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Dead Meat (YouTube channel)

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Dead Meat
Websitedeadmeat.rip
YouTube information
Channel
Created byJames A. Janisse, Chelsea Rebecca
Years active2017–present
Subscribers6.67 million[1]
Total views2.68 billion[1]
100,000 subscribers2017
1,000,000 subscribers2018
Last updated: December 20, 2024

Dead Meat is an American YouTube channel dedicated to horror films and other horror-adjacent media. It covers the amount of character and creature deaths in movies, along with providing comedic commentary and behind-the-scenes information. It was created on April 7, 2017, by James A. Janisse and Chelsea Rebecca.[2][3][4]

History

[edit]

Founded in 2017 by partners (and now spouses) James A. Janisse and Chelsea Rebecca, the channel is known primarily for its Kill Count series, where Janisse humorously summarizes horror films every Friday, counting the number of on-screen deaths and offering behind-the-scenes insights. At the end of every episode, a tally is read out along with other data about the movie and how its kills compare to other films with similar kill-counts.[5] Then, a Golden Chainsaw is awarded for the "coolest" kill in the given film, while a Dull Machete is awarded for the "lamest" (least creative or obscured/off-screen) kill.[5] The channel is hosted by Janisse, with Rebecca and Janisse's best friend Zoran Gvojic occasionally serving as auxiliary hosts.[5]

An example of a "Kill Graphic" from the Night of the Living Dead Kill Count
An example of a "kill graphic" from the Night of the Living Dead Kill Count

The channel has covered a wide array of horror films, including well known and popular franchises like Child's Play, Friday the 13th, Halloween, Saw, Scream, and It, as well as classic horror films, cult-classic horror films, and lesser known exploitation and B-movies.[6] The channel has also covered horror-adjacent films such Mortal Kombat and Upgrade.[citation needed]

Janisse and Rebecca met as film students at the University of Michigan.[6] Their shared passion for horror led to the creation of Dead Meat in 2017. The channel quickly gained popularity, reaching one million subscribers by 2018.

In 2018, Rebecca launched the Dead Meat Podcast, co-hosted with Janisse. The podcast explores horror films, industry trends, and cultural significance, featuring reviews, interviews, thematic discussions, and games based around the horror genre and its related trivia.[3][6] Content on Dead Meat includes behind-the-scenes information and research, such as the “Final Girl” episode of the podcast which drew on the work of Carol Clover.[7][8] A number of actors and directors have been interviewed on the show, including Heather Langenkamp,[9] Nicholas McCarthy,[10] Joe Lynch,[11] and Don Mancini.[12]

In addition to the films primarily featured on the channel, Dead Meat has branched out to discuss other topics in the horror genre, including television and video games. This expansion was partially motivated by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, where the Dead Meat hosts sought to solidarity with those on strike by not reviewing struck media, starting with a kill count for Don't Hug Me I'm Scared.[13]

Justina Bonilla of the The Hollywood Reporter described The Kill Count as “giving viewers a deeper understanding and appreciation of the art and technicalities of horror.” Mike Flanagan, critically acclaimed horror director, praised the channel, saying “It’s not just commentary, it’s not just critique, it’s excellent entertainment in its own right, and beautifully produced by James and Chelsea”.[2]

Other activities

[edit]

Janisse and Rebecca had a cameo in the 2022 film Scream as two fictional YouTube movie critics called Film Fails.[14]

In 2022, Dead Meat partnered with Shudder to host the annual Dead Meat Horror Awards,[2][6][15] which celebrates achievements in the horror film genre of the year.

On October 29, 2024, Janisse and Rebecca were featured in the music video for rapper T-Pain's "Does She Know?".[16][17]

Also in 2024, it was announced that Janisse would be appearing in an upcoming horror anthology called Grind.[18][19][20]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "About Dead Meat". YouTube.
  2. ^ a b c Bonilla, Justina (2023-01-22). "Meet YouTube's Impresario of Horror: James A. Janisse". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  3. ^ a b Bolton, Cameron (2023-01-24). "Dead Meat Creator Addresses the Massive Popularity of Horror Movies". MovieWeb. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  4. ^ "'The Kill Count' Is Cliffs Notes For Horror Fans". 2020-10-20. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
  5. ^ a b c Odette, John (2022-01-20). "Dead Meat YouTube Series 'Kill Count' Returns with First-Ever Guest Host". HorrorGeekLife. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  6. ^ a b c d Mitchell, Matt (June 14, 2022). "YouTube Channel Dead Meat Gives Hilarious New Life to Horror Film Legacies". Paste. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  7. ^ Shedwick, Gaby (2023-07-17). "The Dead Meat Podcast is a horror safe haven". theboar.org. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
  8. ^ Dead Meat Presents... (2018-06-26). Final Girl (Dead Meat Podcast #15). Retrieved 2024-12-02 – via YouTube.
  9. ^ Dead Meat Presents... (2020-02-11). Interview with Heather Langenkamp (Dead Meat Podcast #91). Retrieved 2024-12-02 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ Dead Meat Presents... (2019-02-05). Interview with Director Nicholas McCarthy (Dead Meat Podcast #44). Retrieved 2024-12-02 – via YouTube.
  11. ^ Dead Meat Presents... (2021-04-13). Interview with Joe Lynch (Dead Meat Podcast #141). Retrieved 2024-12-02 – via YouTube.
  12. ^ Dead Meat Presents... (2021-12-11). CHUCKY Interviews - series creator Don Mancini & Teen Cast. Retrieved 2024-12-02 – via YouTube.
  13. ^ "Popular Horror YouTube Channel Is Branching Into Video Games!". gametyrant.com. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
  14. ^ Dominguez, Noah (2022-01-19). "Scream Quietly Confirms a Fan-Favorite Character Survived a Previous Film". CBR. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  15. ^ Squires, John (2022-04-04). "Watch the First Annual "Dead Meat Horror Awards" Celebrating the Best Horror of 2021!". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
  16. ^ "T-Pain: Does She Know?". FilmAffinity. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  17. ^ "T-pain's DOES SHE KNOW (2024 Music Video) KILL COUNT". Dead Meat. November 6, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  18. ^ Squires, John (2024-08-13). "'Grind' – New Horror Anthology from Brea Grant Tackles Late Stage Capitalism". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
  19. ^ Grobar, Matt (2024-08-13). "James Paxton, Christopher Marquette, James Urbaniak, Rob Huebel & More Set For Horror Anthology 'Grind'". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
  20. ^ Hamman, Cody (2024-08-15). "Grind: directors Brea Grant and Ed Dougherty have wrapped production on horror anthology". JoBlo. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
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