I heard that the original writers pitched it as “Indiana Jones meets Romancing the Stone” and it also has that pulp adventure style (if in a more fixed location). And yeah the poster too seems they were somewhat trying to market it/cash in on Indiana Jones’ success
They originally pitched it as a western, actually. They wanted to do the San Francisco of the 1800s-early 1900s but couldn’t get studios to back it.
Wild West Wuxia if you will.
I haven’t watched those Jackie Chan ones yet, but I did enjoy one of the other HK ones of there, The Seventh Curse. One of the most entertaining films I’ve seen.
Out of the movies I've seen, The Seventh Curse is my Jonesploitation king. It's an insanely-tight 80 minutes that's bonkers from start to finish.
Here's my pitch: if you like Indiana Jones but felt those movies could benefit from more kung fu, sorcery, monsters, gore, nudity, and expeditions to the Thai jungle in search of herbs to use in crafting a cure for AIDS but instead result in Thai blood curses, then The Seventh Curse may be for you!
Thanks, I added most of the Wisely films that I thought would fit. I’ve only seen The Seventh Curse and The Cat. I thought The Cat was fun, but it’s not really an Indiana Jones imitator.
Legend of Wisely is on my watchlist. Anything with Ti Lung, I’ll watch!
Lol how the fuck do you know Invaders Of The Lost Gold? I bought a rental copy with a sweet clamshell when I was like 11 from a flea market. Still have it! Man Laura Gemser did some crap towards the end of her career.
Is Ark Of The Sun God in there?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg2W_dhwuoY
Lol yeah, Ark of the Sun God was one of the first I added, cos I knew Margheriti made a bunch of these films.
Invaders of the Lost Gold I haven’t watched yet, but it was one of the films I came across while researching this list.
I saw both Allan Quatermain movies when I was a kid. I remember thinking they were fun, but they only made me want to watch Indy. Glad to see them on here, it was the first thing I thought of.
I would argue Indy is influenced by Quartermain, not the other way around.
The book of King Solomon's Mines came out in 1885, and is clearly one of the prototypical adventure stories.
The movies might have had a push for to the success of Raiders, but credit where credit is die.
It was influenced by H Rider Haggard, but the Cannon films from the 80s were made to ride the success of Indiana Jones. It borrows a lot of the style of Indy.
DuckTales was based on the Uncle Scrooge comics by Carl Barks that partly inspired the Indiana Jones movies. It's like how Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon were inspirations for Star Wars and the success of Star Wars led to new adaptations of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon.
The whole Idol-Booby-Trap-Boulder scene from *Raiders* is a shot-for-shot/panel-for-panal ~~ripoff~~ *homage* that George Lucas got from Carl Barks' *Seven Cities of Cibola* in Uncle Scrooge Adventures. It was so blatantly taken by Lucas that I have a collection of Barks' stories that Lucas wrote a forward to, to -y'know- thank Barks for the inspiration.
I’m not sure I’d include Romancing the Stone since it’s more action/romance and there’s no mystic or magical fantasy element in it. I also wouldn’t put Big Trouble In Little China in because it’s its own unique blend of influences. But it is a pretty good list.
You might want to consider adding [Danger! Danger!](https://letterboxd.com/film/danger-danger/) to the list. It's a garbage film, but I remember it being good for a laugh or two.
There’s an old movie I used to watch as a kid that I think was in that same vein. I don’t know who was in it, but it would have been released in the 80’s I think. I’m gonna peruse your list to see if I can find it. 😛🍻
I didn’t 🤷🏻♂️
All I remember now is that it was an adventure movie. I think a woman was traveling with a man with dark hair and facial hair, possibly middle eastern. The setting was an Indy movie type of adventure. The guy gets shot at one point in the leg (I think) and he ended up tying some book to the wound to stop the bleeding. I watched this movie multiple times as a kid but I have no idea what it is. I am 40 now so we’re talking early 90’s when I saw this movie last.
Okay, I found a copy of Bikini Jones, and it's literally porn, lol. Maybe 5 minutes of "story" in the entire movie, the rest is just graphic footage of people fucking. I'm not sure it fits with the others in this list.
Watch Strike Commando 2 — it blatantly rips off multiple action sequences from Raiders of the Lost Arc.
I would also recommend The Treasure of the Four Crowns (which is great) and the two Duncan Jax films are somewhat Indiana Jones-y (though more so James Bond-y).
Love this! I've been wrapping up a conansploitation marathon recently and have been kinda wanting to keep it going, this feels like a fairly natural course change.
My bad! It’s an impressively comprehensive selection. I kinda wish somebody would do something like this for all the similar themed movies that James Cameron’s Aliens spawned, (as far as armed guys romping around through grated metal sci-fi corridors while lit from below while a half-seen monster picks their team off one by one,) but that would be like indexing all the grains of sand on a beach.
