Search - Indyfans and the Quest for Fortune and Glory on DVD

Forrest H. (fzacharvey) from PLEASANTVILLE, PA
Reviewed on 8/16/2010...

Must have for any Indy fan.

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Indyfans is a loving film tribute by, to, and FOR the fans:

George Beahm | Williamsburg, VA USA | 12/09/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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!"