We’d never thought of it this way, but Gil Birmingham may be right: The Twilight series does owe a debt to William Shakespeare—namely, the bard’s most romantic play.

Interviewed on Neyom Friday, the actor who plays Billy Black—whose son is werewolf Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner)—offers his take on why Twilight is so captivating and addictive to audiences the world over.

“It’s the story of Romeo and Juliet. I think people tap into the heart more than anything. And that’s what they feel, even if it is a fantasy story,” Gil tells host Neyom Friday.

“It’s been spoken of before, but nobody has ever witnessed it or experienced it,” Gil (above with Taylor) tells us of Jacob’s transformation into a werewolf in “New Moon."

“It speaks to the longing that I think we all have, to love and to wanna be loved—and higher aspirations of ourselves.

“That’s why I feel proud to be part of it: It’s not filled with graphic violence or gratuitous sex. It makes you feel good.”

Gil also chats about the hit flick’s forthcoming sequels, New Moon and Eclipse.

“I’m so happy that the storyline’s gonna follow more of ‘the puppy pack,’ as I call them, and the wolves and the development of the story with my son, Jacob,” he says.

“We just finished filming Eclipse and it’s very, very rare to Read the rest of this entry »

Funnyman Steve Guttenberg’s plea for more screen time came a bit too late.

But Movie Addict Headquarters listeners loved it all the same.

"I know that Ravi and I are going to make more movies together," Steve (above) tells us.

Earlier today on the show, host Betty Jo Tucker was chatting with indy writer-director-actor Dr. Ravi Godse—who’s also a real-life physician—about his new comedy, If It Ain’t Broke, Break It, when a surprise guest called in with some criticism.

That guest, as you may have guessed, was none other than Steve himself, who plays the lead in the flick.

“Ravi, what aren’t I in more close-ups? I should have more close-ups. I don’t know why there aren’t more close-ups of me?” the Police Academy staple raged.

Ravi’s response? Read the rest of this entry »

Starting this week, as a premium host on BlogTalkRadio you can host your show using Skype, without Skype charges.

This new feature allows you to:

Download Skype.

—Easily dial into your show with a Skype-to-Skype call directly from the switchboard.

—Enhance the quality of your audio broadcast.

—Avoid domestic and international phone charges. Read the rest of this entry »

"I've been blessed to have that kind of mother," Rhonda says of Diana (above). "A mother who wanted the best for me."

You can’t hurry grandkids, as Diana Ross learned this year.

But now that the pop legend has finally got one, she’s tickled pink.

So reports her daughter, Rhonda Ross Kendrick, whose dad is Motown Records founder Berry Gordy.

Interviewed tonight on Timothy Hodge, Rhonda chats about giving birth to her son, Raif-Henok Emmanuel Kendrick, on Aug. 7, and how her mom has reacted to the bundle of joy.

“This is the first grandchild. It took us a long time—I mean, you know—but what are you gonna do?” Rhonda, who has been married to jazz pianist Rodney Kendrick since 1996, tells host Timothy Hodge. Read the rest of this entry »

For those of you who think the BlogTalkRadio guest roster is populated by nothing but Oscar winners, Emmy winners, Grammy winners, Tony winners, Pulitzer Prize winners, Nobel Prize winners, Olympic gold medalists and so on, think again. Because, thanks to Larry Suttles, we’ve also got names like Nick Mutton, who’s a prominent python breeder; Dave Kaufman, who directed Herpers, the first feature-length documentary on reptile culture; and Will Bird and Phil Peak, who penned the new book, A Snake Hunting Guide II. Since launching Reptile Radio two years ago, Larry and his sidekick, Brian “BT” Taylor, have become the go-to guys for news and info on the pet-reptile industry. And though Larry knew little about pythons when he began collecting the creatures in 2004, today he’s the proud owner of Bluegrass Reptiles, a Louisville, Ky.-based company that breeds and sells snakes and rodents. Now do us proud and put your tails claws hands together for Mr. Larry Suttles…

Larry: Lookin' sssssslick at the 2009 National Reptile Breeders Expo.

Give us a 15-second pitch for your show - why should listeners tune in?

Reptile Radio covers everything reptile hobbyists need to know. If you’re interested in reptiles on any level, you’ll find the show to be a wealth of information. Guests include the top herpetologists, breeders and keepers the world has to offer. [Editor's Note: Herpetology is the branch of zoology dealing with reptiles and amphibians, which we know because we just Googled it  We also Googled "breeders," but we'll refrain from repeating what that search turned up.] Read the rest of this entry »

While it’s true that there’s no shortage of celebrities on BlogTalkRadio, not all of them are here solely to pitch their latest flick, show, CD, book or other entertainment project.

