Michael Varrati

I was thrilled to chat with @bjcolangelo.bsky.social for this special @fangoria.bsky.social piece all about how the Chainsaw Awards come together, what it takes to build a show that's a little "weird," and why it ultimately feels like one big horror summer camp. Give it a read!

Now Variety w/ some news: SPIRIT TASTING, the new film from the incomparable @chrislamartina.bsky.social is almost upon us! I'm thrilled to share that I co-wrote this tale of New Year's Eve chills with Chris. I'm also one of the producers! And it's headed your way soon! variety.com/2026/film/ne...

Enormous ups to inimitable writer/director Michael Varrati, who moves mountains to bring us the Chainsaw Awards every year. It's an unruly project, but he rules, so it evens out. And to @brendohales.bsky.social for the most awesomely autumnal production design! Prettiest awards show, hands down 🎃🍂

@horrorgirlprobs.bsky.social I still can't believe you hung up on Ghostface.

Here are some 2026 Fangoria Chainsaw Award winners

Wasn’t allowed to show this one before the show aired.

Huge congratulations to @michaelvarrati.bsky.social for another fantastic Fangoria Chainsaw Awards. A wonderful time with @horrorgirlprobs.bsky.social, @jasonkauz.bsky.social, @bjcolangelo.bsky.social, @crazysexyghoul.bsky.social, @philnobilejr.bsky.social , and whole @fangoria.bsky.social team!

And with that, we wave adieu to the 2026 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards. Here's the complete list of this year's winners, as chosen by Fango readers.

During my tenure on the #ChainsawAwards, I’ve always ended each show by having the host say “Stay Scared“ as an homage to the legendary George A. Romero‘s signature quote, both as a tip of the hat to a foundational master, as well as my roots in Pittsburgh. Thanks for watching. Stay Scared.

A little mid @fangoria.bsky.social Chainsaw Awards Easter Egg: Most of the jack o’lanterns on @brendohales.bsky.social‘s beautiful set were carved by @philnobilejr.bsky.social and me. One of them was my homage to Endless Mike’s pumpkin head from THE ADVENTURES OF PETE & PETE episode “Halloweenies.”

Getting to watch the incredible artists BTS @fangoria.bsky.social Chainsaw Awards was such a treat (no tricks!) - thank you to @michaelvarrati.bsky.social, @philnobilejr.bsky.social & everyone at Fangoria for allowing us to be part of the 2026 show! 🌟 #fangoriachainsawawards #chainsawawards

Horror hostess Tarantula Ghoul

In advance of tonight's broadcast, please be advised that if you think there are too many "Children of the Corn" jokes, I originally had way more and showed personal restraint. At one point, I floated the idea that we call this year's show CHILDREN OF THE CORN 26: THE FANGORIA CHAINSAW AWARDS.

Happy Chainsaw Awards Day! I woke up way too early but so far my attempts to go back to sleep have failed. This tends to happen every year, the bolting awake with excitement. So many people work so hard to make this thing exist and I hope you all enjoy this massive labor of love. 💚

As 007 taught us, after you go to space you have to bring things back down to earth, and so @michaelvarrati.bsky.social and @brendohales.bsky.social did just that, setting this year’s Chainsaw Awards in a Halloween corn maze. TW: I will be presenting an award. Tonight at 9pm ET on Shudder TV!

…since it’s coming back, they should do a Stephen King episode and call it “…And That’s What You Mist on Glee.“

A group of Jessica Langes is called a “Murphy.”

The first segment of BODY BAGS is canonically set in Haddonfield, which begs the question: Which HALLOWEEN timeline is this story set within?

While we’re all discussing Tom Skerritt, I want to take a moment to say that, yes, POLTERGEIST III absolutely rips. In a franchise of movies made for midnight, III is the undeniably the 3am movie and it owns that weirdness. Skerritt absolutely got assignment and helped make it all the better.

In the wake of our episode celebrating 1980's MIDNIGHT MADNESS, our own @michaelvarrati.bsky.social just happened to be driving past one of the film's key locations...and obviously had to stop and take a photo in honor of the Great All-Nighter.

