Intro by Brett Petersel | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd

Thanks to films such as Killer Sofa and Gingerdead Man, the unthinkable becomes imaginable. Whether it's a pair of possessed jeans (SLAXX) or a gingerbread cookie killing people in hilarious ways (Gingerdead Man), even a killer bong (Evil Bong), horror continues to innovate in mysterious ways, which is why we keep coming back for more.

In this issue, we share some of our favorite horror films featuring inanimate objects. From pancakes to trees, and jeans to tires, there is no limit as to where the weirdness factor will end. However, that's what makes this subgenre so creative and weird, and we are all for it.

Sarah Stubbs | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd & Brett Petersel | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd

🎅 After a successful theater run and getting praise from many in the horror community, including Horrorverse's Bee Delores [Review] and Sarah Stubbs [Review], Mike P. Nelson's Silent Night, Deadly Night is heading to Digital on January 26th, with Blu-ray and DVD details to come soon. Add this one to your list, whether you've been naughty or nice.

👋 Sam Zimmerman has departed Shudder for Blumhouse-Atomic Monster, where he’ll serve as Senior Vice President of Development and Acquisitions. It’s similar to his Shudder role, where he’ll continue to produce films, oversee partnerships, and more. Congrats, Sam!

🏆 It comes as no surprise that Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler, took a deep bite this past year. The horror hit has racked up 16 nominations (a record!) at this year’s Academy Awards, which will air live on March 15, 2026.

Candi Norwood | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd

Did you ever watch Friday the 13th: The Series? Not the hockey mask and his mom movies - Friday the 13th: The Series ran for three seasons starting in 1987, and it was about a woman who inherited an antique store from her uncle and finds out there are a ton of haunted and cursed antiques floating around in the world, and she and her cousin have to track them down and put them out of commission. As a 13/14 year old, I loved this show and everything about it. Micki was a tough, independent woman (and had gorgeous red curls), the haunted objects were creepy, and there was generally some humor.

But this isn’t about recommending Friday the 13th: The Series; this is a Recommended Reading column, so let me just mention this as my first recommended reading about haunted objects:

Curious Goods: Behind the Scenes of Friday the Series by Alyse Wax- Alyse Wax loves the series and Micki Foster as much as I do, and she goes episode by episode and has stories from the leads, producers, tons of the cast and crew. They talk about the show lore and the work and people specifically but also the process of working on a low budget series so this is a fun read for fans of the series but also for anyone interested in reading about working on the set of a tv show.

Cursed Objects by J.W. Ocher- Another non-fiction but it reads like a friend telling you cool facts about haunted and cursed objects; some you’ll have heard of, some will surprise you. The language is casual, even a little funny at times, and the stories will be sure to enlighten, scare, or amuse you. The chapters are organized by theme so it’s easy to jump in on those that most appeal to you Are you more into the junk you’d find in an attic or the ghost in the machine? There’s a chapter on making money off haunted objects which includes, among others, the Annabelle doll featured in movies from The Conjuring universe, which you know I love. There’s even a chapter on objects you would think would be cursed but aren’t. Plus, you’ll have random facts to share with strangers to fill an awkward silence and/or inspiration for writing your very own cursed object story.

The Monkey’s Paw by W.W. Jacobs- One of my favorite short stories, this is the classic story of the monkey’s paw that grants the owner three wishes, with horrifying results. I don’t want to say too much, but if you haven’t read it, go do it now.

The Ring by Koji Suzuki- You have probably seen one of the films, the original Ringu, the American remake, one of the sequels, the series, something. But did you know it was a novel first? (And has a couple of sequels). Like the films, The Ring follows a reporter investigating mysterious deaths that point to a haunted videotape that kills anyone who watches it seven days later. The book really gets into the mind of the characters and explores the history and mythology around the tape.

Be on the lookout for:

This Wretched Beauty: A Dorian Gray Remix by Elle Grenier- This retelling of the classic Oscar Wilde novel of a haunted painting that grows older while its subject remains youthful comes out in February. Keep your eyes on candikathorror.com for a review soon!

Sarah Stubbs | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd

I'm sure y'all are missing Bee's wonderful picks but this week you're stuck with me again! Given my love of gastro horror, I'd be remiss if I didn't give you a pairing of possessed kitchen gadgets that create havoc in their respective films! Even more wild is that both picks are related! I'm talking about Leggo My Soul and Haunted House of Pancakes!

Leggo My Soul and Haunted House of Pancakes feature a possessed waffle maker and were written/co-written and produced/co-produced by Paul Newton. The former is the short which inspired the latter (and can be found on the blu-ray release of HHoP). While Leggo My Soul deals solely with the impact of the possessed waffle maker (along jokes about gluten), Haunted House of Pancakes leans into the territory of gastro creature features and builds upon the lore with a cute but deadly waffle named Toasty. This makes sense given that the film’s other co-writer and director, Nathan Dalton, wrote Attack of the Killer Donuts.

Both titles are a fun time, especially if silly horror comedies melt your butter (pun intended)! If you want to read more about Haunted House of Pancakes, you can check out my impressions and interview with Nathan Dalton over on Daily Dead!

Macabre Daily | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd | Website

💀 Macabre Daily's 10 Essential Folk Horror Films To Watch! [LINK]

💀 COLLECTOR'S CRYPT: Physical Media News! [LINK]

💀 Becky Spratford On Why She Loves Horror! [INTERVIEW]