Halloween is fast approaching, which means horror fans are on the hunt for the perfect movie lineup. Look no further than the Psychotronic Challenge from legendary Seattle video store Scarecrow Video. Their annual 31-day movie prompt list helps you curate the ideal spooky season film festival.
“Psychotronic” refers to a beloved genre of horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and cult films, often on the kitschy or obscure side. Writer Michael Weldon coined the term in his 1983 book “The Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film.”
Scarecrow Video’s 150,000+ title collection contains a vast Psychotronic section. Their rental website has it all browseable in categories like Euro-Horror, Cyberpunk, and Nature Gone Amok.
What is The Psychotronic Challenge
Since 2016, Scarecrow’s Jensen Ward has compiled annual prompts suggesting fun, creepy, and thought-provoking films to watch each day in October. The only rule is to get weird with it!
Some examples from this year’s list:
- Director’s First Film – Try Dementia 13 (Francis Ford Coppola) or Bad Taste (Peter Jackson)
- Working Remotely – Out-there movies like Wolf Creek or Wake In Fright
- In Your Dreams – Heavy dream sequences in films like Jacob’s Ladder
- Stop and Chop – Deadly supermarkets like in Chopping Mall and The Mist
- Video Store Day – For the October 21 holiday, watch something from an actual video store, like Scarecrow’s own rent-by-mail service
The full 2022 schedule can be found on Scarecrow’s website. Feel free to get creative and substitute your own favorites for the daily themes too.
Scarecrow Video originated as a indie video shop in 1988 before transitioning into a nonprofit in 2014. Their 150,000+ title library makes them home to the largest privately held video collection in the US.
Alongside online rentals, Scarecrow hosts community film events in Seattle. Their nonprofit mission focuses on film literacy and preservation. Over 90% of pre-1929 American films are already lost, so Scarecrow aims to protect cinema’s voices.
Scarecrow’s collection dwarfs even major streaming services combined. Their ever-expanding library tries to represent diverse stories from around the world.
Clerks director Kevin Smith dubbed Scarecrow “cinéaste heaven.” It remains a goldmine for finding psychotronic, cult, and obscure cinema.
Scare up some frights this Halloween by taking Scarecrow Video’s Psychotronic Challenge! Their daily recommended watchlist makes picking your spooky movie lineup a cinch.