As a non-gamer, I know very little about Fortnite...which makes the announcements seem wild, bc every so often they'll declare a batch of disparate IP characters are joining the world. "You remember her as Bill Clinton's Attorney General, now she's coming to Fortnite: It's Janet Reno!" Why? How?!

Not only did I speak with the incomparable Mr. Lobo for @fangoria.bsky.social’s latest print edition, but I had this additional conversation with him, exclusive to the site, all about what it means to take on the identity of a horror host. Check it out!!!

The Great All-Nighter! On this week's @midnightmasspod.bsky.social, Peaches and I are celebrating 1980's MIDNIGHT MADNESS! We're joined by legendary drag impresarios The Boulet Brothers to talk late-night team shenanigans, vintage LA, Paul Reubens, and more! peacheschrist.com/episode/epis...

✨New Ep✨ @ianxcarlos.bsky.social @michaelvarrati.bsky.social Jen Katz + Omar Torres talk Angel s5 ep3 'Unleashed' with a special message from our sponsors at Wolfram + Hart read by @kimannjosouth.bsky.social YouTube: youtu.be/8lrjYI8DOVk Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/2x0p...

Get ready! At midnight, we're releasing an all-new episode celebrating a movie that will have you traversing the city until sunrise as part of the greatest game of all.

Okay, what are we all reading for October/Halloween season? I'm already several books deep into the month and I want more, more, more.

Four Seasons of Fear: A Year of Queer Horror is a full-color, all-LGBTQ+ comics anthology featuring stories that holdays and annual events! We have queer, spooky takes on summer carnivals, sweet sixteen parties, holidays, and more! Back it today on Kickstarter! www.kickstarter.com/projects/sta...

I curated 10 films from the KPBS+ library for Halloween. First one is free. Check it out.There are some delicious treats. plus.kpbs.org/collection/5...

Date night with @michaelvarrati.bsky.social

Heard someone say that a good horror movie is priceless, which, as we know, is disrespectful to Vincent.

We all know the "Monster Mash," but how many people have actually listened to the WHOLE album from which it came? It's expectedly kitschy and absolutely bananas. I want a WALK THE LINE-style movie just about its recording.

See you there. @peacheschrist.com @michaelvarrati.bsky.social

Directed by my friend, the late Jeff Burr I used to watch Jeff's films endlessly. Then I met him, and he was such an incredible person, and I got to go from fangirl to friend. He wrote the intro to my book. I love him. I miss him every day.

Four Seasons of Fear: A Year of Queer Horror is a Project We Love on @kickstarter.com! This full-color, all-LGBTQ+ horror comics anthology features work from over two dozen comics creators! Back it today! www.kickstarter.com/projects/sta...

Just learned that Tom DeSimone, director of HELL NIGHT and REFORM SCHOOL GIRLS, has passed. I had a comprehensive chat w/ Tom years back for ULTRA VIOLENT, where he spoke about bringing skills he learned as an adult filmmaker to genre and carving his own path as a gay creator. He was a trailblazer.

Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society, I call this “The Tale of Someone Shouting Into Their Full-Volume FaceTime Conversation While in a Public Place.”

Devon Sawa is hosting the 2026 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards and it's a little exhausting trying not to fangirl out about how cool it is to have a horror icon joining us.

I still think that they should have called the doc “Theranos Will Be Blood.”

An OH, MARY! poster, but it’s just Kathy Najimy from HOCUS POCUS.

Having my name in @variety.com as one of the presenters at the 2026 @fangoria.bsky.social Chainsaw Awards is a sweet dream indeed! 😍 variety.com/2026/film/ne... Thank you to director @michaelvarrati.bsky.social & everyone at Fangoria. Be sure to watch the show on October 25th on @shudder.com!

When you have a driver who, without prompt, puts on jazz as they take you into the heart of Manhattan…that’s someone gets it.

All this and written and directed by @michaelvarrati.bsky.social too 👏 variety.com/2026/film/ne...

Sean Keller has recruited a whole squad of horror talent for the fifth album in his genre-hopping mixtape series.

It's just like that old parable says: Even the most divisive sequel has its share of rabid fans.