I’ve long been a fan of Raiders: The Adaptation. It’s a shot-for-shot remake of the original Indiana Jones adventure, made by a group of friends in the 1980s over seven summers of adolescence. There was just one scene they couldn’t do. Well, honestly, they could have — they were amazingly inventive and creative and just crazy enough to try. But for whatever reason, they didn’t shoot the airplane scene way back when.
Twenty-plus years later, they reunited to finish that airplane scene. Eric Zala was the director in the 80s and in the 2000s. His wife Cassie supported him throughout all sorts of kerfuffles, snafus, setbacks, and victories on this final sequence shoot. There’s a pretty good documentary on it but the heart and soul for me is in the original film with the final scene cut back into its rightful place… that AND the knowledge that they finished what they started. It was already an amazing story but to think they could finish it — I mean, you don’t get much more inspirational than that… and I just ran with Des Linden!
I’ve long said Cassie is my favorite crew member, especially after seeing the documentary. As partners go, she’s second to none. And given the rest of their story together, Eric is a pretty supportive match for her as well. There are some couples in the world that give one hope — Eric and Cassie are one of them.
So I was incredibly fortunate that I was able to meet them for lunch today and have them show me around their lovely hometown. They moved back here a few years ago and the love they have for the place is infectious. I already was a fan of the Gulf Shores anyway… but I was an even bigger fan after spending the afternoon with them. Seeing Ocean Springs, MS, through their eyes and hearing some stories, not only about the Raiders Adaptation of which I’m a huge fanboy, but of their shared history here, of their repeated missed connections as kids only to find each other at their 10-year high school reunion, well, it’s the stuff of romantic comedy legend. And as a guy pursuing, his own real life romantic comedy regardless of the reality tipping the scales against the rom com, it was a true delight.
Thanks, Eric and Cassie. Not only for being inspirations in the creative and ethereal world of cinema, but for being inspirations as human beings. A rare treat and pleasure to see you.
And if you’d like to know more about Eric, head over to Zala Detours. He offers talks and insights that are, as befitting him, funny, insightful, and, yes, inspirational.