Raiders of the Lost Ark

This was in reaction to the then-vogue of nitty-gritty reality movies like Norma Rae and Midnight Express - worthy movies, both, but not exactly escapist fare.

Action-Adventure or Fantasy?

Some readers might quibble at the inclusion of Raiders of the Lost Ark -- what most like to think of as an action-adventure movie -- in a sci-fi/fantasy site, but come on! You saw the ending. Magic! Ghosts! Melting faces! Not quite what you'd see, say, in Dog Day Afternoon.

Many of the action-adventure flicks can readily lend themselves to a fantasy label. If there's magic, or it's set in the future, SFF applies.

Harrison Ford, Bad Boy Hero

Harrison Ford lucked into the role of Indiana Jones, which was originally intended for Tom Selleck. Selleck was unable to get out of a commitment to make Magnum PI, and Ford, who had already created bad-boy space smuggler Han Solo in two Star Wars films, was able to become Indiana Jones, bad-boy archaeologist and international man of action.

Adding his Clancy character Jack Ryan to the mix, Harrison Ford has been in most of the highest grossing films of all time, and is reported the richest actor alive.

Nazis, Gold and Ancient Artifacts

The plot is pure comic-book, in the best sense of the word. Our hero must discover and secure the Lost Ark of the Covenant, the Old Testament artifact created under the direction of God himself. If the Nazis, also seeking the Ark, locate it first, it may prove a valuable weapon for them to use again the Allies and spell the end of freedom for mankind.

You just don't get more high-stakes than that.

Add one disgruntled former girlfriend and various mysterious middle-eastern types to the blend, and Indiana clearly has his work cut out for himself.

The Call of the Nile

Of course, any Spielberg or Lucas endeavor is going to have top quality production values, and Lost Ark is no exception. Lavishly recreated ruins of Ancient Egypt are the setting for some of the film's most memorable scenes. Desert digs, camels, native workers, sinister uniformed Nazis, the only thing missing is Humphrey Bogart, either in a tuxedo or his scruffy African Queen attire.

Action, of course. Jones is chased by South American aborigines, escapes death by blowdart, springs numerous lethal deathtraps and steals a horse to chase a truck convoy.

Breath-taking from start to finish, Raiders of the Lost Ark is an ultimate example of an insufficiently-appreciated art-form, the summer popcorn movie.

Sequels, Sequels

Raiders was followed in 1984 with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and in 1989 with Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. A brief television series in '91-92 featured the adventures of a young Indiana Jones.

Fans were thrilled to hear that a new Indiana Jones movie, currently only known as Indiana Jones IV, is in the works for 2007.