Milling About

Writer/director horror master Wes Craven spoke with host Robin Milling for the film The Serpent and The Rainbow starring Bill Pullman. In this interview from 1988, Wes revealed to Robin his inspiration for Freddie Kruger, the star of Nightmare on Elm Street and how some of his films came straight out of his personal nightmares. He tells Robin about his own intrigue, fears and curiosities about death and the macabre, 'there's an age old fascination with death. It's one of those truly unsolved mysteries. Since it's something we're all moving towards and know in the back of our minds that we're going to face; I think that even at the level of a child you're fascinated by it and the ultimate finality of it. When you see a scary movie you're somehow relieved that you survived it. But ultimately it brings everybody down; even the most powerful and the weakest.' Surprisingly, Wes told Robin he would like to do a comedy, even a love story. No matter the genre, Wes will live on in the movies; always to be remembered

Patrick Stewart stars as Walter Blunt in the Starz series Blunt Talk; a straight talking newsman who brings his English wit and wisdom to American broadcast news. This is not your Star Trek or Shakespeare Stewart. Blunt is much more politically incorrect; a bawdier, mischievous scalliwag who spoons his female manager, snorts cocaine, suckles prostitutes and makes no apologies for his behavior. And that's just the first four episodes! Patrick tells host Robin Milling the character is closer to him personally than any other in that he shared his deepest secrets with writer Jonathan Ames (HBO Bored To Death) which made their way fictiously into the series. He even named the character based on his pseudonym. Patrick talks about his first on-camera sex scene with Elisabeth Shue, guest stars from the Enterprise including Brent Spiner, and  throws down a rap about salmon, charmingly revealing there are many hidden talents we have yet to discover about him.

The Bacon Brothers,Kevin and Michael join host Robin Milling backstage at City Winery in New York City to talk about their new album 36 Cents. A blend of folk, rock, soul and country; this band of brothers debuted in 1995 and are still going strong 20 years later. Their songs have always had a sense of humor, but not always, such as Hookers & Blow which Kevin says has a much darker side. 'With the kind of straight ahead lives that both of us live; being married for a long time we lead pretty normal sort of lives. So when somebody said, 'well how was your weekend my joke is, oh you know it's just the usual, hookers and blow! It's kind of a walk in the shoes of this guy who is messed up.' Currently on tour, Kevin tells Robin they've played everywhere from The Roxy in Los Angeles to even a pork festival at Fair Oaks Farms in Indiana. Michael says, 'I think we have a really hardcore group of fans that really appreciate the band's music.' The show featured a young musician from WHEELS (Washington Heights Exp

It appears to be a long time since David Crosbyreleased a solo album; 20 years and counting. Croz, named for what his friends call him, is 11 tracks, some of which he wrote with his son James Raymond.   It's the amalgamation of the inevitability of time passing. Crosby tells host Robin Milling that time is a theme that has run in his songs throughout his life. He also reflects on how his near death experience has impacted his life since, and where he is headed. He says, 'I think your time here on the planet is the most valuable resource you have. I came to that from having wasted a great deal of it. I wasted years and years of time just getting loaded or just getting laid or just being a crazy man.' In this candid, outspoken, provocative and blatantly honest conversation, Croz talks about debunking song myths, what drove CSNY to break up, his Woodstock memories, and where he currently stands with Neil Young to name a few topics. His rants on Twitter exemplify his need to tell it like it is which he says mig

What do you do when you're born to legendary comedian Richard Pryor and white Jewish go-go dancer Shelley Bonus in Los Angeles, California, spending your formative years navigating what it's like to be Black and Jewish? You write a show about it! Rain Pryor joins host Robin Milling for a backstage chat about her one-woman show, Fried Chicken & Latkes, now playing at the National Black Theater in Harlem, New York. On stage Rain tells poignant tales of her childhood, growing up in Beverly Hills in the heyday of the 60s and 70s, expertly weaving in the voices of her mother, her Bubby, her father's grandmother, and her dad. There was the time when she was five and someone called her the 'N' word, and all through her teenage years valley girls bullied her just because she looked different. She tells Robin, 'Growing up in Beverly Hills there weren't kids like me. I think I just wanted to feel normal. It wasn't like I wanted to be white. I didn't want to be black. I just wanted to be OK to be me and it wasn't.

