a real hardcore Indiana Jones fan, the movie I wrote is the movie I wanted to see. It was the one that would have satisfied me most. So who knows what’s going to be the result of that. I’m sure it will have, even if it’s great, I’ll have rather seriously mixed feelings about it.

Presumably, it’ll still be 2/3 your movie. You know what? I take nothing on faith, buddy. There might be one line of dialogue left of me by the time it’s all said and done.

Are you confident it will still get going? No, I’m not confident about anything about that. Once you have a movie that’s ready to start shooting and you decide no, no, no, let’s go back to square one, that’s a sure recipe for things dying on the vine. I’m not doubting that they’ll make the movie, but I’ll believe it when I see it.

It's always good to get opinions from those on the inside, especially from someone like Frank Darabont. I'm pretty sure that we all would have loved Darabont's Indy 4 script, but in the end it's all up to Mr. Lucas and Mr. Spielberg. Visit About.com to check out the full interview. Stay tuned to TIE.c for the latest!

Thanks to Eddie for the tip!

Frank Darabont Reflects on Indiana Jones 4
September 22nd, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Latino Review got a chance to interview Frank Darabont about his new projects, and most importantly of all, his work on Indiana Jones 4. As you probably know, Darabont completed his script back in February and got approval from Spielberg, but Lucas was unhappy. Now we have a chance to hear Darabont's side of the story and he sheds some light on a few sketchy issues. Here's an excerpt from the interview:

“Indiana Jones is not the reason, but a reaffirmation of a decision that’s been coming for a while,” Darabont said. “I won’t say I’ll never do it again because that’s silly. But it’s been sort of a career focus for 18 years now, writing for other people. And I’ve come to a place where I’m really very anxious to be focusing on getting my own movies made and not wrestling with other people’s problems and other people’s deadlines. It’s been a great run of good fortune for me as a writer. I mean, how many people can claim an 18 year career? But for now, I’d like to put that on the backburner for the first time, so I’m turning down work right and left. I want to get my next movie made.”

As you may recall, people from Lucasfilm and producer Frank Marshall gave us the idea that the problem with Darabont's script was the third act. As it turns out, Darabont had no knowledge of this, he wasn't sure what was wrong with his script, “I have no idea and I’m not being coy, believe me. I’ve not heard anything about the third act or anything else. All I know is that I developed the script with Steven and that he was very happy with it and George was not. And so I got stuck in that crack between two very significant opinions on this project. So to my knowledge, I have no idea what’s going on.”

As you can imagine, Darabont had quite a task before him, having the write the fourth and probably final Indiana Jones film. Even though Lucas did not approve of the script, Darabont managed to keep a very optimistic attitude, “It was an incredibly grueling experience working on that film. I spent over a year working nonstop on that, developing the script with Steven and feeling like I really had something special to live up to as a writer. So for me, it was an enormous amount of pressure to get it right. Consequently, a very interesting and disappointing experience to have Steven think I got it right and George not. But hey, as they say in The Godfather, this is the business we have chosen. Things turn out, sometimes they don’t.”

There you have it, quite an interesting interview. It's good to finally hear Darabont's side of the story. Personally, I would have loved to have seen Darabont's script be used. Not just because it would have put Indy 4 in theaters much sooner, but Darabont's talent as a writer would have made an excellent film. Be sure to visit Latino Review to read the full interview!

Since George Lucas' rejection of Darabont's Indiana Jones 4 screenplay, Lucas has started working on the script himself as well as bringing in an unnamed writer. Stay tuned to TIE.c for the latest!

Thanks to Eddie for the news!

The Star Wars Trilogy Arrives on DVD!
September 21st, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

This will be a day long remembered. Sure, it's not Indy news but hey, it's Star Wars! A historical event such as this deserves recognition. As if you didn't know, the Star Wars Trilogy DVD collection has finally arrived and not a moment too soon! The format is a lot like the Indy trilogy. Three films, individually packaged along with a fourth disk with all the bonus features. Lucas has also gone back and tweaked some of the special effects as well as adding the ghost of Hayden Christensen at the end of Return of the Jedi. Like the Indiana Jones DVDs, the Star Wars Trilogy Collection is well worth the wait. I won't go into details (I'll leave that to the Star Wars fansites) but if you haven't gotten your copy, I highly recommend you do. I can finally say my DVD collection is complete!

