ACRM’s "Geek Calendar" For Next Week
Before The Wire, There Was The Hill: How One Show Invented the Modern Docu-Drama
Celebrating the 45th Anniversary of Hill Street Blues (premiering January 15, 1981) is about more than just nostalgia; it is about honoring the show that taught us how to see the "human" behind the badge. Before this series, cop shows were often sanitized "case-of-the-week" fantasies with perfect heroes. Hill Street changed the DNA of television by making it messy, loud, and startlelingly real.
Rare Exports: The "Anti-Christmas" Classic That Reclaims the Dark Roots of Winter
Before Santa Claus became a smiley man in red, he was something else entirely. Deep in the Finnish Lapland stands Korvatunturi, a mountain believed to hear everything. But long before Christmas was commercialized, this mountain didn't listen for wish lists; it listened for misbehavior, judgment, and wrongdoing.
If you are tired of syrupy holiday specials and mall Santas with suspiciously sticky beards, it is time to grab your hunting rifle. Today we are looking at Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, the greatest anti-Christmas classic of the modern era.
This isn't a story about giving. It's a story about surviving what happens when ancient folklore is disturbed.
Greenland: Migration – When Survival Trades Spectacle for Humanity
Disaster movies usually follow a strict diet of collapsing cities, explosions, and non-stop adrenaline. But what happens after the credits roll on the apocalypse?
Greenland: Migration attempts to answer that question. Set years after the extinction-level events of the first film, this sequel trades the immediate panic of the original for a slower, more somber meditation on leadership and exhaustion. It’s a film with admirable intentions that wants to humanize the genre—but the results are decidedly mixed.
The Hero as a Societal Mirror: 1966 vs. 2022
I was but a baby when the Batman TV series first aired. Not until I was 6 or 7 years old did I start to apprcieate the fun and outlandishness that was the Adam West portrayal of the Caped Crusader. I still get a kick out of the POW! and the Oof! thought bubble that showed up on my TV as reruns in the early 1970s. My dad pointed out that they filmed the movie in my hometown. Stearns Wharf. I usually caught the reruns after school. I waatched them while doing my homework.
So, I thought that comparing the "Bright Knight" of 1966 to the "Dark Knight" of the modern era would reveal how superhero media acts as a direct mirror for societal health. While both versions feature a man in a cowl, they are philosophically distinct responses to the world around them.
Grief as the Only Ritual: Analyzing We Bury the Dead (2026)
Most horror films obsess over the moment of collapse—the spectacle of the dead rising. We Bury the Dead begins where those stories end. Set in a quarantined, post-disaster Tasmania, the film treats loss as a logistical process. Survival here isn't about grand heroism; it is institutionalized and administrative.
Director Zach Hilditch prioritizes emotional realism over genre mechanics, creating a world where death is no longer a shock, but a routine task. Pair that with the cinematography of Steven Annis (Color Out of Space), and you get a film defined by desaturated palettes and vast, empty spaces that visually mirror the isolation of the characters.
The Centennial Eve: Why Fritz Lang’s 'Metropolis' Still Defines Our Future
The King’s Final Bow: Remembering the 1985 Revival of The King and I
In 1985 I was a young man in my 20's and Broadway wasn't on my mind much. However, the revival of The King and I stands as one of the most poignant chapters in Broadway history, at least for me. It wasn't just a restaging of a classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical; it was a final, triumphant lap for Yul Brynner, the man who had become synonymous with the role of King Mongkut. Of course, I had seen the film with Yul and Deborah Kerr. Thanks to reruns on the limited amount of channels available when i was growing up, I saw most of Yul Brynner's career. My dad was a fan, and I guess this rubbed off on me.
Happy Would-Be 80th Birthday, Diane Keaton!
Today, January 5th, marks what would have been Diane Keaton's 80th birthday. Eighty years. Eighty years of life, of laughter, of groundbreaking style, and of utterly irreplaceable talent.
It's been just a few months since October 2025, when the news hit us all like a wave – the world lost one of its most singular, most beloved stars. And while the ache of that loss is still very much present, today isn't just about sadness. It's about celebrating. It's about taking this milestone birthday and pouring every ounce of our admiration into remembering the woman, the artist, the icon who gave us so much.
Celebrating Tolkien's Birthday 1/3/1892 - 9/2/1973
Today, January 3, is J.R.R. Tolkien’s birthday.
Anaconda (2025): When the Monster Knows It’s a Movie
This is not the Anaconda you remember. Forget the winking humor and cartoon villains of the past; this time, the jungle doesn't care who you are. In today’s deep dive, we’re breaking down Anaconda (2025)—a darker, smarter reimagining that transforms a campy creature feature into a sharp commentary on the "IP Era" and middle-aged disappointment. Directed by Tom Gormican (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent), this film replaces excess with a surprising amount of soul and a lot of meta-humor.
James Ransone June 2, 1979 – December 19, 2025
While James's versatile career spanned television and film, including his critically acclaimed portrayal of Ziggy Sobotka in HBO's The Wire, for me, it was his work in horror cinema that showcased his unique ability to ground supernatural terror in genuine human emotion. He possessed a rare gift for making audiences care deeply about his characters, even as darkness closed in around them.
