Photos by Brittany...

AnacondaMill Creek Entertainment What is it about 90s bad movies that make them so watchable? Well, let’s look at Anaconda and see if we can decipher this mystery. And before you mock it, know that it was HUGE blockbuster hit, making 130 million on its 30 million budget. I know I thought the movie was amazing when it came out. OK, NOW you can mock it. For starters, Anaconda features some heavy hitters like Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, and...

While the novelty of The Ramoms’ existence is impossible to ignore (at first glance, the band looks like an obvious answer to the question of what happens when Riot Grrls reach the age when they become soccer moms), it’s also impossible to deny the inherent possibility of a group of women reimagining Ramones music with a fresh approach that isn’t too far off of the original, but is different enough that it feels fresh and exciting. Simply stated, the Problem...

Jurassic Park Original Soundtrack by John Williams We enjoy the art of the soundtrack here at Ground Control and few soundtracks are as seminal as Jurassic Park’s. As I’ve always said, “Does any other soundtrack really matter?” Well, of course the Jaws soundtrack does but the same people are behind both these movies. I digress. It’s truly such a joy to be talking about the music of Jurassic Park. The word gets thrown around a lot but that first Jurassic...

“Is the Turk a White Man?” Race and Modernity in the Making of Turkish Identity by Murat Ergin It’s important to note that the title “Is the Turk a White Man?” is a reference to an article the New York Times published in 1909 and isn’t actually the question addressed in this book. That’s why it’s in quotation marks. Ergin simply uses it as a reference for the genesis of when Turkish identity was being explored in Western culture. The...

Elliott Smith Figure 8(photo: turntablelab.com) We’ve all had bands thrusted upon us. It happens all the times and is a totally viable way of getting into music. Sometimes it’s a band we’re tried to avoid for some reason like the Beatles who I never bothered with because I thought I was too busy with other music. But of course, the Beatles are the kind of music you have to play subconsciously in your head as a reference. My girlfriend at...

Talib Kweli Gravitas (photos: turntablelab.com) Thank God for Talib Kweli. It’s not just that the man is phenomenal at his craft, but that he’s maybe the highest profile rapper doing something with actual meaning. He cares about art and isn’t a megalomaniac. Spend some time with a Talib Kweli album and you’ll find, instead of bravado, money, and elitism, music that’s actually trying to elevate others. Kweli is a rapper for the people, in that sense. After all, this is...

Double Team – Retro VHS Look I have a soft spot for Jean Claude Van Damme, or JCVD for short. Ever since I was a little kid I had admiration for him and his action movies. Sure, I was fully on board with the Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Willis, Van Damme quartet of action stars, but something about JCDV always stood out for me. Partly because he was an actual martial arts expert, partly because he starred in Street Fighter and I...