If your biggest Friday night struggle is spending two hours scrolling through streaming apps only to settle on a movie you’ve already seen a hundred times, Joseph Scrimshaw’s meta-horror comedy Dead Media is about to trigger some major existential dread. Executive-produced by genre veteran Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2, Mayhem), this clever, nostalgic nightmare is an exciting homage to cult classics, analog horror, and the bygone glory days of DVD easter eggs.
The film officially slices its way into select theaters on July 16, before landing on VOD platforms on July 28.
What’s It About?
The narrative tackles the modern tragedy of analysis paralysis before taking a hard, bloody turn into physical media nostalgia:
The story follows Maggie (Sammi-Jack Martinack), a troubled young woman just trying to survive a routine movie night with her two best friends. After countless minutes of mindlessly scrolling through streaming menus, the gang decides to digitally rent a long-lost 1990s cult-classic horror flick titled The Lurcher.
Before they can even hit play, Maggie’s intensely lonely, super-fan uncle ( James Urbaniak) drops by unannounced. He insists they skip the compressed digital stream and experience the film the way God intended: on a physical DVD packed to the brim with unrated gore, deleted scenes, and “bonus content.” Unfortunately for them, once they dig into the analog features, they discover the disc is violently haunted. The film’s interactive horrors begin to materialize directly in their living room, turning the audio commentary into a literal fight for survival.
The film boasts a phenomenal, snappy ensemble cast including Sam Landman, Jessica Fenton, and Anna Sundberg. Vincent Rutherford and Scrimshaw led the production team.
The Roadshow & Screening Schedule
To celebrate the theatrical rollout, Dead Media is hitting the road for a specialized indie theater tour across the country. Check out the full list of dates, cities, and iconic micro-cinemas below to lock down your tickets!
Get ready for a scary good time, Dead Media is coming home. In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
