Milling About

The Brooklyn Brothers Beat The Best stars Ryan O'Nan and Michael Weston join host Robin Milling to talk about their buddy music film. The two actors tell Robin they became fast friends after meeting on an audition just three months before shooting began. Ryan wrote and directed the film as well as penned several of the soundtrack tunes, now available on CD from Rhino Records. Their first single Come On Girl is featured at the end of the show. Both actors brought their musical talents to the film; Ryan is a guitarist/vocalist for indie outfits such as  Against The Wall, while Weston is an accomplished keyboardist but his character's instruments came from his childhood toybox. The story of a musician who wants to graduate from playing for mentally challenged audiences in a fuzzy moose suit is a frustration Ryan and Michael can relate to as they tell Robin about their nightmare gigs.

The line is always long but it's worth the wait at Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room in Savannah, Georgia. The history of Mrs. Wilkes dates back to 1943 when a young Sema Wilkes purchased a boardinghouse and began the tradition of feeding her guests family style in the dining room. Her granddaughter, Marcia Thompson joins host Robin Milling continuing that Southern hospitality as she greets you at the door as if you have entered her private home for lunch serving 22 dishes family style with no menu. Marcia talks about her grandmother's special recipes and how she treated everyone the same when you sat down to eat in her dining room. Nothing has changed in 68 years as she tells Robin how everyday folk break bread with famous folk and stand on line waiting their turn, including President Obama, Dennis Quaid, Robert Duvall and Alan Rickman. On any given day little bowls of fresh and tasty vegetables such as collard greens, succotash, black-eyed peas, and butter beans served with plates of fried chicken, mac & chees

Ted Dennard, aka the Honey Bee Whisperer joins host Robin Milling from the Savannah Bee Company in Savannah, Georgia. Ted has a passion for honey bees that is unbridled, insisting they are sweet, no pun intended, until pissed off or provoked; he stopped counting after 20,000 stings! Otherwise,Ted says they go on their merry way buzzing away and supplying the world with goodness and healing as honey works wonders as a moisturizer and antiseptic. The Savannah Bee Company store carries a full range of honey products from bath to baking; he's in the process of developing a line of honey based shampoos and conditioners. And of course the delicious Tupelo and Sourwood honey can be sampled on an apple slice or just licked off a spoon. Speaking of Tupelo honey, Ted testifies that Ulee's Gold where Peter Fonda played a beekeeper is the real deal as it was made on the Apalachicola River from authentic Tupeolo trees. In fact Savannah Bee Company has Tupelo honey from that very same spot where the movie was filmed, and

Stratton Leopold of Leopold's Icecream in Savannah, Georgia has two favorite passions; making movies and making icecream. Since 1919 the creamery confection has been in Stratton's family; he took on the family business but didn't give up his dream of becoming a Hollywood producer. Movie posters of films he's worked on like The Big Chill, and Mission: Impossible III,adorn the walls. There's a wall of photos with Stratton and Tom Cruise famously smiling with a vanilla cone. Stratton tells Robin Alan Rickman's favorite flavor is pistachio which at Leopolds is made with all natural ingredients.  Props from films he's produced are encased in glass. In the corner is a vintage Panavision camera which Stratton says Ben Affleck gleefully unlocks taking movies of the patrons enjoying their lunch. For more information visit www.leopoldsicecream.com

For Ellen star Paul Dano joins host Robin Milling to talk about his part as a musician who struggles between his role as a rock star and his role as a father. Paul tells Robin he related to his character as he has a band in real life called Mook which he started with high school pals. Paul got deathly ill shooting in the cold winter in Messina, New York as his wardrobe didn't consist of much except leather jeans and a jacket with a wife beater T-shirt. Paul says he was able to use his sickly pallor to his advantage in some of the inebriated bar scenes. Somewhat of a method actor, Paul spent some time hanging out in the local pubs secluding himself from the cast as his character was often lonely drowning himself in alcohol. Paul has a busy slate of films coming up including Looper where he plays a hitman co-starring Bruce Willis and Twelve Years A Slave as a plantation overseer with Brad Pitt.

