CUDDLY TOYS: "Professor Kansas Bowling invites you to come with her and explore all of the serious, everyday problems facing teenage girls; that is, abuse, rape, molestation, and murder. Leaving no stone unturned, she introduces a series of interwoven case studies illustrating how otherwise innocent young ladies are corrupted and led astray into the treacherous and violent world of lecherous older men, crazed teenage psychopaths, deviants, perverts, and maybe one or two seemingly “nice” guys…or are they? Is any teenage girl safe from such diabolical temptation?
A grimy, modern-day twist on “Schoolgirl Report” films by way of Faces of Death, CUDDLY TOYS was a years in the making passion project from underground auteur Kansas Bowling (B.C. Butcher), which features an electrifying soundtrack including hits by The Monkees and Scott Walker. Photographed entirely on Super 16mm film and featuring a cast of nearly 100 deranged, damaged, and distraught young women, along with the demented men who prey on them, Vinegar Syndrome Pictures proudly presents the Blu-ray debut of this highly controversial and truly unsettling soon-to-be cult film sensation, which harkens back to the weirdest and most unpredictable exploitation efforts of decades past, and featuring an abundance of extras including a revealing director’s commentary."
directed by: Kansas Bowling
starring: Kansas Bowling, Parker Love Bowling, Cynda McElvana, Brissa Monique, Angel O'Connor Owens, Marion Moseley, Nina Ljeti
Available now at Vinegar Syndrome: https://vinegarsyndrome.com/products/cuddly-toys?variant=44132029366314
---
BUFFET INFINITY Arrives in Select Cinemas April 24th: "BUFFET INFINITY echoes the Canadian comedy classic SCTV, crosscutting between original, low-budget TV ads to tell the sinister tale of two restaurants battling it out in the fictional town of Westridge County.
Ads for insurance, used car rivals, a local religious scholar, and a recording artist converge to tell the story of an expanding sinkhole, a cult, and an ever-growing restaurant that becomes unsettlingly sentient.
Written and directed by Simon Glassman, BUFFET INFINITY stars Kevin Singh, Claire Theobald, and Donovan Workun."
---
SHUDDER ACQUIRES IZABEL PAKZAD’S SEARING DEBUT “FIND YOUR FRIENDS” STARRING BELLA THORNE, CHLOE CHERRY, HELENA HOWARD, SOPHIA ALI, ZIÓN MORENO: "Shudder announced today that they have acquired writer-director Izabel Pakzad’s searing feature debut FIND YOUR FRIENDS starring Bella Thorne (DIVINITY), Chloe Cherry (EUPHORIA), Helena Howard (MADELINE’S MADELINE), Sophia Ali (UNCHARTED), Zion Moreno (GOSSIP GIRL). The film had its world premiere at Fantasia Film Festival as one of the festival's headliners, and additionally screened at the Toronto International Film Festival as one of 10 Industry Selects, followed by its US premiere at Fantastic Fest. The deal includes rights in North America, UK, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Australia, and New Zealand. FIND YOUR FRIENDS will be released on Shudder on June 12, 2026.
FIND YOUR FRIENDS follows Amber and her four best friends as they flee Los Angeles for a girls’ trip in Joshua Tree, only to find themselves unwelcome in a desert town simmering with quiet hostility. As isolation sets in and encounters with aggressive locals grow more threatening, festering resentments within the group begin to surface. What begins as fun and reckless escape spirals into a violent struggle for control and survival, as past wounds and present dangers collide in a night that turns their trip into a revenge-fueled nightmare.
Izabel Pakzad is an Iranian-Greek American filmmaker, writer, and actor. Her short film DON’T WORRY, IT’S GONNA BE OK (2022), which she directed, wrote and starred in, was an official selection at the Oscar-qualifying Raindance Film Festival and Hollyshorts, and also won Best Short Film at the L.A. Film Festival. Previously, Pakzad produced and starred in the independent feature, THENA, opposite Chris Bauer, Virginia Gardner (Fall), Brian Marc (White Girl) Will Peltz (Euphoria), Dakotas Lotus (Cami and Coop), and Malia Baker (The Baby-Sitters Club,). THENA had its world premiere at Taormina Film Festival in June 2025.
"Shudder champions work that refuses to play by the rules and challenges everything we think young women should be in genre films. My hope was to make a film that audiences find to be raw, unapologetic and bold and I am so grateful to be partners with them, I couldn’t imagine a more perfect home for FIND YOUR FRIENDS," said writer-director Izabel Pakzad.
