Chris Collins Show

JUST TALKING

Gen Z Critics Co-Founder Elizabeth 'Betsy' Kim joins JUST TALKING to predict 2022 Oscars.  Oscar season 2022 is here and who grabs the golden trophy for Millennials and Gen Z fans? — CODA—nothing else, just CODA.  You can measure the value of a film by questioning whether it’s worth your money or your time.  Relying on cinematic stereotypes is lazy story telling—nerdy Asians, British villains, German Nazis and uncultured countries.  Why keep remaking movies with Hollywood color-casting?  Why are we letting diversity quotas ruin movies?  Aren’t show runners doing their homework when there’s already established franchise material?  Look at Jake Gyllenhaal as the Prince in The Prince of Persia, Tom Cruise as The Last Samurai and John Cho as Spike Spiegel in Netfix Cowboy Bebop adaptation—this should be a wake-up call! Follow Gen Z critics: https://genzcritics.com

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Singer/Songwriter Sophia Marie joins STRIKE A CHORD from Washington D.C. to discuss her debut EP entitled “Foreigner.” When Sophia isn’t recording music she’s at Georgetown University writing papers, supporting her sorority organization and working at an internship—she is busy! Coming from the West Coast to the East Coast can take some adjustment time. West coast people generally have a really chill vibe.  “On the East coast everyone is into consulting, politics and a cut-throat mentality.”  “Foreigner” EP track “Venice Beach to Washington D.C,” is a legally blonde song embracing the challenge of transitioning from one place to the next—finding your own voice and not relying on politicians and celebrity elites to tell you what to believe in!  Sophia’s single “Foreigner” cautions those seduced by romanticism to fall in love with the person, not just the foreign accent. Follow and listen to Sophia Marie: https://www.instagram.com/la.sophiamarie

Moonraker vocalist and drummer David Green joins STRIKE A CHORD to discuss their upcoming album release “The Forest” available on May 6th. Crazy is contagious!  First single “Crickets” could be about anything that gets you going—NFT’s, bandmates, cryptocurrency, or simply giving in to the voice in your head that says “the world is against you!”  Punk Rock life is a hard knock life — just ask Annie.  The band’s gear gets stolen, they end up stranded in Mexico and in the middle of what became the pandemic. Most drummers would cry and die on their drumsticks but not Moonraker! Where other groups have joined the bandwagon of sucking on the crowdfunding tit—Moonraker stands defiant in the face of corporate overlords and says NO to whoring themselves out to social media. Moonraker gains strength from “being original, being yourself and doing the thing that maybe isn’t the thing.” Follow, support and listen at https://www.instagram.com/moonrakerpunx

CCS Video Game Contributor HenriK The WrecK joins JUST TALKING to answer the most important video game questions.  What’s more important, playing Video Games or playing with Pussy? — you just need to push the buttons, right?  What type of fluids do Gamers drink to get their game on? — alcohol?  Is that a sports drink or water with a dash of alcohol?  Gaming life is tough, you’re streaming live and you’ve got to blow your nose!  Jack Traven asks—what do you do? WHAT DO YOU DO? Speed (1994).  This one is pretty easy.  You’re watching a cut scene and your girlfriend calls, do you pick up or ignore the call? — you pick up and ignore the call until the cut scene is over, right?  Top games of 2022: ELDEN RING and Horizon Forbidden West are going toe to toe for game of the year.  Valve Steam Deck takes a stand against NFT's blockchain technology and cryptocurrency.  While Amazon says Bye Felicia! to the gaming console (PlayStation, Switch, Xbox). It’s all about cloud gaming now.  All you need is a Luna controller and a Smart TV to play the latest titles.  OR will it end up like Google Stadia's cloud gaming platform—dead flat as Mario smashed mushrooms!!!???

The idea for the EyeHarp was born in 2010, when a musician friend of Zacharias Vamvakousis was involved in a serious motorcycle accident, and it was unclear if he would be able to play music ever again. At that time, Zacharías realized that there was no musical instrument accessible for quadriplegic people, and he began developing the Eyeharp. Eyeharp is a social project with the mission of improving the quality of life of people with disabilities through music. EyeHarp is the first musical instrument that allows people with disabilities to learn and play music with gaze or with head movements.

The Chris Collins Show welcomes our newest CCS Contributor HenriK The WrecK.  Henrik will be dropping the latest Video Game related news, reviews and boos! This week we’re talking about video game TV and film adaptations.  In 2022 alone there are about 40 shows hitting streaming services and theaters between Netflix, Paramount +, Amazon, Sony and HBO Max.  Critics and fans should be dripping in nerd drool—BUT with so many releases suffering from bad casting, bad writing, and poor visuals — are they worth watching?  You know what the millennials say. YOU go WOKE you go BROKE?  Horror and campy action is a marriage made in heaven when you’re playing a video game—BUT even Sony’s Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021) live action movie made flesh eating zombies go vegan???  Playing video games is a lot like smoking the devil’s lettuce—it’s an escape from reality — like weed! There’s an estimated 3.2 billion Gamers across the globe.  What about the next generation consoles and PC’s to meet the demand?  It used to be, insert the cartridge or cd, wait for the loading screen and press A on your controller.  The economics of gaming is more complicated.  There’s MTX (microtransactions), game subscriptions, game passes, seasonal passes and now game NFT’s (Non-Fungible Token).  Game companies love it and Gamers hate it — is this just another cash grab?  With a global chip shortage and not enough next generation PS5’s and Xbox’s to go around, is this the end of the console wars — do the PC’s win?

