By Steve Anderson
thevideostoreguy@columnist.com

When you can watch a movie and see flying armadillos and country musicians at their most purely homicidal-looking, all within the first fifteen minutes, you know you’re in for a serious rush.

And that’s exactly what you’re going to get out of “2001 Maniacs.”

Now, I’m sure by now most of you have seen this sucker sitting on the video store shelves, and gave it a sad, scornful shake of the head with a little tongue-clucking as you wondered just how low Robert Englund was planning to sink. And some of you more adventurous souls took a look at the back of the box, saw the name “Eli Roth”, remembered “Hostel”, and ran for the hills like your feet were on fire and the IRS was waving audit forms at you.

Johnny Cash's "American V: A Hundred Highways" (American Recordings/Lost Highway) debuts at Number One on both the Billboard Top 200 Albums and Top Country Albums charts. The album, which was released on the Fourth of July, takes the top spot with sales in excess of 88,000 copies, according to Neilsen/Soundscan. This Marks the Man In Black's First-Ever Number One Debut.

Since 1958, while seven of Cash's albums have reached Number One on Billboard's Country Album charts, only one other album of his has reached the Number One position on Billboard's Top Albums charts - 1969's "Johnny Cash at San Quentin." "American V" is Cash's first-ever release to debut at Number One.

Bobby Valentino releases new R&B "Special Occassion" CD September 19 R&B Music Sensation and male “Soul of DTP”, Bobby Valentino, returns to the spotlight with the release of his highly anticipated sophomore album, “Special Occasion” which will be released by DTP/Island Def Jam on September 19th. Showcasing his vocal talents through a 14-track masterpiece, the album is beautifully balanced with harmonious, sexy, melodious ballads and mid-tempos synonymous with his signature sound. Valentino’s evolution as one of the most respected songwriters and artists today will be undeniable once listeners get a glimpse of “Special Occasion,” arguably his best body of work to date.

Proven hitmaker Timbaland has a whole new musical onslaught in store for 2006. This time it's on his new joint venture label with the Interscope/Geffen/A&M (IGA) label group called the Mosley Music Group (MMG).

The Virginia native, who has been behind hits from multi-platinum artists like Missy Elliott ("Get Ur Freak On"), Aaliyah ("One In Million"), Jay-Z ("Big Pimpin," "Dirt Off Your Shoulder"), Justin Timberlake ("Cry Me A River," Snoop Dogg ("Snoop Dogg") and Ludacris ("Roll Out"), among others, will now be producing hits for his own imprint. He will also continue producing other artists as well.

The first project from the newly launched label is for Canadian-born pop artist Nelly Furtado, who is a four-time Grammy nominee, including Song of the Year for her hit "Fly Like A Bird." The songwriter/songbird has been zipping between Toronto and Miami, where Timbaland now lives, recording her follow-up LP to her 2003 Folklore and her 2000 debut Whoa! Nelly.

The first single, "Promiscuous" featuring Timbaland, is a certified dance- floor mover, with a sexy slow vibe -- a definite club jam with that signature Timbaland beat. Just in time for the summer heat, the June 20th single release is Number One in the Country and for sure this summers blockbuster.

R&B artist Keri Hilson, who is also known for writing on Mary J. Blige's Breakthrough, Pussycat Dolls' PCD, B5, and Ushers' The Red Light District, is another artist signed to MMG that Timbaland is executive producing.

"Mosley Music Group is a label where the doors are open to all kinds of music," explains Timbaland and CEO Marcus Spence. The visionary producer is no stranger to Platinum.

From jetting across the world to collaborate with Bjork to producing the upcoming highly anticipated Justin Timberlake album, Timbaland stays at the forefront of contemporary music. He's not just in the mix; he creates the mix.

Please visit us at http://www.mosleymusicgroup.net/

Source: Mosley Music Group

Hot off the heels of his platinum debut album Beautiful Soul, Jesse McCartney is set to release his follow up album Right Where You Want Me September 19 on Hollywood Records. The first single, also titled "Right Where You Want Me" was written by McCartney, the songwriting team Adam Watts & Andy Dodd, who also penned "Beautiful Soul", and his guitar player Dory Lobel.

Said McCartney, "I'm really happy with the song. It takes me in a new direction musically but still has a familiar element of 'Beautiful Soul'." The single arrived at radio July 11 and the video was shot this weekend by Big TV (Maroon 5, Lauryn Hill, and KT Tunstall). "Right Where You Want Me" can be heard on www.jessemccartney.com.

For Right Where You Want Me, Jesse co-wrote all the songs on the album, working with such writers and producers as Kara DioGuardi, John Shanks, Greg Wells, Drew Ramsey, Shannon Sanders, Marti Fredricksen, Eman, and the aforementioned Adam & Andy. Jesse will preview his new material this summer in a series of festival dates before launching his headlining tour this fall.

Jesse's debut album Beautiful Soul has been certified platinum with over 1.5 million records sold, spawning hits at Top 40 radio, MTV and AOL music, and resulting in sold out concerts, countless TV appearances and award show nominations, and a highly visible holiday TV campaign for Wal-Mart.

The accolades and achievement went well beyond the US and traveled far across several ponds. Beautiful Soul yielded platinum #1 status in Australia and Taiwan, as well as gold records in Canada and Italy.