It's been 42 years since the original cast and crew of the 1973 film Jesus Chris Superstar have all been in the same room together, and tonight (April 27), Director Norman Jewison, Ted Neeley (Jesus,) Yvonne Elliman (Mary Magdalene,) Barry Dennen (Pontius Pilate,) and Josh Mostel (King Herod); to name a few, will reunite for a special screening at the Beekman theater in New York City. Getting the band back together so to speak would've happened much sooner for Ted whose boundless enthusiasm for what he calls his life-changing role has never left. He tells host Robin Milling, “I've been trying to get this reunion to happen since the film came out. I've been trying to get all of us together to do another production; if nothing else just to hang out for a few days. It's never happened until now. And the fact that we'll all be in the same place at the same time with Norman is a miracle!” Miracles have been known to happen in the life of Jesus Christ, but it almost didn't happen for Ted who reveals he almost mis

Kevin Pollak joins host Robin Milling at the Tribeca Film Festival, now in it's 14th year to discuss his film Misery Loves Comedy. Kevin wrote and directed this insightful documentary about what goes on behind the laughter and what drives today's hottest comedians to get up in front of a roomful of strangers to be the center of attention and tell jokes. Kevin was ultimately curious about the type of person who suffers from 'hey look at me syndrome devoted to acceptance and appreciation.' He tells Robin he began with a very strict shooting schedule which allowed for a commitment from comedians; most of them his friends such as Jimmy Fallon, Amy Schumer, Christopher Guest, Janeane Garofalo, Bob Saget, Lisa Kudrow, Tom Hanks, Kevin Nealon, and Larry David; to name a few. By the end he had over 60 but one that was sorely missed is the late Robin Williams, a mentor and close friend to Kevin, who unfortunately was not available during the locked-in time. Kevin says they had hour-long conversations which made up fo

Milling About visits Bang Candy Company in Nashville, Tennessee where handmade gourmet marshmallows are the bomb! There's all types of confection creations designed by owner Sarah Souther. Sarah came to Nashville by way of Ireland and the idea for her candy company started over dinner with a friend when her dessert contained a handmade marshmallow. She tells host Robin Milling, 'I thought, wow, people make marshmallows! I went home and I messed around in my cupboard and I found some cardamom and some rose. I thought, ooh I'll make a rose cardamom marshmallow! It's very simple; gelatin, some syrup and you whip it up until it gains volume, cools, traps the air bubbles and then you have this lovely spongy substance.' A big hit at a potluck party, Sarah was convinced she could make a business out of her designer marshmallows and she did. She jokes how she first would 'deal marshmallows' to friends in parking lots but then expanded to a 'shed on wheels' to cart her sweets around town called The Cocoa Van. Their h

Let's Do Lunch! visits Lockeland Table in Nashville, Tennessee; a neighborhood restaurant that features delicious and creative cuisine, and gives back to the community it serves. The home of Lockeland Table is steeped in history going back to the 1930s. It's old world charm is preserved with the original facade, and murals of the previous establishments line brick walls. From 4-6pm they offer a Community Hour; a happy hour menu where a portion of the proceeds benefit Lockeland Springs Elementary School PTO and other local organizations. Some of the snacks to share are whipped goat cheese topped with grilled leeks prepared with butter and worcestershire sauce served with grilled pita, homemade vinegar chips soaked for three days for the ultimate flavor where you can't eat just one, and to-die-for New York Cheese pizza with chili oil that rivals it's namesake. The dishes have a gourmet flair, exquisitely prepared by Chef Hal who hails from West Virginia and was inspired at five years old spending time in the k

Milling About visits The Big Bungalow in Nashville, Tennessee. Located in historic Edgefield, it's a homey three bedroom B&B, owned and operated by Ellen Warshaw. A native New Yorker, Ellen tells host Robin Milling how she came to Music City with the dream of continuing her career as a singer/songwriter when 'the 80s and MTV killed my careeer'! As John Lennon says, 'life is what happens while you are busy making other plans;' Ellen made a go of it but found her style wasn't in harmony with everyone else's so she set her sights on something new. She says, 'It wasn't my heart. Rock 'n roll was my thing and here it's a different language. It wasn't fun anymore, so you have to move onto the next thing. I write feel songs and country music is story songs and that wasn't my story.' That next chapter of her story was the hospitality business, specifically a B&B which came to her in a eureka moment one morning. Her philosophy was, 'if you build it they will come and that's what happened!' Her love of music i

