Chris Vander Kaay is a screenwriter and author of three nonfiction books on horror film history. His coffee table book Spoiler Alert: The Big Book of Movie Plots came out in early 2020, along with his first fiction book, the dystopian horror novel Life After Death. He can be found on Twitter at @ckvanderkaay, recommending underrated horror films and preaching the gospel of Pontypool and Dust Devil.
Born in the Central Valley of California, the legend of Smith began when he tried to turn into the Incredible Hulk as a child and was still beaten up by bullies. Writer of essays, composer of film scores. Lifelong Carpenter fanatic. Let’s get weird.
Born and raised in Toronto, and movie theatres. He’s been fascinated with film for as long as he can remember. He believes one of the best activities known to people is the post-movie discussion, so he and his friend Jeffrey started a podcast to have those conversations, while also asking questions to one another and the audience. This led him to film criticism and hasn’t looked back since.
Brett Gallman is a teacher, writer and lifelong movie fan. His origin story involves his parents literally using a video store as a babysitter and giving him free rein even in the horror section.
Brian is a freelance writer and podcaster who has somehow managed to convince his wife to name all their pets after Star Wars characters.
Chance Shirley is a watcher and occasional maker of “B” movies. His writing/directing credits include “Hide and Creep,” “Interplanetary,” and “For a Few Zombies More.” You can find him on Twitter (movies! TV! current events!) @crewless and also on Instagram (cat photos!) @crewless and also on the world wide web at crewless.com.
Daniel Wood is an English Literature and Journalism Graduate who loves to write about popular culture. In his spare time he collects comic books, reads fantasy novels, visits as many different restaurants as he can and he walks his Cocker Spaniel, Parker.
Living Blue in a Red State. Military Brat. Author of the Minni the Witch (www.minnithewitch.com) series.
Kate Oczypok is a 30-something freelance writer based in the Washington, DC area. She is a regular contributor to The Georgetowner locally, and has been published in The New York Times, Real Simple, Business Insider, The Kitchn and more. She currently lives with her fiancé Brad and French Bulldog Tito.
Lauren Miles is a freelance film journalist who loves all things gothic, fantasy, and film noir. She is also a Halloween enthusiast and cat lady. Her writing can be found at outlets such as Digital Spy, Film Stories, and more. You can read more of her film thoughts on Twitter @Lauren_M1les, and at The Reel Truth Reviews blog.
Nathan is a freelance journalist particularly interested in South-Korean media.
Orla Smith is a freelance film journalist and filmmaker based near London. She is the Executive Editor of film site and publishing house Seventh Row, where she has co-authored several books about the works of filmmakers such as Céline Sciamma and Kelly Reichardt.
Rachel Bellwoar really wants to visit the Criterion closet. Coca Cola is her coffee, and when she’s not writing for Council of Zoom you can find her reviews at Comicon, Flickering Myth, and Diabolique Magazine. She also has some essays in the upcoming book, ‘Tonight, On A Very Special Episode: A History of Sitcoms that Sometimes Got Serious.’
Richard Pallardy is a freelance writer based in Chicago. While he concentrates on science-related material, he also writes political and social commentary and occasional profiles of entertainers. He worked for Encyclopedia Britannica for seven years as an editor and has contributed to publications such as Earth Island Journal, ODDA Magazine, and Earth.com