Source: Hollywood Records

Los Angeles, CA – Indie film, THE STILL LIFE debuted at The Aarhus International Film Festival, that took place April 20-25, 2006 in Denmark and played at the St. Petersburg Film Festival on June 23rd-26th.. The film will also be screened by the Great Lakes Independent Film Festival on September 20-24, 2006 in Erie, PA., the FAIF Film Festival October 5-14, 2006 at the Chinese Mann Theatre in Hollywood, CA., the Wild River Festival in Sept. 6-10th, and Indie Memphis Oct. 13th-19th.

Written and directed by Joel Miller and produced through Albion Entertainment, Inc. the poignant drama stars Jason Barry (Titanic), Terry Moore (“Come Back Little Sheba”), Rachel Miner (“Bully”) and Don S. Davis (“Stargate SG-1”).

Turner Classic Movies to Remember Legendary Actress June Allyson with On-Air Tribute on Sunday, July 16

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will feature an on-air tribute to girl-next-door actress June Allyson with six of her films and an installment of the TCM series Private Screenings.

Allyson made more than 40 movies during her career, including Little Women (1949) with Elizabeth Taylor as well as The Stratton Story (1949), The Glenn Miller Story (1953) and Strategic Air Command (1955) with James Stewart. Her performance in the romantic comedy Too Young to Kiss garnered a Golden Globe in 1951.

Many homeowners eventually are faced with a decision between buying a new home or remodeling a current one.  The pros and cons of each are quite obvious.  Buying a new home is exciting.  You get to live in a new space and start a "new" life. 

But the cost is tremendous.  By remodeling your current home, you can give it a fresh new look, even though it's still the same house.  The cost is infinitely more manageable.

Taking out a Home Improvement Loan:

Although home remodeling is usually much cheaper than purchasing a new home, many people still need to take out a home remodel loan in order to finance their projects.  Even simple things like cabinet refacing or building a new porch often end up costing much more than anticipated.  Without ready capital, it is usually necessary to either take out a second mortgage or secure a home improvement loan.

Finding Collateral for a Home Remodel Loan:

Although some home improvement loan types can be secured through personal assets, stocks, and things of that nature, many homeowners use their existing property as collateral.  This is why a home remodel loan is sometimes referred to as a second mortgage or home equity loan.  An individual basically borrows capital against the underlying value of her property. 

The payoff, however, is potentially quite high.  Besides the personal enjoyment one derives from living in a remodeled home, it also ends up increasing the overall property value.  Retiling floors, adding a pool, or installing newer pipes or fixtures can help homeowners fetch a higher asking price when it comes time to sell later down the road. More on home improvement tips and services.

More on home improvement tips and services.

In memory of actress and humanitarian June Allyson, Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE:KMB) today contributed $25,000 to the June Allyson Foundation to support research advances in the care and treatment of women with urinary incontinence. Allyson died on July 8, 2006.

The June Allyson Foundation was established in 1998 by the American Urogynecologic Society and was made possible by a grant from Kimberly-Clark. Through her more than 20-year partnership with Kimberly-Clark as spokesperson for the Depend brand, Allyson did more than any other public figure to encourage and persuade people with incontinence to lead fuller and more active lives.

"June's warm and loving kindness meant a lot to all of us at Kimberly- Clark, and we will miss her greatly," said Steven R. Kalmanson, Group President of North Atlantic Personal Care. "She was a role model for millions of people with her dedication, commitment and determination to help others 'Get Back into Life.'"

Allyson's passion for advocacy issues of the elderly stemmed from her role as primary caregiver for her mother. She learned firsthand the embarrassment and despair that incontinence can bring. In 1988, she was appointed by President Reagan to the Federal Council on Aging and worked continuously and tirelessly to "normalize" and raise public awareness about incontinence. An estimated 15 to 19 million people in North America are affected by incontinence.

Born Ella Geisman in New York in 1917, Allyson is best known as a movie actress in more than 60 feature films, musicals and television appearances. She starred in Little Women, The Glenn Miller Story and Good News. With her identifiable husky voice, outgoing charm and naturalness, Allyson's wholesome image held an unforgettable appeal to audiences. She was the No. 1 star among all actors and actresses in 1955, and was voted the top female box office attraction in the nation's motion picture industry for six years in a row.

About June Allyson Foundation

The June Allyson Foundation is a non-profit, public foundation which is made possible by the generosity of public, private and corporate supporters. These contributions enable the Foundation to award grants to applicants researching the causes and management of pelvic floor disorders. Qualified applicants must submit a proposed research project in the field of female incontinence and pelvic floor disorders. Priority is given to talented clinician scientists who are starting their urogynecology career. To learn more about the Foundation or to contribute, visit http://www.augs.org/ .

About Kimberly-Clark

Kimberly-Clark and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 150 countries. Every day, 1.3 billion people, -- nearly a quarter of the world's population -- trust K-C brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well being. With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly- Clark holds the No. 1 or No. 2 share position in more than 80 countries. To keep up with the latest K-C news and to learn more about the company's 134- year history of innovation, visit http://www.kimberly-clark.com/ .

Source: Kimberly-Clark Corporation

        When it first counted, I thought it was a decent idea. Baseball had a terrible way to give home field advantage for The World Series, they alternated giving leagues the home field every year. Giving the winner of The All-Star Game home field in The World Series was, in my mind, an upgrade from the other system.

        The novelty has ended and now I wonder why does it still count?