May the force be with you!

Drew Struzan at Book Signing in Pasadena
September 21st, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Movie poster artist, Drew Struzan, the man who created the poster artwork for the Indiana Jones Trilogy will be at a book signing in Pasadena today. The Pasadena Star-News reported that Drew Struzan will be signing copies of the book, The Movie Poster Art of Drew Struzan at 7PM Tuesday, September 21st at Vroman's Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.

This would be an excellent chance for fans to meet Mr. Struzan and have your book hand signed. So if you're in the Pasadena, California area today, be sure to stop by! Struzan's next book, Drew Struzan: Oeuvre is due out in November and will feature not only his movie poster artwork, but various other works including paintings, book covers and album covers.

Drew Struzan's work is more than art, they inspire and excite us. Without his paintings, the Indiana Jones films wouldn't quite have had the uniqueness that they do. His posters are indeed masterpieces.

Thanks to Indiana Jones.UGO.com for the news!

George Lucas Comments on the Indiana Jones 4 Script
September 20th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Empire Online got a chance to talk with George Lucas about Star Wars and the status of the Indiana Jones 4 script. Lucas commented on his working relationship with Steven Spielberg and the fact that they aren't going to make Indy 4 unless they have the script is really good (which is pretty much what we've heard all along). Lucas also confirmed that another writer is currently working on the Indy IV script at this time. Here's the quote from Empire:

"We are working on the next script. Another writer has started working on it. We're just not going to make it unless it's really good," he confirmed. "One of the reasons I'm able to work with Steven so well is because every time we come to a disagreement we'll yield to the other one, which means we'll come up with a compromise that considers both sides, and one person isn't determined to have his way. It's what's best for the movie."

Nothing shocking right off hand, but it is good to know that Lucas and crew are focused on making a good movie. You can look at at Lucas' quotes from two different angles. The glass is half full: Lucas is committed to getting a good script for Indiana Jones 4 and won't settle for less. Or the glass is half empty: we may never see Indy 4 go into production if they don't get the right script. I think I'll stick with the glass is half full scenario.

You can check out the full interview with George Lucas at Empire Online. Keep looking up folks, Indiana Jones 4 is still in the works, stay tuned to TIE.c for the latest!

Thanks to Eddie for the link!

Raiders: Adaptation Special on German Television!
September 18th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Tages Themen (Daily Topics in English), the most popular news show in Germany, aired a special on Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation last week! While attending the Oldenburg International Film Festival, Chris Strompolos, Eric Zala and Jayson Lamb filmed this news piece for German television.

The Raiders remake debuted in Europe with a great deal of well-deserved media attention. A testament to the growing popularity of the film. Be sure to watch the full news clip at Tages Themen. It's only available in German but it does include some cool clips from the film.

Big thanks to Chris Strompolos and Eddie for the news!

TIE.c Exclusive: Raiders Adaptation Page Online!
September 17th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

The Indy Experience.com is proud to present an exclusive addition to our site dedicated to the world renowned Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation! With the help of the film's creators, Chris Strompolos, Eric Zala and Jayson Lamb, we have compiled a wealth of information about the remake including T elevision Appearances, Radio Interviews, Biographies, Press Archives and an exclusive Interview with The Adaptation's Creators!

The Adaptation Story: In 1982, three kids from Mississippi set out to create a shot-for-shot remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark and ended up making history. Twenty-one years after having begun this amazing journey, their fan film homage has become an underground hit receiving attention from media elites such as CNN, Vanity Fair and even a nod from Mr. Spielberg himself. In recent months it was announced that the life story of the trio (purchased by producer Scott Rudin) was to be made into a motion picture, chronicling their amazing journey of remaking Raiders of the Lost Ark!

We sure hope you enjoy our Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation section. It took a lot of hard work but we are all very pleased with the end result. I wish to extend a very special thanks to Chris Strompolos, Eric Zala and Jayson Lamb for their generous contribution to our site for they were all very giving with their time and information and it is greatly appreciated.

Please stay tuned to The Indy Experience.com for exclusive updates on Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation!

