The Coolidge Corner Theatre will launch a brand-new season of its popular Science on Screen series with a special presentation of Steven Spielberg’s adventure classic, Raiders of the Lost Ark. Before the film, archeologist Curtis Runnels will speak about the realities of archeology versus how it is portrayed in the movies.

Harrison Ford stars as Dr. Jones, a world-renowned professor of archaeology hired by the U.S. government to track down the Ark of the Covenant, a supremely powerful (and deadly) Biblical artifact. With his trusty leather fedora and all-purpose whip, Jones sets out on a journey across the continents. But he isn’t the only one after the Ark. With a little help from his friends and his old flame, Marion (Karen Allen), Jones must fend off unscrupulous SS officers eager to get their leather-clad mitts on the Ark and harness its power for their evil cause.

Curtis Runnels is professor of archeology at Boston University. He taught at Stanford University from 1981 to 1987 before moving to BU, where he is also editor of the Journal of Field Archaeology. He has carried out archaeological research in Greece, Turkey, and Albania since 1973 and has published numerous scientific articles and books.

With Science on Screen, the Coolidge Corner Theatre presents a feature film or documentary with a basis in science along with exciting introductions by notable figures in scientific fields. This monthly series is co-presented by the Museum of Science, Boston and New Scientist magazine.