Action-packed and adventure-filled, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK is director Steven Spielberg's loving homage to the Saturday matinee cliffhanger serials of his childhood. When the Allies discover the Nazis are planning to use the Lost Ark of the Covenant as a weapon, the U.S. government enlists archaeologist-adventurer Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) to locate the biblical treasure chest where the remains of the broken tablets of the Ten Commandments were placed. En route, Jones and his feisty ex-girlfriend, Marion (Karen Allen), must escape the clutches of evil Nazis, duplicitous "natives," and a nest of venomous snakes--not to mention the wrath of God. The groundbreaking special effects and furious, never-ending pace make for a stylish whirlwind of a movie, topped off with a fabulous sense of humor. This bare-knuckled, barnstorming, pot-boiling, eye-popping bucket of Technicolor popcorn became Paramount Pictures' highest-grossing film, and deservedly so--RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK is quite simple one of the most enjoyable movies ever made.

Theatrical release: June 12, 1981.

The film was shot in France, Tunisia, Hawaii, and at EMI Elstree Studios in England.

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK is number 60 on the American Film Institute's list of America's 100 GREATEST MOVIES.

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK was added to the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 1999.

Tom Selleck was originally cast as Indiana Jones but was committed to his MAGNUM, P.I. television series.

The film grossed more than $240 million at the domestic box office and more than $380 million worldwide.

Spielberg wanted to redeem himself after the excessive budget and shooting difficulties of his previous film, 1941, which was a box-office flop. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK was completed under its budget of $20.4 million and exactly on schedule. Executive producer George Lucas, who had originally created the story idea of a heroic soldier of fortune, directed some second-unit footage in Tunisia.

Two successful sequels followed: INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM and INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE.

Excerpt: "Snakes. Why'd it have to be snakes?"--Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) to Sallah (John Rhys-Davies)

"I don't know. I'm making this up as I go."--Jones to Sallah

DVD Features:

Region 1
Keep Case
Special Edition
Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Letterbox - 1.85
Audio:
Dolby Digital Stereo - English

Harrison Ford: American actor, STAR WARS series/INDIANA JONES series
Karen Allen: American actress, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Paul Freeman: British Actor
Ronald Lacey: British Character Actor
John Rhys-Davies: British Actor
Denholm Elliott: British character actor, A ROOM WITH A VIEW
Alfred Molina: British actor SPIDER-MAN 2

Steven Spielberg: Oscar-winning director/producer/screenwriter

Frank Marshall: American producer

Lawrence Kasdan: Director/Screenwriter/Prod.

John Williams: American film composer, STAR WARS (1977)

Michael Kahn: American Editor/ MAN CALLED HORSE-CLOSE ENCOUNTERS-A.I.

"...One of the classic entertainments....Its foundations are personal, and passionate....The movie is just plain fun....It's done with a kind of heedless joy..."
"...[A] fantasy-adventure....An exhilarating escapist entertainment....A vibrant and period-perfect world of wonders..."
"...Off and running at a breakneck pace....One of the most deliriously funny, ingenious and stylish American adventure movies ever made..."
"RAIDERS revived for a new generation the pure cinematic joy of action."