It’s been a while since a SXSW midnight screening left me with a big smile coming out of the theater and DEADSTREAM did this to me. The only way I can describe this film is EVIL DEAD meets PARANORMAL ACTIVITY. It’s like if Sam Raimi made a found footage film and a parody of streaming culture.
The film is about a disgraced internet personality that is trying to get his fame back. After a controversial video he lost everything and now he must take extreme measures to get his internet fame back. His latest ploy is to do a live streaming of him spending the night in one most haunted house in America. Let’s just say once he gets to the haunted house, he makes things worse for himself and he purposely closes any escape exit for himself.
I love this influencer as he is a complete idiot that you can’t help but root for him. He is like a clown, and you’re not surprised many of his audiences in his internet videos are kids. It seems he is always making things worse. He is the guy that will read the Necronomicon on purpose.
They do a great job in solving the problem of found footage film of why the character is still holding the camera. As the influencer has cameras all over the house and has a gopro camera strap to himself, the filmmakers came up with a great idea that he is getting help from his streaming audience throughout the film. It gives it a video game look to the movie.
I was amazed that most of the effects in this movie were all practical. They did an amazing job with said effects, even one involving a finger and a nose. The entire film takes place in a small location and the crew did a great job in this environment and it feels like every room in this house threat increases as the movie progresses. I should mention too that this is a horror comedy and I was laughing and legitimately scared in this film. I was closing my eyes with this.
DEADSTREAM is great and go watch it as soon as possible! I am happy to say that this film has been picked by the streaming horror site Shudder. It’s safe to say this one is my all-time favorite SXSW midnight screenings and I hope these filmmakers get recognition as I want to see more of their work.
This film and many others like it will be showing at South By Southwest taking place March 11-20. For more information point your browser to www.sxsw.com!