The year is 1981. No shoulder is unpadded, large crystals hang from delicate necks, and swooped bangs curtain women’s faces, held aloft by Farrah Fawcett-strength hairspray. News flashes on a static-filled screen of the sudden death of much loved (and fictional) Sacramento children’s TV star Miss Shirley — “Drysdale’s Death Makes the Sun Shine Less” reads the headline of The Sacramento Bee-spoofed newspaper, “The Sacramento Examiner.”

“…the filmmaker-animator Josh Funk serves a visual feast of furry monsters, gnarly low-fi practical effects, stop-motion animation and one disgusting puppet decapitation. “

Kicking off the 1st of the month, July 2026, we've got another Horrorhound Spring Filmfest interview guys with The Fuzzies' director & co-writer (and many other hats) Josh Funk about this fun, puppet-gore filled romp that's currently streaming on Tubi! Featuring co-writer Dustin Vaught as Mick, The Fuzzies is about friends reunited at their late friend's estate to discover her beloved kids TV show puppets are alive & have a thirst for human blood! We hope you guys enjoy this interview, as all the others, & we can't thank Josh enough for joining us. Support The Fuzzies! 

AshXAshes and Mike and Serial chat it up with director and animator, Josh Funk, about his film, The Fuzzies, which premiered at Horrorhound.

Director Josh Funk leads us into a dark and menacing childhood world where the things that once made us feel warm and fluffy inside, now want to light fire to our bedtime stories and smother us in our sleep. Think Fraggle Rock meets The Last House on the Left.

Where “The Fuzzies” really shines is in its unique craftsmanship. The practical puppetry is fantastic, bringing a tangible, almost nostalgic charm that CGI just can’t replicate. There’s something inherently unsettling about real, physical puppets sharing space with human actors, and the movie leans into that discomfort in all the right ways. Add in touches of stop-motion horror, and you get sequences that feel like a warped children’s show melting in real time. It’s creative, it’s creepy, and it sticks with you when the credits roll.

“… the stars of the show are Shirley and her menagerie of murderous muppets. When you least expect it, hiding in the background, they start to move. They are otherworldly, cuddly culprits with death on their mind. The puppetry and insane stop-motion action is both hilarious and terrifying, like an early Tim Burton film on LSD.”

A killer puppet horror comedy movie called "The Fuzzies" is now streaming, and it was made in Butte County.

The movie hit Amazon Prime this month, with more streaming platforms joining the roster May 1. More than 100 people, including over 40 Chico State students, worked on the film.

The Fuzzies will undoubtedly be one of the year’s most polarizing films. Josh Funk and Dustin Vaught pleasure the audience with an unfettered examination of how childhoods can truly be cursed. There’s always chatter online about “ruining” someone’s childhood with cash-grab remakes and legacy sequels, but if you want a horror/comedy to really ruin your childhood, The Fuzzies has you covered all over.

Josh drops by to chat about his latest film "The Fuzzies"

“Come on guys…this looks like a lot of fun.”

If the idea of creepy children’s television puppets gives you the absolute creeps, proceed with caution. Terror Films Releasing is about to validate your fears. The indie distribution powerhouse has teamed up with visionary filmmakers Josh Funk and Dustin Vaught to unleash their wildly original horror-comedy, The Fuzzies.

"I'm gonna kill that felt fuzzy!" Terror Films has revealed an official trailer for a new horror comedy called The Fuzzies, about evil children's show puppets come to life. This low budget indie creation is a feature version of filmmaker Josh Funk's original short film from 2020 also called The Fuzzies. And it features some very cool stop-motion work and puppetry.

Killer Puppet Horror-Comedy, “THE FUZZIES” Gets Release Date

Watch the new trailer below, highlighting some of the Pee-Wee’s Playhouse-style shenanigans as puppets are unleashed. Playtime is over.

The Fuzzies releases on Digital on May 1, 2026.

Crew and cast members of “The Fuzzies,” a film produced and shot in Butte County, answer questions before an eager crowd following the movie’s Tuesday debut at the Pageant Theater. The three-day, sold-out run ends today. Director Josh Funk, a Chico State professor, said he and his producer — his brother-in-law, who also acted in the film — are finalizing streaming plans. They expect the horror-comedy to be available online in 2026.