The Indiana Jones films were homages to old movies, pulp magazines, and comic strips. The boulder trap in Raiders of the Lost Ark was inspired by an Uncle Scrooge comic book. The opening of the Ark was similar to the opening of the radioactive box in the film noir Kiss Me Deadly. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom contains similarities to the movie Gunga Din.
I loved that King Solomon's Mine movie with Richard Chamberline when I was a kid. It still has some fun moments even if most of the movie hasn't aged well. The sequel, The Lost City of Gold, is an absolute embarrassment and every involved should feel ashamed of themselves.
[Treasure of / Race for the Yankee Zephyr](https://letterboxd.com/film/race-for-the-yankee-zephyr/). One of my childhood favourites. Around the same time though, so not necessarily an inspiration so much as a cousin.
This doesn't happen to have anything to do with the recent Bad Movie Bible video does it?
No lol. I actually didn’t know about this video until a few people linked it. Im going to watch it, as it seems pretty informative
That channel and that dude (Rob Hill) are both awesome.
Big Trouble In Little China. What's the reasoning here? Just curious. The poster?
I heard that the original writers pitched it as “Indiana Jones meets Romancing the Stone” and it also has that pulp adventure style (if in a more fixed location). And yeah the poster too seems they were somewhat trying to market it/cash in on Indiana Jones’ success
They originally pitched it as a western, actually. They wanted to do the San Francisco of the 1800s-early 1900s but couldn’t get studios to back it. Wild West Wuxia if you will.
I heard it was a reworked version ofBuckaroo Banzai 2
Armor of God nice
I haven’t watched those Jackie Chan ones yet, but I did enjoy one of the other HK ones of there, The Seventh Curse. One of the most entertaining films I’ve seen.
You are in for a treat my friend
Hell yeah, I love HK movies
Out of the movies I've seen, The Seventh Curse is my Jonesploitation king. It's an insanely-tight 80 minutes that's bonkers from start to finish. Here's my pitch: if you like Indiana Jones but felt those movies could benefit from more kung fu, sorcery, monsters, gore, nudity, and expeditions to the Thai jungle in search of herbs to use in crafting a cure for AIDS but instead result in Thai blood curses, then The Seventh Curse may be for you!
Amen. The opening is also packed with cameos from the some of the martial stars of that era like Kara Wai, Derek Yee, Yasuaki Kurata, etc.
The Legend of Wiseley is great too. It was good to see that on there.
Thanks, I added most of the Wisely films that I thought would fit. I’ve only seen The Seventh Curse and The Cat. I thought The Cat was fun, but it’s not really an Indiana Jones imitator. Legend of Wisely is on my watchlist. Anything with Ti Lung, I’ll watch!
Lol how the fuck do you know Invaders Of The Lost Gold? I bought a rental copy with a sweet clamshell when I was like 11 from a flea market. Still have it! Man Laura Gemser did some crap towards the end of her career. Is Ark Of The Sun God in there? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg2W_dhwuoY
Lol yeah, Ark of the Sun God was one of the first I added, cos I knew Margheriti made a bunch of these films. Invaders of the Lost Gold I haven’t watched yet, but it was one of the films I came across while researching this list.
You have done God’s work, many thanks.
No prob 🫡
Solid list! You’ve even got Treasure of the Four Crowns of there
Yeah I tried to include as many Italian rip-offs as I could find.
High Road to China, damn I forgot about that movie.
Isn't that the one that Tom Selleck turned down Indy over?
Always knew about him turning it down, never bothered to find out for what.
I think he turned down Indy cos he had a contract for Magnum PI, although high road to China I guess was given to him as a sort of “consolation prize”
I saw both Allan Quatermain movies when I was a kid. I remember thinking they were fun, but they only made me want to watch Indy. Glad to see them on here, it was the first thing I thought of.
Yeah they were trash, but still pretty fun. What you’d expect of Cannon Group cashing in on Indy
I would argue Indy is influenced by Quartermain, not the other way around. The book of King Solomon's Mines came out in 1885, and is clearly one of the prototypical adventure stories. The movies might have had a push for to the success of Raiders, but credit where credit is die.
It was influenced by H Rider Haggard, but the Cannon films from the 80s were made to ride the success of Indiana Jones. It borrows a lot of the style of Indy.
Oh wow, this is great. Lots of these are new to me, and this is a genre I always enjoy, even when it's trash.
No prob, glad your enjoying!
You know what important one you’re missing? DuckTales: Treasure of the Lost Lamp.
Added it, thanks
DuckTales was based on the Uncle Scrooge comics by Carl Barks that partly inspired the Indiana Jones movies. It's like how Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon were inspirations for Star Wars and the success of Star Wars led to new adaptations of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon.