Raiders: Adaptation Screening Delayed
September 16th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Chris Strompolos just informed me that the Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation screening at this year's Ocean Springs Film Festival has been delayed due to Hurricane Ivan. The screening was originally scheduled for weekend (September 17th - 19th) but due to bad weather conditions the festival has of course been postponed until next week, September 24th - 26th.

Visit Ocean Springs Film Festival for more details.

Young Indiana Jones DVDs in 2006?
September 15th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

We've got some new information concerning the recent announcement of the Young Indy DVDs. A very reliable source at Paramount Pictures has informed us that we could be seeing the Young Indiana Jones Series on DVD sometime in 2006. No specific release date has been leaked yet. While this information does come from a very reliable insider, it's not official and like always it can change so it's not set in stone yet. We'll keep you updated on any further developments.

Stay tuned to The Indy Experience.com for the latest!

Indiana Jones Trilogy Coming to Zee
September 15th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Business Standard reported that the 24-hour Subhash Chandra-promoted movie channel in India called Zee is going Hollywood. Zee has recently obtained the rights to various Hollywood pictures including the Indiana Jones trilogy from Paramount. Check out Business Standard for the full story.

Thanks to Lord Indy for the news!

London Symphony Tour Canceled
September 15th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Eddie informed me that the London Symphony Orchestra's 15 city tour in North America has been canceled due to poor ticket sales. The London Symphony was going to begin its tour in Dallas and end in Chicago. The tour would have featured conductor Dirk Brosse and was going to include music from various films including the Indiana Jones trilogy.

Very sad news indeed. It's not that often that you get to hear a life orchestra perform some of the greatest music of all time, I'm sorry it didn't work out. You can read the original story at Big News Network.com.

Raiders at the Diet Coke Film Fest!
September 14th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Manchester Online posted the final list of films that will be shown at the Diet Coke Film Fest this month. Oddly enough the top two films were Dirty Dancing and The Shawshank Redemption, but Raiders of the Lost Ark managed to beat out The Godfather and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Here's the list:

Dirty Dancing (1987)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Raiders Of the Lost Ark (1981)
The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Pretty Woman (1990)
The Godfather (1972)
Love Actually (2003)
Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)
Gladiator (2000)

The films will be shown September 25th and 26th at participating Vue cinemas. Around 200,000 some people voted in the poll for the Diet Coke Film Fest between April 1st and May 31st, selecting from a list of around 100 movies. Good to see Raiders made it, just more proof that Indiana Jones is a true classic that we all hold dear to our hearts. For more info check out Manchester Online.

Thanks to Eddie for the link!

Online Chat With Lorne Peterson
September 14th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Star Wars.com will be hosting another exclusive online chat this week for Hyperspace members. This time they will be talking with Lorne Peterson, veteran ILM member and model maker for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (for which he received an Academy Award and British Academy Award). The chat will be held this Wednesday, September 15th at 5:30PM EST for Hyperspace members only. For more information visit Star Wars.com.

Thanks to Eddie for the tip!

More on the Young Indy DVDs!
September 13th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Ohio's Bacon Journal posted an article on the Young Indiana Jones DVDs that are currently in production. As you may recall, Lucas commented on the Young Indy DVDs last week on the Charlie Rose Show on PBS, here is a quote:

"Right now I've got a very large group of documentary workers creating 100 films that's going to go on to the DVDs for the Young Indiana Jones series because that's a historical series about traveling through history, meeting famous people of the early 20th century and now I'm combing it with documentaries about all the people and things and events that actually are in the series itself."

The Bacon Journal reported that archivist Dave Baker from the University of Akron visited the Skywalker Ranch to work on one of the documentary for an episode of the DVD series where Indy encounters Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. Baker is the director of UA's Archives of the History of American Psychology and was contacted not too long ago by Lucasfilm in their search for material for the documentary on psychology.

Baker talked with them about the differences between psychology and psychiatry. "Psychologists are concerned with the human condition in the broad sense,'' he said. "Psychiatrists are physicians first, concerned with the treatment of mental illness.'' He also talked about the development of psychology between the world wars.

"The thing I appreciated was that I was able to have some input,'' he said. "I'm a very passionate historian of psychology."

