Music
Elliott Smith –  From a Basement on a Hill
(Anti Records)
A –
In what should have been a warning sign of a tormented soul, theposthumous album sounds drenched in heroin and depression. But,Smith always excelled at making sadness beautiful, and hispainstakingly-crafted album swirls to the heights of melancholy.Crooning the lyrics of tear-stained pages along sweet sweepingguitars and gently out-of-time drums, he proves he is one of thepremier songwriters of the generation and leads listeners to lamenthis passing even more. – K. MOREAU
Ciara – Goodies
(LaFace Records)
D –
If “Goodies” means one annoying song after another,then Ciara’s on the money with this album. She follows theformulaic R & B pattern; decent song here or there mixed inwith some “badies” to kill time. Although this albumhas some prestigious names tagged with it (Missy Elliot, R Kelly),the lyrics reflect her ignorance as an 18-year-old hip-hop artist.Ciara should keep her goodies in the jar. – H.PHILLIPS
Keith Urban – Be Here
(Capitol Records)
C+
Country music fans did notexpect a man with a citified name from Australia to have muchimpact on the genre, but the imported Aussie is topping countryalbum charts with his most recent release. The slow tempos and deeplyrics present a sensitive side of the artist, but the surplus ofballads drags a little throughout the record. There are a fewlively foot-tapping tracks, but a few more would make the disc lessmundane. – C. JOHNS
Explosions in the Sky – Earth is not a Cold DeadPlace
(Temporary Residence)
Editor’s Pick
Underground post-rock theatre at its finest. What this Texasquartet lacks in the absolute absence of choral decoration, it morethan surely makes up with 10 minute rally’s ofpain-alleviating walls of sound. In essence, listening to this bandis like listening to a fireworks display — the songs startslow, but as they progress, the explosions cadence faster andfaster until the music crescends and starts all over. This is analbum that begs to be heard from start to finish. – M.BONNER
 
Movies
Friday Night Lights (Imagine Entertainment)
B –
This movie is for football fans as well as for those who cannottell a first down from a penalty. Director Peter Berg nails theTexas high school football world on the head, but with occasionallycheesy moments and an unhealthy portrayal of high school as thepinnacle of life. Tim McGraw and Billy Bob Thornton give polished,heartfelt performances and the unusually shaky, raw camera workpull the audience into the high pressure, emotion-drenched Odessafootball world. J.CHANCE
Taxi
(20th Century Fox)
C +
At the press of a button, Belle Williams’ (Queen Latifah)everyday cab transforms into a suped-up race car with a titaniumsuper-charger. The twist on this action-packed flick is that thistime the bad guy is not a guy, but four hot babes in a slick BMW.Jimmy Fallon plays the dim-witted cop that falls into Belle’spath when he stupidly takes a cab to the scene of a bank robbery.The two team up and make a humorous pair, but the predictable storyfails to end with any surprise. – R. HANEY
TV
Jack and Bobby
(The WB Channel)
A –
No, they are not the Kennedys. But, in this new drama on the WB,watching the growth of the future president has never been morecaptivating. The well-written plots, which are told from the futureby Bobby’s cabinet, keep you hooked from week to week. And,the characters make you want to vote for Bobby, especially amid allthe political shortcomings currently being faced in real life. Theidea is a fresh one, and is brimming with possibilities. Hopefully,this new show will not become a “lame duck.” – Z.B.