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About The Gist

The Gist is an independent daily entertainment blog covering movies, TV, gaming, and more, (from the latest streaming drops to cult classics). The internet is rife with nastiness and outrage but we like to think of ourselves as an oasis in that particular desert. We just love entertainment in all its forms and we want to share that love. That’s it. We’re fun and upbeat and we’re powered by Plex, a place where that love of film and TV and podcasts and gaming exists in real time, with thousands upon thousands of things to watch and listen to and play and enjoy. Come for the hot takes, stay for the free movies!

 
 

Meet Our Staff

 
Our diverse staff was handpicked to match the vibe and tone of The Gist. We have industry professionals and ivy leaguers and TV staff writers and feature film producers and directors. Some writers we knew from other publications, others we forced off of their couches. Some are domestic and some are abroad. Our team spans four generations from Boomers to Gen X’ers to Millennials & Gen Z’ers, hoping that you’ll find someone with a perspective you can relate to. The net result is a staff full of distinct, wonderful voices. If you want to know the special sauce of The Gist, look no further than the amazing writers on staff. They are our everything.

Dustin Waters

Dustin Waters is a writer from Macon, Ga, currently living in D.C. After years as a beat reporter in the Lowcountry, he now focuses his time on historical oddities, trashy movies, and the merits of professional wrestling.

Thor Benander

Thor is the Editor-in-Chief of The Gist and a father of four. He's a lover of ancient history, Greek food and sports. He misses traveling and thinks that if libraries were the center of American society, many things would improve overnight. You can hit him up at [email protected]

Orly Minazad

Orly Minazad is freelance writer and regrets it every day of her life. She moved to the States from Iran in 1991 with her family seeking better opportunities only to waste them earning a Masters in Professional Writing degree from USC which no longer exists, cost a lot of money and for which she has nothing to show. No, she is not bitter at all. Why do you ask? Oh you didn't, ok. She lives with her husband and son in Los Angeles where she spends the day loading and unloading the dishwasher.

Tebany Yune

Video games and technology writer for The Gist. A simple soul that loves homemade pizza and happy dogs.

Matt Donato

Matt is a Los Angeles-based film critic currently published on SlashFilm, Nerdist, Fangoria, Collider, Dread Central, Bloody Disgusting, Atom Insider, Flickering Myth, SYFY, and Fandom. He is also a member of the Hollywood Critics Association. Definitely don’t feed him after midnight.

John Brown Spiers

John is a former academic and lifelong overthinker. He's written many short things and abandoned many long ones. He grew up in the Midwest, currently lives in the South, and would get lost in a different forest every day if he could. He is trying very hard.

Cindy Davis

Writer and Editor-in-Chief at @oohlo_com, also seen @pajiba, @bust_magazine. Currently working on her first novel, Cindy seeks solace in science fiction and tales of darkness not her own.

Laura J. Burns

Laura J. Burns writes books, writes for TV, and sometimes writes TV based on books and books based on TV. She's the managing editor of The Gist.

Emily Chambers

Emily has very strong opinions on very unimportant things and will fight you on those things for no reason. She's been known to try to make friends by quoting Brockmire and John Oliver at you. She's from Chicago and will remind you of that fact early and often. Do not feed the Emilys.

Sarah Robbins

Texas born and raised but Miami is my current home. I like sharp edges, especially when they're on people. Eternally searching for the best omelette, the best roller coaster and the best adult animation.

Allyson Arnone

Allyson lives in New York, where she was born and raised. She likes short stories and long movies. When she's not writing about Film & TV or conducting research for cultural institutions, you can find her making sure everyone knows she's Italian.

Ella Carroll-Smith

Ella is a writer originally from Gettysburg, PA and yes, her parents are Civil War reenactors (no really, they are!). She's worked on a few TV shows (Gotham, Hightown, Debris) and when she's not procrastinating writing the next great American novel, enjoys riding horses, attempting to go hiking instead of just talking about going hiking, and playing with her adorable dog, Finnegan.

Petr Knava

Petr has come to peace with the imminent fall of civilization. He thinks that as long as dogs, beer, and the Before Sunrise movies survive, then maybe it all wouldn't have been for nothing.

Daniel Carlson

Daniel Carlson is a lapsed film critic living in Houston, Texas. His work has appeared at Oscilloscope's Musings, The Hollywood Reporter, Bright Wall/Dark Room, and more. He and his wife host a podcast called "How Have You Not Seen This?!"

Seth Boston

Seth Boston is an LA-based writer hailing from a small town in midwest Arkansas you've never heard of. He's worked in various positions on numerous TV shows including Eleventh Hour, The Forgotten, and The Mentalist. His prolific writing earned him the work for which he's best known, as a writer and producer on the Emmy-winning series Gotham for Fox.

Tracey Lynn Lloyd

Tracey Lynn Lloyd has been a writer, a marketer, and a sarcastic smartypants. She has a BA from Yale, and an MBA from Duke, even though she couldn't tell you anything about finance. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her father and her cat, all of whom fight for control of the keyboard.

Orlando Bishop

Stand up comedian, TV writer, film director, coach, human dynamo. This Brooklyn-born Yale graduate and Los Angeles resident covers everything from sports to film and television.

Mary Beth McAndrews

Mary Beth McAndrews is a film and culture writer who has been published in places such as RogerEbert.com, Paste Magazine, Thrillist, Bloody Disgusting, Daily Grindhouse, and Shudder's The Bite. She's also the co-host for the podcasts Scarred for Life and Watched Once Never Again. Mary Beth will defend found footage with her dying breath.

Thomas Ochs

Thomas Ochs is the blog's resident boomer. He lives in Iowa at the midpoint between What Cheer and Zwingle, roughly, in an old house straining to survive the ravages wrought by four children, a couple of dogs, and lots of cats. You may follow him on Twitter @MrBissonette.

Nick Roskelly

Nick has spent a career in frantic newsrooms and hushed magazine cubicle farms. Now, he writes and edits from a porch with a pink ceiling in Chicago.

Chris Pearson

Chris Pearson co-created the animated show “Dan vs.”, which ran on The Hub Network from 2011-2013. He has also written for NowThis Politics and “Buddy Thunderstruck“ on Netflix. He currently lives in Pittsburgh.

Lindsay Traves

Lindsay Traves is a Toronto-based writer. After submitting her Bachelor’s thesis, “The Metaphysics of Schwarzenegger Movies,” she decided to focus on writing about her passions; sci-fi, horror, sports, and comic books. You can find her writing on, Pajiba, What to Watch, Grim Magazine, StarTrek.com, CGMagazine, and Bloody Disgusting and can follow her work on Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out her podcast, The Pod and The Pendulum, at your usual podcast spots and find The Smash List on YouTube for tech reviews.

Tuesday Lachlan

Student by day. Gamer by night. Wingnut by both. Women's soccer aficionado. *Not a vampire.