Horror Highlights: FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards, GWAR AND THE LAST DRIVE-IN-STEIN, SILVER SCREAMERS, Zach Passero’s THE WEIRD KIDZ, THE KILLER SOUNDS OF HALLOWEN RISES FROM THE GRAVE

FANGORIA REVEALS 2026 CHAINSAW AWARDS PRESENTER LINEUP AHEAD OF OCTOBER 25 SHUDDER PREMIERE: "FANGORIA has announced the presenter lineup for the 2026 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards, premiering Sunday, October 25 at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT, exclusively on Shudder. Hosted by Devon Sawa (Final Destination, Idle Hands, Chucky), this year's Halloween harvest-themed ceremony celebrates the best in horror film, television, and gaming.

Joining Sawa is a lineup of genre favorites, including Lin Shaye (Insidious), Mink Stole (Pink Flamingos), John Kassir (Tales from the Crypt), Mick Garris (Masters of Horror), Peaches Christ, Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp), Kelli Maroney (Night of the Comet), Tracie Thoms (Death Proof), and Patrick Brice (Creep), among others.

The broadcast will also feature special appearances by legendary makeup effects artist Rick Baker, Dee Wallace (Cujo), James A. Janisse of Dead Meat, and Biqtch Puddin’.

From his breakout roles in Idle Hands and Final Destination to more recent appearances in Chucky, Heart Eyes, and Disney's Coven Academy, Sawa has remained a familiar face to horror fans across generations.

“I've spent a huge part of my career in horror, and it's the fans who've made that journey so rewarding,” Sawa shared when his hosting role was announced at Comic-Con International earlier this year.

Following a global fan vote that drew nearly one million votes, the FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards will reveal winners across 19 categories, recognizing outstanding achievements in horror filmmaking, performances, practical effects, television, and video games.

Leading this year's nominees are 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple and Bryan Fuller's Dust Bunny, with nine nominations each, followed by Backrooms with six.

First presented in 1992, the FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards have long championed the creators and performances that define horror. With winners chosen by the fans themselves, the annual celebration continues to recognize both established icons and emerging voices shaping the genre.

Watch the 2026 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards on Sunday, October 25 at 9 PM ET / 6 PM PT on Shudder."

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Shock Rock Legends GWAR Join Forces with Joe Bob Briggs for ‘GWAR and the Last Drive-In-Stein’: "Two icons of shock, horror and drive-in mayhem collide on ‘GWAR and the Last Drive-In-Stein,’ a new album bringing together GWAR and Joe Bob Briggs for one gloriously demented musical meeting. With NEW songs and music from John Brennan and the Bigfeet. Arriving November 13th via Pit Records on vinyl, the album celebrates more than four decades of GWAR and 40 years of Joe Bob Briggs on television as a film critic, commentator, and entertainer.

Marking the announcement of this historic record, the new single “Splatter-Fu,” written specifically for GWAR by John Brennan, and its official video are available now.

Speaking on the upcoming album, Blothar exclaims:

"Lordy Lordy, look who’s 40! GWAR and Joe Bob Briggs. A match made in hell! I love horror movies, trash, and funny spooky stuff. GWAR wouldn’t exist without it. I was just a calf when creepy Joe Bob reached up my poodle skirt at the last Drive-in. He promised he’d make me a star… Now we’ve made a record together!"

Joe Bob continues:

“To create the real spirit of Halloween, I called up my buddies - the intergalactic warriors who live in Antarctica - and I asked them to bring some fear, some filth, and some fun. Of course you know whom I’m talkin’ about… the Scumdogs of the Universe… GWAR!”

'GWAR and the Last Drive-In-Stein' captures the meeting of these two legendary worlds, with Side A featuring GWAR’s epic live performance from The Last Drive-In’s 2025 Halloween special. The set features several GWAR originals alongside covers of some of the most beloved songs associated with Joe Bob’s legendary show.

Side B features John Brennan and the Bigfeet, The Last Drive-In’s house band, performing songs written for the show’s final two seasons. The collection marks the third official soundtrack release from John Brennan and the Bigfeet, from the musical world of The Last Drive-In."

To pre-order, visit: https://gwar.net/collections/gwar-and-the-last-drive-in-stein

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SILVER SCREAMERS: "Studio Dome announces today that their genre label, The Horror Collective, has acquired the U.S distribution rights to Sean Cisterna's acclaimed festival favorite Silver Screamers. The documentary will debut exclusively on the streaming service BloodStream on November 6 and host a number of special theatrical screenings in the days that follow. The film will launch on additional streaming services in the first quarter of 2027.