Sam Jaeger explores a different kind of parenthood in the indie short Plain Clothes. Sam wrote, directed and stars as a cop trying to balance the brutality of his work without bringing it home to his family. In real life, Sam is a family man with two boys who married his college sweetheart. He tells host Robin Milliing how the themes of marriage and family have resonated throughout his projects. He says, 'I guess I've always been fascinated by how we are defined by our families. Parenthood was another avenue of that. The construct of that entire show was we're fallible people but we're trying to do better.' Growing up in the small quaint Ohio town of Perrysburg, Sam says he sought out the movies rather than 'drinking and sledding.' The Dead Poets Society inspired him to become an actor. His passion for filmmaking began in high school where he'd shoot movies on VHS and offer free rentals in the local video store. He says taking control of the stories he wanted to tell was what compelled him to write and direc

Milling About visits the Urban Wine Trail in Santa Barbara's Funk Zone. Our first stop is Cottonwood Canyon (www.cottonwoodcanyon.com) hosted by Randy. Known for their Pinot Noir, it's the first winery in Santa Barbara county to be put in caves; 6,000 square feet to keep the temperature and humidity constant for fine wines. They also have a European style 2001 Pinot with hints of earthy peat moss, mushroom truffle, caramel smoke and then the berries (in that order). Randy says their 'slap upside the head' perfect prime rib Syrah has red licorice and plum flavors. And their dessert Syrah comes with instructions to go perfectly with chocolate. Our next stop is the Santa Barbara Winery (www.sbwinery.com) hosted by Shai. It's the oldest winery in the Funk Zone. Their white wine is produced on the premises and their reds are done at Lafond vineyards in the Santa Rita hills. Their Pinot Gris has aromatics of granny smith apple and green pear; Shai recommends it as a cocktail wine. Their Reislings have different le

Milling About visits the Bath Street Inn in Santa Barbara, California. Host Robin Milling chats with co-owner Deborah about this lovely 1895 Victorian home which was gifted by Mr. Hales to his wife Abigail for their 50th wedding anniversary. In fact, Deborah tells Robin that The Abigail Room is the former master bedroom where guests have reported sightings of a white-haired woman sitting on the edge of their bed. This however was 15 years before their time with the inn so Deborah jokes that perhaps she's moved out! The Bath Street Inn is a mixture of the old and the new with eight guest rooms. We stayed in The Rose Room, aptly named for the wallpaper which has a jacuzzi; perfect at the end of a long day walking downtown Santa Barbara. The newer Summer House with fireplaces and jacuzzis is adjacent to the wisteria covered courtyard where breakfast is also served. And breakfast is a healthier vegetarian alternative which Deborah says was put into place because the former owner wasn't exactly a morning person!

Multi-talented performer Sam Harris joins host Robin Milling for a backstage chat about his one-man musical, 'Ham: A Musical Memoir,' now playing at Theater 511 at Ars Nova in New York City. Directed by Billy Porter, featuring pianist Todd Schroeder, the show is based on his autobiography, 'Ham: Slices of A Life.' On stage Sam expertly tells stories, speaking about his life's journey from boyhood to the present; whether in song or candid monologues. He tells Robin he's embraced the term, 'ham,' recalling his earliest performance at three singing The Star Spangled Banner at a football game in Sand Springs, Oklahoma. Sam says performing is everything to him. 'It was my coping mechanism being a little bit of a different kind of kid growing up in rural, Baptist South; the buckle of the bible belt! For a burgeoning gay showbusiness kid it was a little freaky especially being born in the early 60s.' And for those not born in the 60s, Star Search was the American Idol of it's day, where Sam won the 1983 grand cham

Thomas Jane brings in the new year with Vice, playing a futuristic cop investigating a resort run by Bruce Willis, where human-like androids (Ambyr Childers) programmed to fulfill a user's fantasy have gone off the grid. Jane tells host Robin Milling he is a Sci-Fi fan so the opportunity to tell the story which might be a cautionary tale of abusing technology in the present, intrigued him. He admits he is not a fan of social media but got into the game with his own site, http://www.rawstudios.com/ where he can check in occassionally to a supportive forum of like-minded graphic novel enthusiasts. He jokes, 'Nobody has created a fake Thomas Jane account on my forum; at least not that I know of!' Thomas' plans for 2015 are vast, with a second graphic novel in the works, and a western that he wrote which he hopes to direct. The working title is 'The Magnificent Death From A Shattered Hand.' On the small screen he's got The Expanse for SyFy and the History channel's Texas Rising, which features his daughter maki