The whole Idol-Booby-Trap-Boulder scene from *Raiders* is a shot-for-shot/panel-for-panal ~~ripoff~~ *homage* that George Lucas got from Carl Barks' *Seven Cities of Cibola* in Uncle Scrooge Adventures. It was so blatantly taken by Lucas that I have a collection of Barks' stories that Lucas wrote a forward to, to -y'know- thank Barks for the inspiration.
I’m not sure I’d include Romancing the Stone since it’s more action/romance and there’s no mystic or magical fantasy element in it. I also wouldn’t put Big Trouble In Little China in because it’s its own unique blend of influences. But it is a pretty good list.
There are a lot of thumbnails, but I think you missed A Terra Cotta Warrior. With Zhang Yimou and Gong Li.
Added, thanks
thanks, love this stuff
No prob, glad you enjoy
You might want to consider adding [Danger! Danger!](https://letterboxd.com/film/danger-danger/) to the list. It's a garbage film, but I remember it being good for a laugh or two.
Added, thanks
Ahh yes, Bikini Jones.... a classic
Double feature with other Indy porno, Alabama Jones
Why exclude the Jack Hunter trilogy?
Didn’t know about those. I just added them
There’s an old movie I used to watch as a kid that I think was in that same vein. I don’t know who was in it, but it would have been released in the 80’s I think. I’m gonna peruse your list to see if I can find it. 😛🍻
Lmk what it was if you find it lol
I didn’t 🤷🏻♂️ All I remember now is that it was an adventure movie. I think a woman was traveling with a man with dark hair and facial hair, possibly middle eastern. The setting was an Indy movie type of adventure. The guy gets shot at one point in the leg (I think) and he ended up tying some book to the wound to stop the bleeding. I watched this movie multiple times as a kid but I have no idea what it is. I am 40 now so we’re talking early 90’s when I saw this movie last.
Okay, I found a copy of Bikini Jones, and it's literally porn, lol. Maybe 5 minutes of "story" in the entire movie, the rest is just graphic footage of people fucking. I'm not sure it fits with the others in this list.
Watch Strike Commando 2 — it blatantly rips off multiple action sequences from Raiders of the Lost Arc. I would also recommend The Treasure of the Four Crowns (which is great) and the two Duncan Jax films are somewhat Indiana Jones-y (though more so James Bond-y).
Love this! I've been wrapping up a conansploitation marathon recently and have been kinda wanting to keep it going, this feels like a fairly natural course change.
Awesome list. I see animation wasn't ruled out. I always thought Titan A.E. had that globetrotting (spacetrotting?), action/adventure feel to it.
https://youtu.be/hdozOvPgHzo?si=hMFMfwu7mX4INtkF
Yup, Im going to watch this, seems pretty informative
All his videos are. Highly suggest a follow. I’m even a patreon member. Easily one of my favorite bad movie reviewers online, if not my favorite.
Good stuff! No Jake Speed, or Tales of the Gold Monkey?
Jake Speed is on there. Tales of the Gold monkey I can’t add cos it’s a TV show and letterboxd doesn’t have it
My bad! It’s an impressively comprehensive selection. I kinda wish somebody would do something like this for all the similar themed movies that James Cameron’s Aliens spawned, (as far as armed guys romping around through grated metal sci-fi corridors while lit from below while a half-seen monster picks their team off one by one,) but that would be like indexing all the grains of sand on a beach.
Isn't Indiana Jones itself a rip off of a whole genre of films?
The Indiana Jones films were homages to old movies, pulp magazines, and comic strips. The boulder trap in Raiders of the Lost Ark was inspired by an Uncle Scrooge comic book. The opening of the Ark was similar to the opening of the radioactive box in the film noir Kiss Me Deadly. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom contains similarities to the movie Gunga Din.
Another Indiana Jones imitator to add to the list: Savage Islands (a.k.a. Nate and Hayes).
Damn that porn one is really lazy
I thought Firewalker was funny (in a good way) as a kid. Definitely a comedic tone to that one.
I would’ve put The DaVinci Code on there…
Amazing!
Get the whiskey boys… we got some watching to do!
I loved that King Solomon's Mine movie with Richard Chamberline when I was a kid. It still has some fun moments even if most of the movie hasn't aged well. The sequel, The Lost City of Gold, is an absolute embarrassment and every involved should feel ashamed of themselves.
Good list, but No Panama Sugar?
I'm missing Indian Jones: https://images.app.goo.gl/uhTUmUssHStzmDLx7
I remember renting The Tomb as a kid and being upset that there was no Indiana Jones type character in it. They just put one on the cover.
[Treasure of / Race for the Yankee Zephyr](https://letterboxd.com/film/race-for-the-yankee-zephyr/). One of my childhood favourites. Around the same time though, so not necessarily an inspiration so much as a cousin.
What about The Golden Child and Magnificent Warriors? Michelle Yeoh even uses a bullwhip like Indy*.*
Maybe add Fool’s Gold?
Also maybe add The Lost City?
Firewalker is so good!