Skip to main content

Book Review: The Complete Making of Indiana Jones

Every Indiana Jones fan should own this book: The Complete Making of Indiana Jones

I have to say this is probably one of the best, if not THE best making of book I have ever read! Three hundred pages of Indiana Jones bliss. The authors have certainly done their research. All four films are covered with amazing detail so its a complete book and an absolute must for any Indy fan.


They have included snippets of original scripts including the idea George Lucas proposed for the sequel to have a haunted theme. Chris Columbus was hired to write the script. His first draft is set in Scotland where Indiana Jones is on a relaxing holiday and hears about a haunted mansion and people disappearing.  How different a movie it would have been if they had stuck with that concept.


A second draft by Chris Columbus takes his adventures to Africa where he comes across a talking Monkey King who forces Indy to play chess with real people. If the piece is taken then that person disappears. I kid you not!  Jumanji anyone?


Also, another bit of trivia I found out from this book was this - Everyone knows that Tom Selleck was the original choice for Indy but did you know who else turned up for the auditions??? Ready for this? David Hasselhoff!!! Audition photos from the book (but not of the Hoff.)


The layout of the book is perfect. It has photos and illustrations on every page with detailed explanations. Turning each page is a treat to read. As mentioned it is well laid out and with nice glossy pages too.

I have never seen so much information for Indiana Jones all in one place. The authors have really tried to avoid the usual recycled stories and have catered for every kind of fan including the hard core who may have already read several times that there was a bad case of food poisoning during shooting for Raiders. No matter how much of an expert you are, you will find something you didn't know in this book.


DID YOU KNOW : Another star had to withdraw due to TV commitments: in this case, Danny DeVito, who was to play the role of Sallah, but who was forced to drop out due to conflicts with Taxi.

DID YOU KNOW : Known for his dedication to make stunts look as real as possible, Harrison Ford actually herniated his back in the scene where he is attacked in his bedroom by a Thuggee assassin. As a result, production had to shut down for Ford to be flown to LA to have an operation.

DID YOU KNOW : The recipe for some of the Pankot Palace feast, the “chilled monkey-brains” were made from custard and raspberry sauce.


I certainly recommend this book. From cover to cover this book has it all. Exclusive interviews with Spielberg, George Lucas, Harrison Ford and more, never before seen artwork and plenty from the Lucasfilm archives

Early concepts for the Raiders logos.

Storyboard illustrations.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Did Paul Freeman Accidentally Eat A Fly In Raiders of the Lost Ark?

The Famous Indiana Jones Fly In Belloq's Mouth Scene.  Did It Really Happen? I've always wondered if Paul Freeman unintentionally consumed a fly in this scene in  Raiders of the Lost Ark ?  It's the scene where Indiana Jones shouts down to Bellosh...I mean Belloq and threatens to blow up the ark.  Did a fly go in his mouth? I remember watching this scene back in the early eighties and my ten year old mind thought he definitely had a snack while filming.  I recall talking about 'flygate' in my school playground at the time and the general consensus with my friends was that Freeman definitely had a sneaky snack. Paul Freeman talks about the famous 'fly' scene in an interview with TheIndyExperience.com  and settled 'flygate:' This is a bit of a dicey question so don’t get too upset. (Laughs) A movie’s always got bloopers in it, some have a lot, and some only have three or four. And the most remarkable blooper was right before the opening of th

Star Wars VII Movie Poster - Every End Is A New Beginning

Star Wars VII Movie Poster Just saw this Star Wars VII movie poster on Kyle Newman's Facebook fee d.  The poster is by  Lyndon Berresford and Paul Bateman.  I am loving this.  Who do you think the two characters are?  Lando and Leia?  Han and Leia's children? Have you seen other Star Wars VII movie posters?  Let me know. Rob Wainfur @welshslider

Pinewood Studios To Expand To The Usa

BBC News have reported that Pinewood Studios are to expand to the USA.  This is great news for the famous studio that is rich in movie history. UK film studio Pinewood Shepperton has announced plans to build its first sound stages in the United States. The Pinewood Atlanta complex will be built on 288 acres of land south of Atlanta, Georgia, as a joint venture with a US investment company. Georgia has been among the US states drawing film-making away from Hollywood with tax incentives in recent years. The deal is the latest sign of expansion at Pinewood, the home of the James Bond franchise. Earlier this month it announced a joint venture with a Chinese media group, potentially giving it access to the fast-growing Chinese market. Read the full article here. THE BEARDED TRIO ON FACEBOOK THE BEARDED TRIO ON TWITTER THE BEARDED TRIO ON GOOGLE+