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About Us
Here at Pop-Corn Heist we aim to build an interactive community of TV & movie lovers, and bring pop-culture content to life in ways you've never seen before. From articles to rankings to podcasts to social media we cover all the action in every format possible. In turn we hope to amplify the voices of fans everywhere. Whether it be a hot take or conventional praise of a beloved film, you can find it here. #JoinTheHeist and never miss a scene.
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Meet The Team
Jake Zall
Co-Founder/Co-Creative Director
Favorite Movie-- Back to the Future
Favorite TV Show-- It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
The idea for Pop-Corn Heist started with Jake's background in radio combined with his affinity for theories related to his favorite movie saga, the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From Iron Man to The Avengers, he instantly became fascinated by the level of interconnected storytelling and loved introducing it to his friends. His Passion for popular film in general, however, started way before that. Growing up watching classic 80's movies with a family of Disney fanactics, Jake has been attuned to pop-culture nearly all his life. Years later, after bonding with his roommate Nick over obscure movie quotes, it was only a matter of time before the two brought Pop-Corn Heist to life. While the heist has expanded Jake's taste to many different areas, his devotion to Space Jam as a cinematic masterpiece will never weaken.​
Nick Mandala
Co-Founder/Co-Creative Director
Favorite Movie-- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Favorite TV Show-- Avatar: The Last Airbender
An avid Star Wars & Harry Potter fan for as long as he can remember, Nick's fascination with fantasy and pop-culture started at a very young age. During high-school, Nick became a quick super-fan of Game of Thrones, going on to read the books the series is based on and becoming entranced by the expanse of yet another fantasy universe. In college, his roommate Jake introduced him to the intricacies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and convinced him to be a part of a weekly radio show, transforming into Pop-Corn Heist once the two graduated. No matter how engulfed Nick becomes by different fantasy series & movies in general, what brings him to the theater most is his obsession for movie-theater popcorn.
Kayla Jimenez
Contributor: New & Noteworthy Lead
Favorite Movie-- Little Women
Favorite TV Show-- oof
Kayla has always been obsessed with storytelling. At a time B.S. (before streaming), she got her fix through hundreds of novels, staying up countless nights throughout her childhood to reach the end of yet another story arc. Once streaming came around, her obsession transformed from binging novels to binging series. The first series she watched start to finish sparked a love and appreciation for television that she hadn't had before. In college, Kayla's TV fanaticism skyrocketed. Finally having her own Netflix account and laptop opened up a whole new world of possibilities - by literally opening up infinite new worlds! She was transported to 30 Rockefeller Plaza, 1980's Medellin, an ad agency in 1960, and began to see television as an art and not a guilty pleasure. Kayla is a huge fan of all things entertainment industry, frequently watching celebrity interviews on late night shows, listening to deep-dive podcasts with creators and stars, and reading NYT reviews; she hopes to bring more conversations around television and film to the fans of Pop-Corn Heist.
Tommy Fitzgerald
Contributor: Trivia Host, #Done Lead
Favorite Movie-- The Departed
Favorite TV Show-- Peaky Blinders
Since high school, Tommy has watched any TV show that he could find. Starting with Entourage, he binged as many series as possible whether they were good or bad, new or old, long or short, dramatic or comedic. Among his favorites are It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Veep, The Sopranos and Peaky Blinders. Eventually the love of television translated into a love of movies. He watches every Academy Award nominated movie each year. He enjoys movies from every genre, but has a sweet spot for comedies and thrillers. His favorite thing to do is watch movies and shows labeled as "classics", like Friends and The Godfather, and find reasons not to like them.