Baker has also brought in other facility members from the university to be interview for the documentary. Should make for a very exciting feature on the DVDs! Check out the Bacon Journal to read the full article and stay tuned to TIE.c for more updates on the Young Indy DVDs coming soon!

Thanks to Eddie for the news!

Happy Birthday Frank Marshall!
September 13th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

The Indy Experience.com would like to wish Frank Marshall a happy 58th birthday. Frank Marshall served as producer of all three Indiana Jones film, and we should be seeing him at work with Indiana Jones 4 soon enough. From all of us at TIE.c and our readers, Happy Birthday Frank Marshall!

Harrison Ford Goes To Court
September 13th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Elites TV.com reported that Harrison Ford has gone to court, as a juror. The case is reportedly concerning a construction dispute which is why Ford, a former carpenter, was chosen.

"Nobody recognised the INDIANA JONES star as he entered a Santa Monica, California, courthouse last week (ends September 10th, 2004), and after answering a series of personal questions, he was selected to serve on a 23-day civil trial."

Check out Elites TV.com to read more.

Thanks to Eddie for the link!

Dennis Muren Answers Indy 4 Question in Chat
September 13th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Spielbergfilms posted a summary of questions from the recent interview with Dennis Muren that was held on Star Wars.com for Hyperspace members. As you may know, Muren served as Visual Effects Supervisor on Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. While the chat focused primarily on Star Wars, a few fans asked about some other Spielberg projects. One fan managed to asked about Indiana Jones 4, and while Muren didn't have anything new to tell us, here's what he had to say:

Question: "If a fourth Indiana Jones film is made, do you think you might work on that project?"

Muren: " Maybe. I'd like do, but I don't know anything about it."

Apparently not many people have been contacted to work on Indy IV yet, or it could be that Muren won't be involved with the fourth film. To read more about the chat you can visit Spielbergfilms.com.

Thanks to Spielbergfilms for the info.

New ATI Driver Fixes Errors in Emperor's Tomb
September 11th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Tom's Hardware Guide reported that ATI has released the final version of the Catalyst 4.9, a driver package that has been created to fix a large assortment of problems in many games including Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb.

"The new driver also resolves texture corruptions in Far Cry 1.2, light map artifacts in XIII, lens flaring in Serious Sam SE, pixel errors in Tony Hawk 4, as well as issues in IL2 Forgotten Battles, Indiana Jones and the Emperors Tomb..."

Visit ATI.com to download the driver. According to ATI, the new driver will fix various display problems as well as issues with missing polygons. Hopefully this will prove very useful to Indy gamers and it should improve game play quite a bit.

Thanks to Eddie for the news!

Young Indy DVDs in 3 to 4 Years?
September 10th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

We've received a tip from someone inside Lucasfilm tonight concerning the Young Indiana Jones DVDs. As you know, last night during the Charlie Rose show on PBS, George Lucas confirmed that there 100 documentaries in the works for the release of the Young Indiana Jones DVDs. Our source within Lucasfilm says that the release of the Young Indy DVDs should be in 3 to 4 years. No specific date has been set yet. While this information comes from Lucasfilm, it's not set in stone, so things can change.

Video Business reported on this story as well. Seems that the producer of the Young Indy films, Rick McCallum also said to expect the Young Indiana Jones DVDs in the next three to four years! Very exciting news, we'll keep you updated!

Lucas Hopes to Film Indy 4 Next Year!
September 10th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

In an interview with MTV.com, George Lucas talked about the original Star Wars films and how Episode VI is of course the last film in the saga, there won't be any more. Mr. Lucas also commented on the status of Indiana Jones 4. It looks like George Lucas also hopes to begin shooting Indy 4 next year!

Spielberg has also expressed the same desire to see filming begin next year, and it looks as though it might just happen! Keep your fingers crossed and stay tuned for more updates! Go here to read the full interview.

Thanks to Kenny C. for the news!

Lucas Confirms Young Indy DVDs!
September 10th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

I finally got a chance to sit down and watch the Charlie Rose interview with George Lucas that aired last night on PBS. The interview itself was very good, one of the best I've seen. There was no mention of Indiana Jones 4, the interview focused primarily on storytelling, his work as a director as well as future projects. During the last part of the interview, Lucas said that he has a group of people working on about 100 documentaries for the Young Indiana Jones DVDs!