Silver Screamers is a heartwarming and spine-tingling real-life story that's won over festival audiences around the world, with The Globe and Mail hailing the "sweet and warmhearted" documentary as "American Movie meets Cocoon." The picture follows a spirited group of senior citizens who set out to make a horror film, stepping far outside their comfort zones to make something that offers each of them a different - and sometimes surprisingly powerful - reward. Led by director Cisterna, the group navigates the challenges of low-budget movie-making with the humor, heart, and resilience that only a lifetime of experience can bring. Along the way, they discover newfound confidence, forge meaningful friendships, and prove that creativity knows no age. Silver Screamers is a joyful celebration of second acts and fearless reinvention, set charmingly against the backdrop of micro budget genre filmmaking.

After making its World Premiere at Fantastic Fest 2025, Silver Screamers traveled to Toronto After Dark, Strasbourg, the Calgary International Film Festival, Melbourne Documentary Film Festival, BIFFF, ReFrame, Celluloid Screams, and numerous other global film festivals. Silver Screamers is the first movie to be released under a new joint theatrical partnership between Studio Dome and Antenna Releasing.

Says filmmaker Sean Cisterna, "While Silver Screamers has plenty of laughs, scares and filmmaking adventures to behold, at its heart is a story about people discovering that creativity, friendship and a sense of purpose don't have an expiry date. We hope the film will appeal to everyone – from horror fans and documentary lovers, to anyone who enjoys a funny, uplifting story about people proving that it's never too late to try something new."

Clark Collis, lead programmer at BloodStream, adds, “Silver Screamers has the same broad appeal as The Nonnas – but it’s about horror movies... and it’s real. Sean Cisterna has crafted a fascinating, hilarious, and heartwarming documentary which showcases the power of creativity, whether that involves painting the Mona Lisa or making a short film about a killer rug.”

Silver Screamers will screen at Beverly Hills' Lumiere Music Hall on November 8th and at Glendale's LOOK Dine-In Cinemas on the 9th, featuring in-person Q&As with filmmaker Sean Cisterna at both events. For additional information, please visit the film's official page at The Horror Collective."

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Zach Passero's THE WEIRD KIDZ - on VOD Oct. 27th!: "Zach Passero’s feature debut is a true labor of love, eight unbelievable years in the making. Written, directed, and single-handedly animated by Passero - with his wife Hannah painting the beautiful backgrounds - THE WEIRD KIDZ is both a horror-tinged creature feature and an ode to '80s coming-of-age films and late night cinema.

When three preteen boys, an older brother, and his girlfriend take off for a weekend campout, none of them can imagine the horrors (and laughs) awaiting them in a remote desert inhabited by a legendary night creature and crazed townsfolk. Puberty and adventure await... along with terror, amputations, and midnight cult rituals!"

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THE KILLER SOUNDS OF HALLOWEN RISES FROM THE GRAVE: "The Killer Sounds of Halloween is back with another nostalgia-drenched love-letter to everyone’s favorite holiday.

Sean Keller and Friends climb back from the dead with the fifth album in the Killer Sounds of Halloween series titled “Rises from the Grave” - exclusively on Bandcamp, October 13, 2026. 

Like the previous Killer Sounds albums, this mixtape of genre-hopping, spooky songs from fake bands, “lost” horror movie trailers, and Halloween ads from an alternate universe are all written and performed by Keller, and feature the talents of guest vocalists and musicians who are best known as actors, writers, directors, cinematographers, composers, and even journalists from the horror world, including the Digital Managing Editor of Fangoria, BJ Colangelo.

This year’s special guest artists include:

Ryan Lambert (THE MONSTER SQUAD), Graham Skipper (SEQUENCE BREAK, MAN FINDS TAPE), Chelsea Stardust (SATANIC PANIC, ALL THAT WE DESTROY), Fayna Sanchez (ABRAHAM’S BOYS, HOUSE OF ASHES), Josh Miller (VIOLENT NIGHT, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG), Michael Varrati (THERE’S A ZOMBIE OUTSIDE, FANGORIA CHAINSAW AWARDS), Chris LaMartina (WNUF HALLOWEEN SPECIAL, TRICK OF TREAT WITH REED RICHMOND),  Melissa LaMartina (FOR SALE BY EXORCIST, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT WILL SCARE YOU), Jesse Merlin (THE FACE OF HORROR, BEYOND THE GATES), Brian Collins (A HORROR MOVIE A DAY) and many more!

Songs from the three previous “Killer Sounds” albums have already been featured in ABBOTT ELEMENTARY, HALLOWEEN KILLS, HALLOWEEN ENDS, IT’S A WONDERFUL KNIFE, and Rebekah McKendry’s soon-to-be-released SUNDOWN.

Keller is also a horror screenwriter known for co-writing Dario Argento’s GIALLO and Chelsea Stardust’s ALL THAT WE DESTORY as well as the creator of the Hollywood Fringe Fest hit SLASHED! The Musical! And he performs with Liesel Hanson (RE-ANIMATOR THE MUSICAL!) in the alt-country band SUN SEASON who have placed original songs in the horror movies THE DEAD THING, CAMP HOST, and SUNDOWN."

To learn more and listen for yourself, visit: https://seankeller2.bandcamp.com/album/the-killer-sounds-of-halloween-rises-from-the-grave