Milling About host Robin Milling meets with the women of Savannah Inns in Savannah, Georgia. This feisty foursome of innkeepers banded together, each offering their own personal style and hospitality to their historic B&Bs. Meet Teresa of Azalea Inn & Gardens whose tiny terrier Joey greets you with a lick from his lopsided tongue. Dating back to 1885, the inn has 8 rooms, 10 chimneys, a carriage house, and grotto pool. Meet Shannon of Dresser Palmer House, whose 16 room house is the largest of the four. Dating back to 1876, it was the home of Samuel Palmer & Henry Dresser, whose precocious little girl ghost named Madeline, leaves shiny pennies on your carpet. Meet Jackie of the Ziegler House Inn, the home of Solomon Ziegler dating back to 1856. Her 7 room inn was once a bordello with suites only.  Meet Diane of Green Palm Inn in the colonial fort district, notorious for sea captains causing a raucous in the local taverns. Dating back to1897, it is the smallest with only 4 rooms, and a fireplac

Powerhouse showbusiness couple Michael Biehn and Jennifer Blanc-Biehn join host Robin Milling to talk about their rockin' sexploitation flick, The Victim. It was a labor of love for the Biehns as Michael wrote, produced, starred and directed the film, while Jennifer starred and produced. And as Michael says, they did it on the cheap working long and hard hours in just 12 days with no special effects for zombies and vampires; just good old-fashioned dirty cops, drugs and strippers with a little bit of action and a little bit of torture! What more could you want from a grindhouse film? And there's plenty of grinding and action in The Victim. Michael and Jennifer reveal how being a married couple influenced their sex scenes on screen, and how the sex and fight and  scenes were basically unchoreographed. Jennifer jokes she still has the marks to prove her dedication to undergoing multiple takes. Forming their own production company Blanc Biehn Productions, their next project will be Treachery. For more inform

Joseph Gordon-Levitt rode like hell in the film Premium Rush and paid for it dearly with 31 stitches! Joe and writer/director David Koepp join host Robin Milling sharing the details of the accident that happened on set. Joe says it was the worst movie injury he's had to date. Even while practicing, things got a little hairy when Joe took off a car's side mirror when he was just practicing.  Joe also talks about his preparation to become a bike messenger and the metaphor for life he took away with him while making the film.        

Let's Do Lunch! visits Rosemary's in New York's Greenwich Village for a delicious Italian tasting. Named for the owner's mother, it borrows her warmth and hospitality from her home in Tuscany. Executive chef Wade Moises began his career under far less glamorous circumstances, working at a biker bar flipping burgers where the staff was a shady lot on parole from prison. The experience motivated him to study at The Culinary Institute of America where he honed his penchant for Italian cooking. It was the early 90s and Wade was hooked on Mario Batali's cooking show, vowing right then and there to work with the restauranteur. And he did just that sharpening his skills at Batali's Babbo and Lupa. Coming to Rosemary's after his travels through Italy, Wade has fine tuned his creations with such dishes as salami style octopus, orecchiette with homemade pork sausage, and linguini with zesty lemon and chilis which he describes as a sleeper hit. The house made foccacia is draped with a thin sliver of lardo which you can

Powerhouse vocalist Amy Lynn of Amy Lynn & The Gunshow joins host Robin Milling. Think a little Aretha, a little Tina and a little Mariah and you've just cracked the surface of what Amy sounds like as she brings her own unique soulful belt to these Diva comparisons. And there's nothing like seeing The Gunshow live; her band is led by new hubby Alex Hamlin on sax and an infectious horn section grounded by keys and drums with hot back-up singers. The sound can only be described as an assault on the senses with Amy front and center crooning songs such as Missing You, I Believe To My Soul, You Bring Me Joy and their new single Clearly It's Me featured at the end of the show. As a special treat Amy performs Can't Put My Finger On It accompanied by Alex on baritone sax. For more information visit Amy Lynn & The Gunshow on Facebook, @amylynngunshow on Twitter and http://amylynnandthegunshow.com/

