User blog:ARTaylor/35 Years of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

Today marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of the premiere of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Though a follow-up to the previous film it is actually set before making it a prequel. The film follows famed archeologist Indiana Jones as he discovers an ancient Indian cult who practice dark magic, human sacrifice, and child slavery.

The film was notably darker than the previous and subsequent entires. Contemporary reviews were highly critical of the tone, though it has become more appreciated over time. The film did well at the box office getting the highest grossing opening weekend of the year, was the third highest grossing of the year, and was at the time the tenth highest grossing of all time. The film was nominated and won numerous awards including an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score and winning an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. The film, along with Gremlins, prompted the MPAA to form the PG-13 rating, for those movies too much for the more lighthearted PG but not enough for the adult oriented R.

The film was written and produced by George Lucas, who also appeared as a missionary at the airport.