# Dead Meat (YouTube channel)

Dead Meat is an American YouTube channel dedicated to horror film/games and other horror-adjacent media. It covers the body count of character and creature deaths in movies and video games, along with providing comedic commentary and behind-the-scenes information. It was created on April 7, 2017, by James A. Janisse and Chelsea Rebecca.

## History

Founded in 2017 by partners (and now spouses) James A. Janisse and Chelsea Rebecca.

### "The Kill Count"

The channel is known primarily for its Kill Count series, where Janisse summarizes horror films every second and fourth Friday (with horror video game Kill Counts every Friday, counting the number of on-screen deaths and offering behind-the-scenes insights. At the end of every episode, a tally of the deaths, known as "the numbers" frequently accompanied by a comedic bit, is read out along with other data about the movie and how its kills compare to other films with similar kill-counts. 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 and certain franchises (such as Final Destination and Saw) also have special awards such as "Primo Premonition" and "Platinum Punji sticks". The channel is hosted by Janisse, with Rebecca and fellow YouTuber Zoran Gvojic occasionally serving as auxiliary hosts.
The channel has covered a wide array of horror films, 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. The channel has also covered horror-adjacent films such Mortal Kombat and Upgrade. Several notable celebrities have made cameos, including voice actor Roger L. Jackson, YouTuber MatPat, actor Mason Gooding, and director Jordan Downey.
Janisse and Rebecca met as film students at the University of Michigan. 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.

### "Dead Meat Podcast"

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. 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. A number of actors and directors have been interviewed on the show, including Heather Langenkamp, Nicholas McCarthy, Joe Lynch, and Don Mancini. 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 starting in 2025. This expansion was partially motivated by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, where Dead Meat voiced their solidarity with those on strike by not reviewing struck media, starting with a kill count for Don't Hug Me I'm Scared.
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”.
In 2025, Dead Meat announced videos would be delayed due to some of their members having to evacuate Los Angeles because of the 2025 California wildfires. They hosted a livestream on January 11, 2025, raising funds of over $20,000 USD for the wildfires. On January 17, the first Kill Count video since the delay was uploaded.

## Other activities
### "Dead Meat Horror Awards"

In 2022, Dead Meat partnered with Shudder to host the annual Dead Meat Horror Awards, which celebrates achievements in the horror film genre of the year. The Dead Meat Horror Awards has occurred every year ever since.
Janisse and Rebecca had a cameo in the 2022 film Scream as two fictional YouTube movie critics called Film Fails.
On October 29, 2024, Janisse and Rebecca executive produced and featured in the music video of musician T-Pain's "Does She Know?"
Also in 2024, it was announced that Janisse would be appearing in an upcoming horror anthology called Grind.