If Ford is in them, I'd love it if he was alone. But I doubt anyone has enough faith or vision for that. Have you heard who the new young gun will be next to Ford?

Seems so far Ford is the only definite cast member.

If we get a new Indy film, what kind of relic do you want to see Indy pursuing? I mentioned the Pazuzu statue a few posts back, I'd like to see a darker, more occult-themed relic for Indy to go after for the next film.

Ya, they could just make something up too. The stones and cult in Temple of Doom are made up.

"Occult" is basically a somewhat arbitrary label. Technically, or it's root, is 'hidden knowledge'; which itself is an arbitrary measure. Today it's more used in reference to the paranormal, which is also a rather arbitrary label.

They could do it on a made up ancient Gaelic or Norse religion, maybe tie it to Stonehenge, and some relic.

Or they could do Merlin book or crystal ball.

I wouldn't mind a fictional artifact as long as it fits. I liked the Sankara Stones in TOD. The Thuggee Cult was actually real, though.

Atlantis, go big or go home Indie.

Why do you say the Thuggee Cult was actually real? The research I've done says the Thuggee were just road pirates, and not a cult. There was some organization among the members, but that's pretty much were the comparison ends to the Thuggee Cult portrayed in TOD. Some research suggests some Thuggee may used killing for Kali as merely an excuse, as people were clearly killed for their possessions and to leave no witnesses. They had no castle, no priesthood, no Kali religion, no rituals, no mind-altering special powers and no slaves. TOM used the name, that's about it.

It might be a stretch to say they're a cult but they were definitely real and definitely not a good group.

Thuggee entry on Wikipedia.

There's been some talks of a reboot of the series, now. Doesn't come off as a huge shock.

I just realized this year both Temple Of Doom and The Last Crusade respectively turn 30 and 25 next month. Time sure has flown. I marathon the series constantly during the Spring and Summer months anyway, now I've got an even more appropropriate reason to do it again soon.

On a related note, anyone ever been on the Disneyland Indy ride? Been on it a few times, very fun and definitely captures the feeling of being in an Indy film. I haven't been on it in years.

This weekend both Temple Of Doom and The Last Crusade turn 30 and 25 respectively on Friday and Saturday. Anyone plan to watch them to celebrate? I definitely will. Recently got the Blu-ray set with all four and can't wait to see how they look in HD.

I havent seen Last Crusade since it came out. I should check it out again.

I didn't get time to marathon them sadly, had a busy weekend that time. I'll see them all again soon. I can't wait to see how they all look in HD.

I owe Indiana Jones my childhood.
 

Raiders of the Lost Ark is my favorite film of all time. I even wanted to be an archeologist when I was kid until I discovered that they don't do any of that cool stuff.

But nevertheless Indy made my childhood. My best Christmas memory ever was getting the Indiana Jones VHS box set as a kid and running around with my friends playing Raiders of course I was always Indy because my uncle got me a fedora and a whip for my birthday. Great memories.

I love all three Indian Jones though. They're all great.

I rememer we had Raiders and Temple Of Doom on VHS but not Last Crusade for some reason. It was a surprise for me to find out about Last Crusade when I learned about it in a making-of book covering the original Star Wars and Indy trilogies.

Harrison Ford's recent ankle injury on the set on Star Wars Episode VII makes me worried it might interfere with him returning for a fifth Indy film. He's arguably already too old as is, but with this delaying his Episode VII participation this could certainly seriously affect Indy 5 :/

They nearly took him out and shot him. But he pleaded the revisions to the script came out later in the day... long enough that when the gun jammed, they just let him off with the butt of the gun.

::big grin::

I think it's unfortunate back in the 90s they didn't make at least a couple of new Indy films, but I guess with the Young Indy TV show at the time that was considered to be the 90s Indy.

Yep, Young Indy was the Indy in the 90s.

Harrison was a great Beatle, and Ford was a great Indy, but the films don't require Ford. Bogart would have made a great Indy. There's actors out there who can do a great job. Leave Ford to nap in Flockheart's lap.

Doing prequels with a Young Indy might be difficult since the Young Indy series covered that, but maybe there might be room for it if they can cover at least a decade before the events of the original trilogy, with an actor who bares a decent enough resemblance to Ford.