Equally as often, big names take the time to address issues of a social nature. And so, for your listening pleasure and edification alike, we’ve woven together a socially-conscious edition of The Daily Mix.

On tonight’s show you will learn:

"Our foremothers and forefathers always kept the heat on the system, even if they were not armed with guns or baseball bats," says Bill (above).

—What comic Bill Cosby is referring to when he says, “You do not participate as a parent when you think the school system is going to do it for you.”

—When former E! News anchor Steve Kmetko—who now works for a website that connects the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community to local events—says, “She’s just there to do a good job. She’s not there because of her sexual orientation,” who he’s talking about.

—Who Beauty Shop star LisaRaye is chastising when she tells us, “They think our stories are ‘ghetto’ or ‘in the hood’ or only depicted to be in the black population. And that’s Read the rest of this entry »

If ever there were a time when family time was money—and less of both to boot—that time is now. Or more simply (albeit crudely) put: It’s a bitch out there for moms.

Fortunately, this week’s Blurb! Book of the Week honoree, Kristin Delfau, can help.

Kristin: For whom the clock tick$.

For her 272-page Turbo-Mom’s Guide to Saving Money Without Wasting Time “is written for women who need to save both time and money—while living in constant ‘turbo mode’ to squeeze everything into a 24-hour day.”

“We’re managing our households, taking care of our kids, holding down a job or two, sometimes with help from spouses and sometimes not,” says Kristin.

“How many hours do you spend trying to save money— and then realize that the effort and time outweighed the savings? Turbo-Mom isn’t about color-coding your closet or 101 uses for baking soda,” adds the Danbury, Conn., resident. Read the rest of this entry »

Today’s PR props go to Maegan Carberry—for being the latest BlogTalkRadio personality to hit the national press.

The co-host (with Ted Johnson and Teresa Valdez Klein) of Wilshire & Washington spoke to U.S. News & World Report recently for its Nov. 1 feature headlined “The Youth Movement: Confident, entrepreneurial, and socially conscious, generation Y begins to show the sure—if just a bit different—makings of leadership.”

Maegan: Makin' news.

Therein, Meagan finds herself mentioned alongside two of the most prominent names in the social-media industry.

“Companies are losing millions of dollars because of turnover and worrying over how to retain young talent long enough to move them into management positions,” writes reporter Amanda Ruggeri.

“An upside to all that is generation Y’s entrepreneurial streak. Combined with millennials’ tech savvy, the same confidence that’s irking managers is creating wunderkinder like Facebook founder Read the rest of this entry »

Go figure. Bella Thorne, the 13-year-old actress whose supernatural thriller, Forget Me Not, debuts tonight at the Screamfest Horror Film Festival in Hollywood, keeps a wolf as a house pet!

Interviewed on Film Festival Radio, the former child model reveals what it’s like cohabitating with the carnivore she calls Voodoo—who’s nearly as tall as she is.

Bella: Cool with canine creature.

“[Wolves] are known to scare away people in your yard. But Voodoo’s like, ‘Come here, guys! Let me show you to the door.  Come inside!’” she tells host Janice Malone.

“The funniest thing about having a wolf is that they’re so, like, not what you think when you hear, I have a wolf—even though his howl is kinda really scary. Because when he was attacked by two pit bulls, he got his jugular removed,” adds Bella, who has replaced Jolean Wejbe in the role of Tancy Henrickson on HBO’s polygamous-family drama Big Love, Season 4 of which gets under way January 10.

“His howl used to be like, ‘How-ooooo!’ Now it’s like ‘Argg-rrrrrr!’ It’s actually pretty funny when he howls and you’re on the phone.  Read the rest of this entry »

"At the end of the day, we have to do the things that make us feel great," Nia (above) tells us of beauty enhancements.

The longing for long, lustrous locks isn’t limited to African American ladies.

So says Nia Long, who’s among the A-list sisters interviewed in Good Hair, Chris Rock’s hilarious new documentary that “explores the wonders of African American hairstyles.”

Interviewed on Timothy Hodge, the actress, who has appeared in such hit flicks as Boyz n the Hood, Soul Food and Big Momma’s House, offers her take on terrific tresses.

“Good hair is hair that’s shiny and healthy. And for all my sisters out there who weave it in, that’s Read the rest of this entry »