To celebrate the holidays, Milling About joins the cast of Elf, now playing at The Papermill Playhouse. Based on the film, it's a musical about Buddy, an oprhan who was left on Santa's doorstep in the North Pole and raised by elves. All grown up, he returns to earth to discover his true identity; and in the process learns much more about love and family. Host Robin Milling asks James Moye (Buddy), Heidi Blickenstaff (Emily Hobbs), Robert Cuccioli (Walter Hobbs), Jake Faragalli (Michael), Kate Fahrner (Jovie), Paul C. Vogt (Santa) and Matthew Sklar (Composer) about five things they couldn't live without if they traveled from earth to the North Pole and their fondest Christmas memories.

Bill Pullman joins host Robin Milling celebrating the 5th Anniversary show of Let's Do Lunch! at Urbo in the heart of Times Square. Just a couple of blocks west, Bill is starring in The New Group's Sticks and Bones at The Pershing Square Signature Center Theater. The play by David Rabe focuses on the devastating toll war can take on a family, and how they deal with their son returning home from the war. Bill tells Robin of his affinity to the military and the intensity of the play, sharing a dressing room with co-star Richard Chamberlain, and his affection for the rest of the cast featuring Holly Hunter, Ben Schnetzer, Raviv Ullman, Nadia Gan and Morocco Omari. The conversation with Bill is always delightful, as we discussed everything from his musical family, his adventures in Norway as he's on his way to star in Othello, with his friend and director Stein Winge, his next bow on Broadway, and of course the sequel to Independence Day. Lunch at Urbo (named for Urban Bohemian), a two-story restaurant featuri

John R. Waters brings his own imaginings of John Lennon through music and stories to the stage in Lennon: Through A Glass Onion. He joins host Robin Milling backstage at the Union Square Theater to discuss his inspiration for the show that began 22 years ago in a pub in Australia. Waters, who was born in London, tells Robin how he got his first theatrical break playing Claude in the original Sydney production of Hair, leading to acting gigs that have made him a famous name down under. The steady work drew him to raise his family there. Waters tells Robin he first discovered the Beatles listening to pirate broadcasting from Radio Luxembourg under the covers when he was a teenager. Waters doesn't claim to be a Beatles scholar, admitting he didn't do much research on the Fab Four to tell the stories in the show; which he says are his own interpretations of Lennon, and of course Yoko. Her greenlighting the show meant it could come to New York where John says the show belongs. Don't expect to see a Lennon look-al

Author Robyn Webb joins host Robin Milling to discuss her E-book 'The Paris Vacation Apartment Guide.' Inspired by her love of Paris and desire to live amongst the locals, Robyn crafted this how-to guide with detailed instructions on how to find the perfect Parisian apartment for your next visit to the city of lights. Robyn, who grew up in the hotel business as her parents worked for the famed Concord hotel was like Eloise of the Borscht Belt. A foodie, nutritionist and cookbook author, she changed to apartment renting in Paris for the excitement of cooking her own meals; even buying aluminum foil. She talks about some of the challenges she experienced the first time renting like getting the key into the front door! However she assures that rental agencies provide on-sight assistance when emergencies arise. Private listing services like Air B 'n' B come with a renter beware warning, as Robyn discusses the potential nightmare of being homeless on the streets of Paris when dealing with an owner. If you've nev

Jonny Orsini (Broadway's The Nance, MacBeth) makes his Off-Broadway leading debut in Almost Home playing a marine who returns home to uncertainties and challenges after his tour of duty. Jonny tells host Robin Milling he went the distance for the role taking on the physique of a marine with lots of pull-ups and push-ups consulted by former marines, co-star Joe Lisi playing his father and playwrite Walter Anderson who based the play on his own experiences in Vietnam. He also had to be mindful of his vegan diet so he reveals the 'eggs' he eats on stage every performance prepared by his mother, played by Karen Ziemba (Bullets Over Broadway), are really tofu scramble made to look like the real thing. Jonny has an affinity for men in service, playing a marine before in the film Cigarette Candy. He says he deeply admires their sacrifice and contribution and is honored to bring their stories to light. Born in the small town of Cheshire, Connecticut Jonny gave up the saxophone to pursue sports and that fell by the w