INDY I WILL MISS YOU

 

The day after the 4th of July I went to a matinee showing of Indiana Jones & the Dial of Doom. I recall the first one of the franchise Raiders of the Lost Ark. It was set entirely during WWII. This was back in 1981 when I was 30 years old. I recall Indy the archeology professor standing before a class of moonstruck pretty coeds.

Quite a contrast to the current one set in 1969. Indy is an old man teaching a class full of bored students. I was 18 in 69 old enough to be one of them. But like my father I'm a history buff and would have been far from bored.

1981 I was at work when my father saw a TV review of Raiders. When I returned home he told me "We've got to go see that movie!" I was surprised. Dad thought the price of movie tickets were a rip-off because they all show up on TV eventually. -- He'd have a stroke if he knew what I paid for this current matinee. I almost did! I've never paid THAT amount for one before!

But this was Indiana Jones, Dial of Doom was the final one and it was a must! Dad & I saw every one at the theatre together except for Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Dad had passed by then and I went alone. All of them felt like a thrill ride and were certainly worth seeing.

Because Dial of Destiny is the last there was an element of sadness. I told a friend I didn't know who would be dead first, Harrison Ford or me. "Harrison is 80," she replied, "and you're 72."

I pointed out that my mother died at my current age and unlike me Harrison can afford the best healthcare available.

In the previous movie Indy had a son named Mutt played by Shea LaBeouf whom we were led to believe would succeed him in the franchise. I've got to say I thought this actor was a lousy choice. He lacked Harrison's swashbuckling panache and this greaser was just a big UGH in my opinion.

As fate would have it Shea felt the reviews damaged his career and wanted no part of any further Indiana Jones movies. -- I'm betting he was the reason for the less than stellar reviews. In the current film he's been killed off which is a wise move.

Of course Mutt could be resurrected and recast. (Soap operas did this all the time back when I used to watch them.) Let's place Mutt as prisoner on a plane to Hanoi scheduled for interrogation and torture to reveal clandestine classified information. He manages to break free, fights and the plane goes down in flames on a remote island. Mutt is thrown clear, but has amnesia until he is rescued and treated decades later.

Also remember Indy carried on a romance with the Kate Capshaw character in Temple of Doom; maybe a love child here? Perhaps a girl this time! Let's call her Diana Jones. Yes, I like that! Let's run with it! Evan Rachael Wood is perfect for this role. Hollywood are you listening???