Last Updated on October 21, 2024 by Angel Melanson
In the last few years, I've had the incredible opportunity to host the FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards pre-show, present a category or two, and even face off against the Backstage Butcher to earn my Final Girl badge. But this year, the gang asked if I would be interested in co-hosting the actual big event with our fiendish pal and multiple-year host, David Dastmalchian. Of course, I jumped at the chance to work with our beloved ghoul!
And of course, hosting duties didn't stop me from running around the set when I wasn't shooting my segments with a giant camera strapped to my side and a little camera in my hand that most people suspected was actually fake (it's not!). These are the shots I would typically just post to my personal social media accounts and call it a day, but I figured I'd share some of them here with all of you because so many of you have been wildly supportive throughout this journey, and in a way, this feels like taking you along for the ride.
So let me invite you to the set of the 2024 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards for some backstage and behind-the-scenes shenanigans. Terrifier‘s Catherine Corcoran and director Alejandro Brugués are two of the most wonderfully silly individuals. All business when it's time to roll, but in between that, it's a lot of laughs. Watching Jason Kauzlarich film the promo segments for these two was a highlight of the shoot for sure!
Taking selfies on a camera that looks like it may, in fact, be a fake camera is more difficult than it looks. Especially when there's a massive height difference involved. I have a snap with M3GAN and Malignant writer Akela Cooper and our pal Longlegs. Ok, it's actually Biqtch Puddin’ and if you're here, I'm assuming you've already watched the show before allowing me to let you in nowww behind the scenes for spoilers.
It would be more accurate to say the snap is of me and Akela with a mysterious mustache and chin making a cameo. So I'll give some proper respect to Biqtch's look with a full face shot with a not-potentially-fake camera. Having Biqtch in this full Longlegs look, towering over you, whilst belting out “Let me innnn nowww” is an experience quite unlike any other. 10/10 would recommend.
Production design is a massive component and if you look closely, you may see some little Easter eggs sprinkled throughout. Jason Kauzlarich designed this fake poster for an issue of FANGORIA, last year we had a brand new category: Best Amityville Movie. This time around, we've got a little nod on screen to Jason's graphic design skills and the Amityville movie we are all waiting for.
Felissa Rose is likely the hardest-working human in horror. Quite possibly the hardest working in the industry period. We got to give Felissa her flowers, and she got to do some extra fun stuff this time around. Fun fact: I doubled as Felissa's hands for a certain shot, so now I guess I can add Hand Model to my resume. Felissa stole the show, as per usual.
This year's show was built around the premise of the Chainsaw Awards being stolen (that's why we aired in October this time, see?). As I helped David Dastmalchian hunt the tapes down in an old abandoned TV station, we ran into some fun friends along the way. Sort of like living through a real-life Scooby Doo mystery.
In case you know a good manager, the Fango Editorial team is open to discussing future modeling opportunities.
I'm not the only one on set carrying around a camera people believe to be fake. The Predator himself, Prey‘s Dane DiLiegro, has what looks like a tiny camera, but if I hold it in my hand, it actually extends the length of my forearm. It's only pocket-sized for Dane-sized dudes.
Of course, the Chainsaw Awards' very own Backstage Butcher returns for another run! Probably not advisable to get this close to a homicidal maniac, but anything for the shot.
David won the Best Lead Performance Chainsaw for his work in Late Night With The Devil. He was shocked, and I have to say his acceptance speech was raw and wonderful. He's a Monster Kid to the core, and it's been incredible watching his career soar. Big congratulations, David!
I have to show some love to our incredible writer/director Michael Varrati and presenter Tiffany Shepis(Tromeo and Juliet, Victor Crowley, Star Trek: Picard). Never a dull moment when Tiffany is on set, and most of the time is spent with the cast and crew laughing our asses off.
This was such an incredible experience, and I had so much fun with everyone who brought this to life. I'm always in awe to watch this go from a concept to a tangible reality. Huge thanks to all the presenters and the entire crew for making the show possible. It is a massive labor of love, and I hope you all had as much fun watching as we did making it. The best part of what we do is celebrating the folks out there making shit happen and creating cool work. Thanks for coming along for the ride. See you next year! If you're looking for a full list of 2024 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards winners, we've got you covered.
You can watch (or re-watch) the show now streaming on Shudder, and you can also catch it for free on YouTube.