Lucas gave no indication as to when we might see a release date, but he did confirm that the DVDs were in production and that there will be special documentaries included about the many historical figures and places Indy encountered throughout the series (i.e.: T.E. Lawrence). We've heard that the Young Indy DVDs could be released as early as 2005, but there's really no way to tell. We'll try to find out more, in the mean time, stay tuned to TIE.c for the latest!

Indy Adventure Ride: 10th Anniversary Event!
September 9th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

I just received some very exciting news from Jonesy. Disneyland will be hosting a special 10th anniversary celebration for the Indiana Jones Adventure Ride next year! March 3rd, 2005 will mark the 10th anniversary since the world famous Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye adventure ride opened to the public at Disneyland, California. Disney hosts these sort of events a lot for rides like The Haunted Mansion but these events aren't cheap. You can expect to pay anywhere from $200 to $2,000 dollars for ticket packages, but it's worth it. The more expensive packages include dinner, hotel accommodations, Q&A sessions with Imagineers, you get to ride the ride, and you get the chance to buy exclusive merchandise! The less expensive packages usually includes a chance to buy certain merchandise, you get to ride the ride, s well as a refreshment.

We should have more information about this event coming soon, so stay tuned to TIE.c for the latest!

Big thanks to Jonesy for the news!

George Lucas on the Charlie Rose Show
September 9th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Just found out that George Lucas will be appearing on the Charlie Rose Show on PBS. No word on what he will be discussing (most likely he will focus on Star Wars) but let's hope Indiana Jones will find his way into the interview as well and with a little luck we'll hear something about Indiana Jones 4 as well.

For more information check out Charlie Rose.com and to find out when the show will be airing on your local PBS station, check out PBS.org.

Thanks to Kenny C. and Eddie for the news!

Online Chat With Dennis Muren
September 9th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Good news for Hyperspace members! Star Wars.com is holding a special online chat with Dennis Muren, the Senior Visual Effects Supervisor at ILM. Muren is best known for his work on the Star Wars films and he also Visual Effects Supervisor on Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom! So if you plan on joining the chat, be sure to ask a few Indiana Jones questions as well. ;)

The chat will be held this Friday, September 10th at 5:30 PM EST and is for Hyperspace members only. To find out more, visit Star Wars.com.

Thanks to Eddie for the news!

Official Tadeo Jones Website is Online!
September 9th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

The official website for Tadeo Jones is now online! Tadeo Jones is a 3D animated character who is a parody of Indiana Jones, and a very clever one at that. The animation is superbly done and should prove to be a great short!

"Tadeo Jones was created in 2002 by Enrique Gato who, after finishing his last personal animation short ('Bicho'), decided to create a new character in order to focus his projects in a different way. He wanted to leave the passivenes of 'Bicho' and start with something much more dynamic and with a lot of action. So a good solution was pointing to the adventures genre, but preserving the touch of humor. So this is the way Tadeo was born, a character who pretends parody the adventures of Indiana Jones."

Expect to see a teaser as well as a trailer for Tadeo Jones this month. In his first adventure, Tadeo will enter a mysterious pyramid and he will soon find that things haven't changed much over the years. The characters Tadeo will encounter on his journey through the Pyramid include Mr. Mummy, Ms. Mummy and Baby Mummy (who will turn out to be more than just a cute face). Stay tuned for the adventures of Tadeo Jones coming soon!

For more information and a full gallery of photos, check out www.tadeojones.com!

Spielberg Talks Indy 4 Filming In 2005
September 7th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

We have yet another tidbit of Indy 4 news for you this evening, this time from AICN. Someone known as Jenkins sent in a letter talking about Harrison Ford staring in a new 3-D film with James Cameron. At the end of the letter he added that during a recent interview, Spielberg said that Indiana Jones 4 will film in the summer of 2005.

"In an interview for The Terminal Spielberg said that Indy IV will shoot next summer, after he's shot WotW and then The Rivals. Busy man."

Could Jenkins' comments be in reference to what Spielberg said in a recent TV special about The Making of The Terminal? (Check out this story from last week.) Hard to tell, but it's still intriguing nonetheless. You can't complain, Spielberg is doing his best to get Indy IV rolling, even with all of the script delays he has encountered in the past months.

