Dead Meat (YouTube channel)
| Dead Meat | ||||||||||
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 The logo of the Dead Meat channel | ||||||||||
| Website | deadmeat | |||||||||
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| Years active | 2017–present | |||||||||
| Subscribers | 6.7 million[1] | |||||||||
| Views | 2.7 billion[1] | |||||||||
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Last updated: December 20, 2024 | ||||||||||
Dead Meat is an American YouTube channel dedicated to horror film and horror-adjacent media. It is known mainly for the web series The Kill Count, which covers the body count of horror media, along with comedic commentary and behind-the-scenes information.[2][3][4] The channel was created on April 7, 2017 by partners (and now spouses) James A. Janisse and Chelsea Rebecca, who met as film students at the University of Michigan.[5]
Content
[edit]The Kill Count
[edit]The channel is known primarily for its Kill Count series, where Janisse summarizes horror films, counts the number of deaths, and offers behind-the-scenes insights. At the end of each episode a breakdown of the kills, known as "the numbers", is shared including a final tally, a gender breakdown, and awards for the coolest kill (Golden Chainsaw) and lamest kill (Dull Machete).[6] The channel is mainly hosted by Janisse, with Rebecca and channel co-writer Zoran Gvojic occasionally serving as auxiliary hosts.[6]
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A wide array of horror films have been covered, including well known and popular franchises like Child's Play, A Nightmare on Elm Street, 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.[5] The Kill Count has branched out to discuss other media in the horror genre, including television, video games, music videos, comic books, and Youtube videos such as Don't Hug Me I'm Scared.[7]
Podcasting
[edit]In 2018, Rebecca launched the Dead Meat Podcast, with Janisse as a co-host. The podcast explores horror films, industry trends, and cultural significance, featuring reviews, interviews, thematic discussions, and games based around the horror genre and related trivia.[3][5] Content on the Dead Meat Podcast includes behind-the-scenes information and research, such as the “Final Girl” episode of the podcast which drew on the work of Carol Clover.[8] In 2025, the Dead Meat Podcast became part of Bloody Disgusting’s Bloody FM podcast network.[9]
California wildfires charity stream
[edit]In early January 2025, Dead Meat announced some videos would be delayed as members of their team had to evacuate due to the Los Angeles wildfires.[10] They hosted a livestream on January 11, 2025 and raised over $20,000 USD for wildfire relief.[11]
Reception
[edit]Justina Bonilla of The Hollywood Reporter described The Kill Count as “giving viewers a deeper understanding and appreciation of the art and technicalities of horror.” Mike Flanagan, a 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]In 2022, Dead Meat partnered with Shudder to host the annual Dead Meat Horror Awards,[2][5][12] which celebrates achievements in the horror film genre of the year. The Dead Meat Horror Awards have occurred every year ever since.
Janisse and Rebecca had a cameo in the 2022 film Scream as two fictional YouTube movie critics for a Youtube channel called Film Fails.[13]
On October 29, 2024, Janisse and Rebecca executive produced and featured in a music video for musician T-Pain for the song "Does She Know?"[14]
In 2024 it was announced that Janisse would be appearing in an upcoming horror anthology called Grind.[15][16][17]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "About Dead Meat". YouTube.
- ^ a b c Bonilla, Justina (2023-01-22). "Meet YouTube's Impresario of Horror: James A. Janisse". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2023-07-25. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
- ^ a b Bolton, Cameron (2023-01-24). "Dead Meat Creator Addresses the Massive Popularity of Horror Movies". MovieWeb. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
- ^ "'The Kill Count' Is Cliffs Notes For Horror Fans". 2020-10-20. Archived from the original on 2024-12-02. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Odette, John (2022-01-20). "Dead Meat YouTube Series 'Kill Count' Returns with First-Ever Guest Host". HorrorGeekLife. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- ^ "Popular Horror YouTube Channel Is Branching Into Video Games!". gametyrant.com. 15 September 2023. Archived from the original on 2024-12-11. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
- ^ Shedwick, Gaby (2023-07-17). "The Dead Meat Podcast is a horror safe haven". theboar.org. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
- ^ "Welcome Dead Meat to the BloodyFM Podcast Network!". bloody-disgusting.com. 23 January 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
- ^ "Just a heads up: There will likely be delays with all Dead Meat releases for a short while due to the impacts of the catastrophic fires in Los Angeles. All of our team members are safe as of now although a few have had to evacuate their homes. My heart weeps for my city <3". Dead Meat. January 8, 2025. Archived from the original on January 10, 2025. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
- ^ "LA Wildfire Direct Relief Fundraising". Dead Meat. January 11, 2025. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Dominguez, Noah (2022-01-19). "Scream Quietly Confirms a Fan-Favorite Character Survived a Previous Film". CBR. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
- ^ "T-Pain: Does She Know?". FilmAffinity. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
- ^ Squires, John (2024-08-13). "'Grind' – New Horror Anthology from Brea Grant Tackles Late Stage Capitalism". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (2024-08-13). "James Paxton, Christopher Marquette, James Urbaniak, Rob Huebel & More Set For Horror Anthology 'Grind'". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
- ^ Hamman, Cody (2024-08-15). "Grind: directors Brea Grant and Ed Dougherty have wrapped production on horror anthology". JoBlo. Archived from the original on 2024-12-02. Retrieved 2024-11-27.