A reason Matt is glad to be alive.

Loyal Readers,

As an extremist fan of the Indiana Jones series, I figured I would take the time to write some musings on the franchise in general.

The fourth installment of the adventures of Indiana Jones has lingered in development hell since the days when I was struggling to comprehend the disturbing and sudden changes my adolescent body was experiencing. I recall an interview with Steven Spielberg on my VHS copy of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in which he excitedly discussed the upcoming film.

In the summer of 2003, acclaimed writer/director Frank Darabont completed a screenplay that Spielberg described as "the best since Raiders." I was as giddy as a schoolboy (and I was never giddy...even as a schoolboy.) Not soon after, however, news broke that the project had been scrapped because George Lucas, "didn't like it". Fan boys 'round the globe posted seething hate fueled rants on message boards and it was, seemingly, the death blow to the chance of a new Indy film ever seeing the light of day.

Sometime later, news bits began to pop up about a new writer being hired and a new script in production. These rumors bounced around for awhile, and then it came out that a new new writer was working on it. It all seemed rather ridiculous and hopeless.

To my surprise, in the Winter of 2006, an official press release was issued by Lucasfilm stating that the fourth film was to go into production in the Spring of 2007.

To this 6'4" man-child, it was the greatest Christmas gift ever.

So now,

Some Reasons Why I Love Indiana Jones:

- Indiana Jones is a perennial loser. Each of the films begins with him being one upped by a rival. I can relate to that.
- He gets his ass kicked in a fight (yet manages to win, usually on a lucky whim.)
- Melting Nazis and heart ripping Thuggee cultists.
- The artifacts, or "McGuffins" are tremendously good plot devices.
- His hat rarely falls off...and when it does, it comes back.
- Everyone loves Han Solo in Star Wars ... and Indy is kind of like him.
- The classic 1930's setting.
- Sallah asks Indy how he intends to go after the truck carrying the Ark to Cairo, and he responds, "I don't know...I'm making this up as I go."
- His father is played by Sean Connery.
- He attempts to rescue his father in an Austrian castle by impersonating a Scottish Lord.
- Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis was an amazing computer game.
- The violence is occasionally graphic, but is portrayed with a distinct sense of humor.
- As his father and friends peer over a cliff at the smoldering wreckage of a tank, mourning his apparent death, Indy wanders over and casually peers over their shoulders to see what they are looking at.

I am anxiously awaiting May 22.