According to Spielberg, if all goes well, 2005 will prove to be a very exciting year. I think the best thing to do right now is to sit back, wait and trust in Mr. Spielberg - Indiana Jones IV will happen. Stay tuned!

Thanks to Paul, Ryan and Eddie for the news.

Spielberg Comments on Indy 4
September 7th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

While attending the Deauville Film Festival in Deauville, France, Steven Spielberg made a few comments on Indiana Jones 4 during a press conference. Nothing major, but Spielberg expresses his hopes that the script will be finished sometime next year. Here's the translation of the press conference transcript from Ecranlarge.com:

Press: "And what can you tell us your various projects: the massacre in the OJ of Munich in 1972, your remake of the War of the worlds and finally Indiana Jones 4 ?"

Spielberg: "As for Indy 4, it is not that Harrison or myself have become too old, but we are still working on the script, and I hope that it will be done at a time given the next year [ with a small air not to believe in it too much ]."

Press: "It appears that you had a validated script but George Lucas refused it?"

Spielberg: " Will George Lucas be attending this festival?"

Press: "Yes!"

Spielberg: " Then I will not answer this question, I don't want to get into trouble."

Well, there you have it, Spielberg hopes to have a script finished by next year, will it be done? Only time will tell. It's funny how Spielberg took the 5th when it came to Lucas' rejection of Darabont's script. It would be very interesting to hear what Steven really thinks of all that. Check out Ecranlarge.com for the full press conference transcript (assuming you can read French).

Thanks to Spielbergfilms.com for the link and to Andre and Eddie for the translation!

Indy Reference on Get Fuzzy Comic
September 7th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Might be old news, but still worth pointing out. The popular comic strip, Get Fuzzy featured a funny Indiana Jones reference in it last week, check it out:

Thanks to Eric for the link!

Spielberg and Lucas At the Deauville Film Fest!
September 3rd, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Some very exciting news for Indy fans in the Deauville, France area! Steven Spielberg and George Lucas will be attending as guests of honor at the 30th annual Deauville film festival, September 12th.

George Lucas will be honored with screenings of Star Wars, American Graffiti, and the newly remastered special edition of THX-1138. In honor of the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, Spielberg's critically acclaimed mini-series, Band of Brothers will be screened as well.

If you are in the Deauville, France area and plan on attending the film festival, send us an email we could use your help. For more information, you can check out the AP press release at Expatica.

Thanks to Eddie for the news!

Raiders of the Lost Ark Special Edition DVD?
September 2nd, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

In the September issue of Total Film Magazine, they feature a special on Steven Spielberg where they have reviewed all of his films including Raiders of the Lost Ark (which also includes a cool Raiders poster). They also have an interesting interview with Spielberg. In the interview, Spielberg spoke about Indiana Jones 4 and later on in the article, the magazine mentioned the possibility of a Raiders of the Lost Ark Special Edition DVD that may include the shot-for-shot remake of Raiders! Here is an excerpt from the magazine:

Total Film: "So why embrace Indy 4? Surely you could knock that out in
your sleep?"

Spielberg: "It's not for money or success. It's for good times. I've always
said that I had the most fun in my life making those three movies with
George (Lucas) and Harrison (Ford)."

Total Film: "It's been a fair old wait."

Spielberg: "It's a very good story. It's worth living that long to see."

In Total Film's review of Raiders, they included a quick paragraph about Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation possibly being included on a Special Edition DVD of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Keep in mind this is a quote from the magazine, NOT from Spielberg: "The ultimate compliment still awaits. Paramount is considering including their homage on a Raiders DVD Special Edition. Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase Indy-pendent cinema."

A Raiders Special Edition DVD? Believe it or not this isn't the first time we've heard this. Back in February of 2002, Dreamworks Fansite spoke with Frank Marshall after a screening of the Special Edition of E.T. where he had this to say: "We're thinking about doing this with Indy [Marshall] said, bringing it back out and spiffing up the effects." As you know, the special edition of E.T. which included new scenes and improved special effects was released on DVD a few years back. Could they be doing the same for Indy?