In 2012, Ransone became an unforgettable presence in Sinister as the unnamed Deputy, a role he would reprise in Sinister 2 (2015). His character—earnest, persistent, and deeply committed to uncovering the truth—served as the moral compass in a world consumed by evil.
Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome | Viper Mark lll Unboxing & Summary.
Today, we are looking at the first Viper Admiral, followed by Ensign Adama's Viper Mark III, which was the first one assigned.
All Battlestar Galactica Hero Collection models come with booklets that give images, history, and production insight into the series’ ship.
When I bought this model from Amazon, it was listed as having product dimensions of 13" x 9.5" x 5.25" inches, and the Viper is supposed to weigh 1.82 pounds, almost 2 pounds. But as I have learned, those measurements aren't entirely accurate. So, I measured.
Battlestar Galactica Eaglemoss Hero Collection | Cylon Raider Unboxing
I have gone with the Eaglemoss Hero Collection when collecting ships from the Battlestar Galactica franchise. Also, I purchase them on Amazon because I know I am guaranteed a refund or a replacement if the item arrives damaged or is not up to snuff in any way.
Almost all of the Amazon reviews of this model are positive, so I feel safe spending my hard-earned money on it.
Denis Villeneuve's Dune Crysknife | Parts 1 & 2
I was born on the west coast, by the sea. Green trees and morning mist surrounded my home, giving way to the warm, temperate sun that beat down upon my beautiful childhood. I spent hours on the sand, playing in the waves. I went hiking in the mountains with my friends to explore the forest that surrounded me. I strolled through the palm-lined streets, admiring the town's Old Spanish architecture, characterized by red-tiled roofs, white stucco buildings, and intricate wrought-iron details. I hung out with my friends at school, visited various museums, and enjoyed life. The people were cool.
It was a simpler time.
That was until I was 15 years old when my father changed jobs. He broke the news to me, which devastated me. As an adolescent, I didn't really understand the necessities of life and survival. We departed from my birthplace and relocated to the desert in the midst of summer. During the last few days before the move, my best friend handed me Dune. He thought reading it would help in the transition.
The move, while tiresome, was also exciting. The long trek into the desert was a shock. I had never seen such desolation before other than in old Western movies and TV shows.
Battlestar Galactica Viper Mark i
1977 was a big year for me. Two great films came out that year. Roger Moore starred in A Spy Who Loved Me, which featured a Lotus Esprit that had the ability to transform into a submarine. And, of course, Star Wars. The film featured the Death Star, TIE fighters, Y-wings, and the iconic X-wing fighter.
Now, most Star Wars aficionados know that John Dykstra was in charge of the special effects and worked to develop the computer motion-controlled cameras that could repeat the same movements multiple times so the camera could make multiple passes with various mattes attached, allowing to replace the blue screen in the background and add multiple effects onto the screen.
This revolutionized the film industry. However, 1977 came and went, and back on Earth, TV executives were looking for something that could capitalize on the science fiction frenzy that happened the year before, and they turned to Glen Larson for something that would bring back that excitement. That would be Battlestar Galactica.
The Black Death and the Plague Doctor mask
The Great Mortality, or as it is better known, the Black Death, was a time in medieval history that saw the population of the world practically drop by half.
This event marked a pivotal moment in history, resulting in the emergence of a new world from the ashes.
Join me as we travel back in time to Medieval Europe and take a look at a time and the headgear of the plague doctor
The year is 1347, and it's been almost 800 years since a plague ravages the Roman Empire. The bacterium Yersinia pestis ravaged the Mediterranean Basin, Europe, the Near East, and Constantinople.
Instead of focusing on the horrors of the Plague, I want to briefly discuss what good, if any, came from these 300 years.
The Cross of King Arthur | Reel Art
Archeology is the search for facts, not truth. Therefore, when looking at the historical King Arthur, we, unfortunately, must put aside all the romantic characters and imagery that we have been exposed to throughout our lives. We set aside the stories of knights in shining armor and begin with the story of Arthur.
I am not even sure if there was a King Arthur. However, many Arthurian scholars do believe that there was someone who historically could fit the description.
A beginning is a time to take the most delicate care to ensure that the balances are correct. We must first place Arthur in his time, born in the late 5th or early 6th century CE. And take the most special care that you locate Arthur in his place. The Isle of Brittania is forever his place.
The Mondoshawan | the fifth element
Indiana Jones and the Grail Tablet
The grail tablet was one of two markers left by three brother knights of the first crusade. The third night who was dying of extreme old age tells his story to a Franciscan friar, that he, along with his two brothers, Richard and the Grail Knight had set out to find and protect the Holy Grail of Jesus Christ. Which they did in the temple of the sun in the canyon of the Cresent moon in Halay. 150 years after finding the grail two brothers started their journey back to France leaving the grail knight to guard the relic. The grail tablet was one of the markers left by one of the two returning brothers. The other was Sir Richards's shield buried with him in the catacombs of Venice. Both markers were there to describe the location of the Holy Grail. The tablet was made of sandstone, made in the Middle East, and was found by Walter Donovan's people who digging out there for copper in the mountains north of Ankara, I believe.x