“We’re thrilled to share FIND YOUR FRIENDS, a visceral film that begins as an escape into the stark beauty of the desert and quickly descends into a gripping struggle where paranoia, resentment, and survival collide,” said Emily Gotto, Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Productions at Shudder. “Audiences should prepare for an intense, emotionally charged experience that rethinks the trope of the final girl.”
FIND YOUR FRIENDS is produced by Allison Friedman, Andrea Iervolino, Luca Matrundola, Monika Bacardi, Gary Michael Walters and Izabel Pakzad. Bella Thorne serves as executive producer. The deal was negotiated by Shudder with CAA on behalf of the filmmakers. WTFilms is handling international sales. Pakzad is repped by her manager Joanne Roberts Wiles at Black Bear."
---
COLOSSAL CREATURES COLLIDE THIS FALL IN DELUXE “MARVEL’S MIGHTIEST MONSTERS” COLLECTION!: "Dark Horse Books offers another deep dive into the world of Marvel Comics with Marvel’s Mightiest Monsters. Editors and comics historians John Lind and Chris Ryall curate a 416-page compendium of stories featuring the larger-than-life creatures that established the foundation for the Marvel Age of Comics, such as the fire-breathing Fin Fang Foom, the sentient tree-creature Groot, the colossal Monsteroso, the telepathic titan Xemnu, and many more. This new collection showcases the work of the legendary Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Larry Lieber, and Steve Ditko from classic issues of anthology titles including Tales to Astonish,
Journey into Mystery, Strange Tales, and Tales of Suspense in addition to modern monster work from acclaimed creators like Chris Claremont, Sal Buscema, John Byrne, Gil Kane, Eric Powell, Tradd Moore, and Arthur Adams. Accompanied by essays from comics historians, and original art from Jack Kirby, these stories show how these creatures continue to inspire creators and captivate new generations of Marvel fans.
This special oversize hardcover edition features a monster-filled wraparound cover under a die-cut belly band, designed by Ian Chalgren. Marvel’s Mightiest Monsters is the ultimate tribute to Marvel’s heritage!
“These monster comics predate the creation of the Marvel Universe,” said co-editor Chris Ryall, “but in so many ways, these stories by Lee, Kirby, and Ditko helped establish the blueprint of larger-than-life characters brought to stunning visual life by three of the best creators to ever do it.”
“We’re excited to give the deluxe collection treatment to these classic Marvel ’50s-era monsters—showcasing an impact and influence that still resonate across the kaiju comics of today,” said co-editor John Lind.
Revisit the artwork in Marvel’s Mightiest Monsters when the 416-page (7" x 10") belly-banded, deluxe hardcover arrives in bookstores and comic shops on October 13, 2026, for $75.00. Pre-order now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local bookstore or comic shop. Visit Find Your Comics Store or Bookshop.org for more details and stores near you."
After more than a decade as a consultant in the entertainment industry, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his passion for horror. He takes immense pride in Daily Dead's talented team of writers, who passionately explore and celebrate horror as a respected art form capable of telling complex, character-driven stories with deep emotional and cultural impact.
Over the course of his career, Jonathan has written more than 10,000 articles and hosted panels at major conventions, including New York Comic Con and San Diego Comic-Con. He is also consulted with as an expert on horror and pop culture, offering insights on horror history and the latest trends through media outlets, film festivals, and conventions.
After more than a decade as a consultant in the entertainment industry, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his passion for horror. He takes immense pride in Daily Dead's talented team of writers, who passionately explore and celebrate horror as a respected art form capable of telling complex, character-driven stories with deep emotional and cultural impact.
Over the course of his career, Jonathan has written more than 10,000 articles and hosted panels at major conventions, including New York Comic Con and San Diego Comic-Con. He is also consulted with as an expert on horror and pop culture, offering insights on horror history and the latest trends through media outlets, film festivals, and conventions.
![[Guest Article] Maggots On Your Body Of Work: Clay McLeod Chapman On Finding His Own Muses](https://dailydead.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bodies-of-work-1000-326x150.jpg)
![[Editorial] AI of the Living Dead: Why Have So Many Already Accepted the Simulation?](https://dailydead.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/M3GAN-180x83.jpg)
![[Comic-Con 2025] Interview: Michael Giacchino Talks Marvel’s WEREWOLF BY NIGHT: BLOOD MOON and Why He Loves Classic Monsters](https://dailydead.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Werewolf-1000-b-180x83.jpg)