Throw those V’s UP for the Vision Twins, Angelo and Kalvin!  The Vision Twins join JUST TALKING to share their story from FAT to FIT.  It started back in high school.  The brothers developed a millennial fitness social media vision— and 3 million followers joined the Twins on TikTok.  Studies show millennials are the fattest generation — of course “we’ve been raised on a smartphone!” The Vision Twins “vision”—YOU don’t need to love workout routines—“don’t look for results, fall in love with the process.”  YOU don’t need to be “gym-rat” to make it happen.  Keep it simple, start with a walk — “just do something!”  Conquering your weight loss journey isn’t easy.  BUT meeting those objectives is proof that you can achieve more goals in your life. “It feels like everything else is just open to you.”  Love yourself. If you need online fitness guidance—the Vision Twins have a new “vision” for YOU! Follow and Support https://visiontwins.com

Actress Cristina Catalina joins JUST TALKING to discuss her anti Rom-com Comedy, I’m Not In Love.  Is falling in love an “old school” notion?  Do millennials need love in their metaverse existence? “It can be tricky to find the right person”…. I remember Grandma used to say—“the way to rule a man is through his stomach”—try feeding a guy with a VR helmet on! The swipe right regret later is easy and dating is hard.  Are we suffering from choice overload—apps, websites and social media?  How can we tell if the grass is greener on the other side when it’s easier to catch COVID before you catch feelings?  Millennial break up advice in the age of online dating—be honest and caring—OR take the easy route, GHOST them with EMOJIS!  When is it acceptable to meet with an ex?—NEVER!  You know what they say. “38 is the new 29… not for my ovaries.”  Watch I’m Not In Love on Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Im-Not-Love-Al-Weaver/dp/B091LB3985/ref=nodl_

JUST TALKING

11X Daytime Emmy Award winning Actor and X-Games Gold Medalist, Kristos Andrews joins JUST TALKING to discuss his transformation from skateboarder to actor to director and producer.  From Dog-Town to the X-Games Kristos was inspired by big risk takers like Jamie Thomas “Leap Of Faith” and Jereme Rogers, giving rise to viewing the rogue “street skater” as an athlete meets Rock Star icon — it’s “rebel culture by nature.” Skateboarding is an art and your skateboard is your brush — push limits, take fears as a challenge…“enjoy the process of failing forward.”  Kristos is well known for the character Pete Garrett on The Bay.  Kristos is still hungry and passionate about the next part of the journey — “You’ve got to think ahead and when you can—take that leap of faith.” Watch The Bay on Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.com/The-Bay-Season-1/dp/B07Z9T13J4

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Miami Indie-alternative Rock Band Cannibal Kids lead singer/songwriter Damian Gutierrez joins STRIKE A CHORD to discuss their latest hit track Jeans.  So, why the band’s name Cannibal Kids?  Living in the city we all become “Urban Explorers.” Cannibal Kids explored an abandoned, scary as hell place while just a little high—“we were in a place we shouldn’t have been.”  There’s been a crime!  Call Miami Vice!   Their latest track Jeans opens with the lyrics “Maybe it’s time that I open up a pair of jeans just to say what’s up!”  Opening your jeans for love can be scary.  But don’t worry!  The track Falling in Love at Wii Sports Resort has a great synth pop beat.  According to the Cannibal Kids — “the future is digital, fall in love with a computer—BUT only if you have a high speed fiber internet—OR the Love Connection will be disconnected. This pandemic has got us anxious and questioning our sanity at the same time. Cannibal Kids Go Outside is the perfect track to describe how we’re all feeling right now. Support. Follow. Listen to the Cannibal Kids at: https://www.cannibalkids.com.

The Phoenix Within joins OFF THE FRET to break down their new album OVERDUE.

OFF THE FRET, MORE MUSIC, MORE MUSIC TALK! If you’re like ME – MUSIC is everything! Since day one it’s been a passion of mine to create an opportunity to showcase amazing up-and-coming artists.  The CHRIS COLLINS SHOW has interviewed some of the most incredible international and national bands out there—from Finland, the Philippines, India and UK—to NY, LA, Texas and Nashville—you name it. We are so fortunate to have this outlet to show you guys some of the most talented musicians out there today!  There’s no other medium that brings people together like LIVE MUSIC.  Join me and listen to our first OFF THE FRET podcast.  More Music. More Music Talk!—with THE PHOENIX WITHIN!

BILLBOARD Artist, Actress, Singer-song writer and Executive Producer, Joy Villa joins JUST TALKING to talk about her latest film—The Contrast.  Joy plays Maria, who on the day before her wedding to a hipster playboy meets an Army Colonel, and struggles to decide between obligation and love.  The Contrast was adapted from Royall Tyler’s 1787 stage play but 235+ years later has society really changed? What attracted Joy to the character Maria?  When writer/producer Chris Johnson says you’re the perfect Maria—you take the role!  Wait!  Was that Joy Villa in Hero’s from back in the day? In the early days Joy got some industry push back because of her tats, unique style and attitude — “you need to be like everyone else—commercial.”  Joy’s response, “I’ll come back to the industry when the industry is ready for me!” And she IS ready! The Contrast has millennial jokes, contemporary style and handsome men for the ladies.  BUT it also addresses an existential life question—do I please my family and society or go with my heart?  The Contrast is a millennial romantic comedy.  It’s relatable and fun.  In 2017 Joy’s “I Make The Static” made it to #1 on iTunes and Amazon music—“every voice should be heard.”  There’s a voice that sings to us, reminds us to be open to all walks of life and brings us nothing but “Joy.”   Watch The Contrast on Amazon Prime January 18th 2022.