Jeff Giles

Peanut butter has been a staple for frugal food lovers for years, but a looming price increase could make it more of a luxury item before the end of the year. Facing shortages after a dismal peanut harvest, producers have begun implementing steep price hikes, and consumers will start feeling the pinch this week — adding to a general rise in the cost of food throughout 2011.

Beware, ‘Harry Potter’ fans: if you’ve been waiting to purchase the saga on DVD or Blu-ray, you’d better do it quickly, because a force more powerful than Voldemort is about to make them disappear. On December 29, Warner Bros. has announced it will stop shipping all eight ‘Harry Potter’ films, as well as the upcoming ‘Complete 8-Film Collection,’ which debuts November 11.

The Church of Scientology has a reputation for being litigious when they feel threatened, but that didn’t stop ‘South Park’ from mocking them through the entirety of the show’s 2005 ‘Trapped in the Closet’ episode. According to a document obtained by a high-level former Scientologist, the church didn’t take kindly to being made fun of, and it mounted a secret revenge campaign against ‘South Park’

As the host of the syndicated ‘Rosie O’Donnell Show’ in the ’90s, and later as a moderator on ABC’s ‘The View,’ actress and comedian Rosie O’Donnell has unquestionably been one of the more successful talk show hosts in recent history. And according to participants in a recent survey, she’s also the absolute worst.

In a study that may come as a stunning New Age challenge to artists like Yanni and Enya, a group of UK scientists have gotten together and clinically determined the most relaxing song ever made. The track, titled ‘Weightless’ and performed by a Manchester-based band named Marconi Union, was described as “even more relaxing than a massage, walk or cup of tea.”

Emma Watson, Willow Smith and Vanessa Hudgens are some of Hollywood’s hottest young stars — and now they’ve got the People’s Choice Awards ballot to prove it. The photogenic trio are among the nominees for this year’s Favorite Movie Star Under 25 award, a crowded list that includes some of the film industry’s freshest faces.

Michael Bay told anyone who would listen that three ‘Transformers’ movies were enough for him. Maybe we shouldn’t have believed him. According to Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner, the company is “actively discussing” Bay’s return for the blockbuster franchise’s fourth outing, which could film back-to-back with ‘Transformers 5.’

Before Rooney Mara landed the lead in David Fincher’s ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,’ a long list of actresses were rumored for the part, including Ellen Page, Natalie Portman, Emma Watson and Scarlett Johansson. According to Fincher, it was Scarlett who came closest to winning the coveted role of vengeance-seeking vigilante Lisbeth Salander — but in the end, she was just too darn sexy.  Read M

In a move that brings renewed focus to the dearth of quality film roles for women over 40, an actress has filed suit against the Hollywood database website IMDb for publishing her real age. In the complaint, the plaintiff, who filed as “Jane Doe,” asserts that her IMDb listing has cost her potential work because “in the entertainment industry, youth is king.”

Randy Houser plays dozens of dates every year, but when he rolls into Mississippi next month for a show at the Neshoba County Coliseum, he and his band will be putting something extra special into their performance. That night, they won’t just be playing for the fans — they’ll be playing a benefit for Thomas Carson, the band director whose guidance helped inspire Houser to finish school, head to N

It’s been almost two years since Joe Nichols fans were treated to a full-length collection of new songs from the ‘Gimmie That Girl’ singer, but that’ll change soon. On November 8, Nichols will return with his seventh full-length CD, ‘It’s All Good.’ The 10-song album, Nichols’ first for Show Dog/Universal, will include his latest top 30 country hit, ‘Take It Off.’

Rodney Atkins is enjoying some of his best sales with his new album ‘Take a Back Road,’ but Atkins won’t be letting this success go to his head, as he made clear during a recent Taste of Country interview.