I was rummaging through my closet recently and going through a box of books I found my old copy of From Star Wars To Indiana Jones: The Best Of The LucasFilm Archives. It came out in the 90s and I remember getting it as a gift. Covers the original three Indy and Star Wars films with all sorts of great production stills and artwork as well as prop pictures. It comes highly recommended for both Star Wars and Indy fans and you should be able to get a good condition used copy for a decent price.

I finished watching Temple Of Doom just a moment ago and while it's not a straight-up Horror movie it definitely has some very strong elements of Horror in it. The much darker, harsher tone and macabre vibe and imagery of it, the occult undertones and moments in it like the bug chamber, the human sacrifice, Indy being possessed, etc. definitely very Horror-like along with the setpieces. It's easily the most pulp-inspired of the series and has the feeling of a 50s-era EC Horror comic with the supernatural aspects and the lighting effects.

What do you think? I think it might count as at least being semi-Horror. It certainly wouldn't be out of place in a Horror movie marathon and I think this October I'll throw it into my Halloween playlist.

I'll have an all-day marathon of them all this weekend. Anyone ever marathoned the whole series in one sitting? I've done it many times, one of my favorite series to do it with. I usually watch them in order of release, even though TOD is a prequel set before Raiders, I think they flow better when Raiders is viewed before the rest, mainly due to TOD's frantic pacing.

When viewing the series, do you prefer watching them chronologically (Temple Of Doom before Raiders) or in release order? I far prefer watching them in release order, TOD's frantic pacing makes it work better when viewed after Raiders and it also adds some nice variety in between Raiders and TLC.

Maybe you can enlighten me. I've never seen how Temple of Doom functions as a prequel to Raiders. What's notable?

TOD is set in 1935, a year before Raiders which is set in 1936.

OK. But what I mean is, what's important about that? All the things that happen in Doom could have happened after the events of Raiders, right? Or am I missing something?

For instance, Shortround doesn't die in Raiders, India didn't become uninhabited after the Nazis took power in Germany. Seems to me labeling Doom a 'prequel' is 100% arbitrary.

Well the chronological canon has TOD set a year before the events of Raiders, but I feel TOD would've been better as a direct sequel. I feel the much more frantic pace of the film makes it work better when watched after Raiders and the different mythology and locales also add good variety since Last Crusade shares so much with Raiders.

Plus, in Raiders Indy says he doesn't believe in the supernatural when in TOD he clearly witnesses supernatural occurances. Granted, I always wrote that off as him simply not making mention of TOD's events so he wouldn't lose credability with the university he taught at, but still, it makes more sense that he'd have a cemented belief in the supernatural after what he witnessed and experienced during the finale of Raiders and much of TOD.

Well said. I agree, all good reasons for Doom not to have been labeled a prequel.

When Indy said he didn't believe in all that hocus pocus stuff, he was only talking to Marcus, who believed the Ark was different. Also, I think Raiders works better when we believe Indy really doesn't believe in the 'supernatural'. A main character that changes through his experiences is almost always a better story.

Definitely. It'd make sense if prior to Raiders that Indy didn't believe in the supernatural simply because he never experienced such an occurance, but after what he sees and experiences in Raiders and TOD, there's no way he wouldn't not believe.

That said, I think him saying he doesn't believe in Raiders can easily be chalked up to him not wanting to ruin his teaching credentials. He surely would've raised more than a few eyebrows if he'd told of his experiences during TOD's events and could've risked having his license revoked.

Here's a good video of it for anyone interested:



Been years since I was last on it. I remember it being very fun, makes you feel like you're part of an unmade Indy film.

KOTCS DP returning for the fifth film?

Perhaps a fifth movie is already in the early pre-production stages? Could be a false report but it's certainly attention-grabbing.

A fifth was recently confirmed. Hope it gets going soon with the production since Ford is almost 73.

I'm one of those hard assed fuddy duddies who things that they should've stopped making Indiana movies after the third. Although I am curious what they'd make a fifth about. Especially when Harrison is getting up in years (assuming he'll be in it, it just wouldn't be an Indiana Jones movie without him).

I remember reading somewhere that he's contracted for at least one more.

If he lives that long. Considering the yearS in between sequels.

A new film would likely be set sometime during the 1960s, corresponding with his age.

No word on when a new film might be happening but with the huge success of Jurassic World I bet execs are eager to have Chris Pratt as Indy for the next film. After seeing him in JW I could get behind him as the new Indy. It'd be good to have one more with Ford at least before, though.

Can we not make Chris Pratt the new Ryan Reynolds...