We're not sure where Total Film got this information about a Special Edition of Raiders. It could have been based on information Spielberg gave them (not very likely since they did not quote him) or it's just speculation on their behalf (the more likely scenario). We'll file this under "R" for rumor right now, (especially without any official confirmation or quotes from Spielberg) but remember: anything can happen. And even though it wasn't new info, it was still good to hear Mr. Spielberg enthusiastic about his work on the Indiana Jones films when asked about Indy 4.

You can read the full article on Spielberg and his films in the latest issue of Total Film Magazine. You can also check out the full quotes from Frank Marshall at Dark Horizons.

Big thanks to Canyon and Eddie for the news!

Cool Indiana Jones Mod for Jedi Outcast!

September 2nd, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Eddie alerted me to a very cool video game modification for the Jedi Outcast video game at Jedi Knights: Jedi Academy Files. You can now modify your game to play as Indiana Jones! Clever idea, and the quality of this modification is astounding! The detail is amazing, almost as good as Emperor's Tomb and it comes with full facial animation! If you you've always wanted to see Indy wield a lightsaber, be sure to download the Indiana Jones Player Model v1.0!

The Raiders March Featured at the RNC
September 2nd, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

The Washington Times featured an article about the Republican National Convention taking place at Madison Square Garden in New York City this week. One of the speakers Monday night was senator John McCain from Arizona who arrived on stage with a bit of Indiana Jones flare. "Mr. McCain was introduced with the theme of the Indiana Jones adventure movies, fitting his maverick persona..." What better way than to arrive on stage than with the Raiders March playing? Talk about a crowd pleaser!

Thanks to Eddie for the tip!

John Rhys-Davies Comments on Indy 4!
September 1st, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

News.com.au reported that John Rhys-Davies (Sallah in Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) talked with Sydney Confidential where he commented about Indiana Jones 4's current status. Davies had spoken to Spielberg recently and he seemed very optimistic about the future of Indy 4, here's what he had to say:

"I was talking to Steven Spielberg the other day ... we discussed a fourth one," said Rhys-Davies, who is in Australia for a science fiction convention due to his role as Gimli in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

"We're in with the chance of making something absolutely extraordinary," he added.

It was rumoured that Indiana Jones co-writer and producer George Star Wars Lucas had shelved the project earlier this year, which Rhys-Davies confirmed.

"George Lucas had reservations about the script and he said, 'The only way I can express my reservations is making another pass at the script myself', so it's gone back at least a year.

"It is the intention of these three great filmmakers [Lucas, Spielberg and Ford] to make another one."

Let's hope we get to see Mr. Davies return as Sallah in Indy 4 as well! Things are starting to look up, it seems as though a fourth Indiana Jones film is still in our future. It is also good to point out that in past interviews, John Rhys-Davies hasn't seemed as optimistic about Indiana Jones 4 as you would hope, and it's wonderful to hear a change in attitude. To read the full article, check out News.com.au.

Big thanks to Eddie for the news!

Spielberg Hopes to Film Indy 4 in 2005!
September 1st, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

We've got some very exciting Indy 4 news this evening! I just received an email from Peter Lumley informing me that Steven Spielberg hopes to begin filming Indiana Jones 4 next summer! Spielberg recently appeared on ITV in The Making of The Terminal special where he talked about the recent script problems with Indy 4. He said that he has about four projects that have been greelighted including War of the Worlds, the Olympics Assassination pic and another film about Abraham Lincoln.

In talking about Indy 4, Spielberg stated that once the film is ready to go he will "look both ways" and then move straight into it. This probably means that Spielberg doesn't want anything to get in the way once he starts filming Indiana Jones 4! And to all those skeptical Indy fans out there, I say to you: there is still hope!

This is very exciting news, especially since this came from Spielberg himself, but a lot can happen so don't go reserving movie tickets just yet. It is, however, a blessing to hear that Steven is still very passionate about Indy 4. After the announcement of all his upcoming projects, it was starting to look like he had given up hope, but that is certainly not the case! Indiana Jones 4 is still very much alive.

We don't have any further details about the interview nor do we have any exact quotes from Mr. Spielberg, but this is a general summary of his comments that we received from Peter. If you have any other details about Spielberg comments, please send me an email: aaron@theindyexperience.com.

Big thanks to Peter Lumley for the news!