Can a wolf be socialized to be a pet and live like a domesticated animal with other dogs? That is the question behind the documentary True Wolf.  Director Rob Whitehair joins host Robin Milling to talk about a wolf named Koani who was an abandoned pup raised by a Montana couple. Koani is trained to walk on a leash albeit quite a long one, and to play nicely with other dogs. The only difference is she eats 1,200 pounds of meat each year and lives in a den; so can a wolf truly live in captivity? But when the wolf is brought into the classroom to educate the students, the local community unleashes their concerns on the wolves' natural instincts as a predator.  It's a story of nature vs. nurture, and what does it mean to be wild. For more information visit www.truewolfmovie.com

Linus Roache exits the courtroom and enters the world of high stakes trading in Supercapitalist. Linus reunites with host Robin Milling after being her very first guest on Milling About. He talks about what it might feel like to be super rich and how he would spend his wealth philanthropically. After years on Law & Order, Manchester-born Linus is a bonafide New Yorker, making it official by becoming an American citizen. The star of Batman Begins also weighs in on the Dark Knight Rises tragic shooting, and how movie violence may not be to blame. Next he will make a miniseries in the U.K., The Making of a Lady based on a love affair between an English lord and his housekeeper.

Host Robin Milling caught up with Ballet NY choreographer John-Mark Owen in rehearsals for the company premiere of Triptych, featuring dancers Fidel Garcia and Nadezhda Vostrikov. A dancer himself, Owen tells Robin the dance was inspired by the ups and downs of a former relationship. Raised in Macon, Georgia, Owen began his career as an interpretive sign languager but quickly changed his course when he was wowed by Mikhail Baryshnikov in The Nutcracker. As fate would have it, their paths crossed in the New York dance studio Steps. Owen says he embarrassingly missed the opportunity to tell Baryshnikov of his inspiration in a starstruck moment. Triptych can be seen August 9-11 at the Ailey Citigroup Theater. For more information visit www.balletny.org Photo of Jennifer Goodman and John-Mark Owen in Twilight courtesy of Christopher Duggan

When real estate and media mogul Donald Trump invaded the seaside town of Aberdeenshire, Scotland with a proposal for a multi-billion dollar golf resort on their environmentally sacred stretch of coast, the humble locals with extreme principles were not impressed and let their voices be heard in the documentary, You've Been Trumped. Director Anthony Baxter who joins Robin Milling should be applauded for exposing Trump, greedy warts and all, who can be seen in the documentary calling local Michael Forbes' property 'slumlike and disgusting.' Baxter tells Robin about getting arrested while making the film for asking Trump's workmen a few pointed questions. He hopes the film will get into the hands of Sir Sean Connery, an avid golfer and treasured Scot, to support their cause against any further Trump development. For more information visit www.youvebeentrumped.com/

With the release of the remake of Total Recall, Milling About 'recalls' back to 1990 with Sharon Stone, chatting with her over lunch about her break-out role in the original Total Recall. Stone was extremely candid in her conversation with host Robin Milling where she talked about her initial skepticism to play another action character, and her playful audition for director Paul Verhoeven as the sci-fi seductress who kicks Schwarzenegger's butt. Sharon would reunite with Verhoeven two years later for Basic Instinct. At the time Stone posed for Playboy and reveals to Robin her decision to do it, why it empowered her and how it strengthened her self image. Known for her beauty, Stone shrugs off nudity on camera with a sense of humor, and talks about how modeling was a stepping stone for her acting career. She confidently tells Robin, 'I'm a good actress and I know it.' Now, over 20 years later, Stone has proven that statement over and over, becoming a major movie star.

Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey of Peter Paul & Mary join host Robin Milling for a little reminiscing, a little music, and fond thoughts of their dear friend Mary Travers. Their new children's book It's Raining, It's Pouring illustrated by Christine Davenier features a CD with three songs performed by the trio, tucked in the back cover.  Peter and Paul serenade Robin with the song, originally recorded for their debut album in 1961, Peter Paul and Mary, along with their classic hit Leaving On A Jet Plane. They tell Robin where they were in the 60s, how Mary inspired the voice of a strong generation of women, and how their legacy will always live on through that wonderful music. They also introduce a new socially conscious song, Puff The Magic Occupier!

Kenny Loggins enters a new chapter in his life, starting over again with a band called Blue Sky Riders. Loggins tells host Robin Milling it's been an exciting time after being solo for 30 years to have a songwriting trio that gets the creative juices flowing again, and to write about life after 40! Joining the conversation is Gary Burr, a Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer who's penned 14 number one hits to date for such artists as Michael Bolton, Ricky Martin and Kelly Clarkson to name a few.  Rounding out the threesome is Georgia Middleman from San Antonio who's penned a few number ones herself including Keith Urban's I'm In. The song Dream became something of a theme song for Blue Sky Riders when Kenny was told by a friend that he was 'too old to start over again.'  You're never too old to dream and BSR have proved that with brand new music, blending country and pop with a little bit of retro. Listen to Dream at the end of the show and stay tuned for their album coming out in January. For more information

Mike Doyle, currently starring in Union Square, joins host Robin Milling for lunch at Cafe Blossom in New York's Greenwich Village. Mike chats about his role over a delicious vegan lunch of Quinoa salad with house-made kimchi, tofu scramble and garlic french fries; with signature herbal-infused cocktails like Tootsie Tree Hugger and In The Weeds. A graduate of Julliard, Mike has acted consistently in television and movies. Most recently on the small screen he played an anesthesiologist opposite Patrick Wilson's brain surgeon in A Gifted Man. In Union Square he plays Bill, engaged to Tammy Blanchard's Jenny, who plays Mira Sorvino's estranged sister. Despite being called 'Superman' by Sorvino, Mike's all American good looks have not typecast him. The Bronx born actor also plays the bad guy, dying on screen numerously. He has been featured buying it at least seven times on various television series. Doyle jokes that he calls his mother after his death scenes just to make sure she knows it's not real! Mike ha

Chef/Restauranteur Jean-Stephane Poinard of Bistro de Leon in St. Augustine takes pure joy in cooking for his guests. In fact his dream one day is to have a restaurant where there is no menu and he just has the opportunity to please. When you walk into his restaurant, which was once a doll shop, you feel like you have stepped into the countryside of France. Pleasure is at the core of his dishes and that mission was accomplished as he prepared a delicious tasting for host Robin Milling of vegetable soup, Ahi tuna Tartar, and scallops which melted in your mouth, plus frothy risotto that Jean-Stephane attributes to love and mastering the fire. Born in Lyon, France, Jean-Stephane is a fifth generation chef who was inspired by his father, as he would feed the local priests morning, noon and night. In return for his father's generosity, when he was sick and couldn't travel to the church, the priests baptized him right in the restaurant. Visiting the Statue of Liberty at 13 years old, Jean-Stephane wished into a

Challenge yourself to The Wall of Flame! @ Hot Shot Bakery in St. Augustine. Owner Sherry Stoppelbein joins host Robin Milling where she talks off the scale hotness of their chocolate covered datil peppers, grown locally. The reigning champion consumed 33 and it's become so popular Sherry has started an annual Poppin' Pepper Palooza. Sherry's datil pepper sauce is an international sensation; a customer even sent a case to the boys in Iraq. A short distance from Flagler College, Sherry has named some of their delicious home-made wraps and paninis after several student regulars, namely The Bufis Wrap which is a combination of sausage, potato, tomato, egg, swiss, peppers, onions and spicy Datil Jelly. And, if you still have room for dessert Sherry says her raspberry chocolate tart with fresh datil peppers will 'knock your socks off.' For more information visit Hot Shot Bakery on FB and @HotShotBakery on Twitter