Providing commentary that occasionally dissents is the third major figure in the adaptation, cameraman and special effects supervisor Jayson Lamb. “Chris and Eric have eliminated him from the major part of this project,” says Chris’ Mom, “but at one point, they were a trio.” Lamb airs his grievances, then “Raiders!” switches to Chris or Eric for rebuttal. There’s a bit of suspense in whether Lamb will join them for this final scene, and what will happen if he does. Everyone has their perceptions, but equal time is given to all the principals. Surprisingly, their parents also provide insight into their childrens’ relationship.

At one point in the film, Coon and Skousen play audio of what sounds like radio jocks discussing “Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation." “What a waste of time,” says one jock. “Who wants to see a crappy version of this when the real one exists?” This was my exact thought when I was assigned this review. “Raiders of the Lost Ark” is the best time I’ve ever had at a movie. It hit me at the right age, in the nearly perfect summer before my last year of grammar school. Couple that with my inability to understand the nature of cinema-based fanaticism, the kind that would treat an all-female remake of “Ghostbusters” as if it were the Apocalypse, for example, and “Raiders!” sounded to me like the seventh layer of Hell.

It may sound that way to you as well, but this is a smartly made movie that might win you over. I was pleasantly surprised, because there’s something truly Spielbergian about it. Not in its filmmaking, mind you, but in its storytelling. The filmmakers make a conscious effort to highlight how much their story has in common with Spielberg’s cinematic universe. As “Raiders!” progresses, you can easily pick out the references. There’s the sense of movie-making wonder and fascination exhibited by its subjects, kids from divorced homes whose mothers took care of them and tried to make ends meet. These lost boys gravitated toward one another, fueled by a shared interest that passes the time and invites camaraderie and mischief. Ocean Springs, Mississippi even feels like the Spielberg Town, U.S.A.’s that housed characters from “E.T.” to “The Goonies."

This summer is bearing witness to documentaries that explore the minutiae of fandom and the sometimes insane heights to which it elevates people. We’ve already had “Elstree: 1976," which would make a good double feature with “Raiders!” And while I can’t say Coon and Skousen convinced me to seek out the film within their film, I don’t think that was their intention. Instead, “Raiders!” is a love poem to film geeks everywhere, giving them heroes whose own geekdom is a pinnacle of aspiration.

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