Welcome to October! It’s the most wonderful time of the year, when I mitigate my seasonal depression by going all in on gothic literature and horror films. The good people at the world’s best video store, Scarecrow Video, have put together their 2026 Psychotronic Challenge, which contains 31 prompts for a movie each day throughout the month.
The rules are simple: watch at least one film each day that falls under the psychotronic category “in whatever order suits you,” and “have fun and get weird.”
Scarecrow defines “psychotronic” as “denoting or relating to a genre of films that typically have a science fiction, horror, or fantasy theme and were made on a low budget.” But the staff also notes that they don’t necessarily subscribe to the “low budget” definition in order to allow more diversity in the selection. “That being said,” they write, “we do like an underdog more often than not” so “you might as well have a lot of fun pushing yourself to new lows.”
My colleague Audrey Vann and I compiled a list of our picks for the second week, which includes horny parasites, creepy clown dolls, and killers in baby masks. Stay tuned for our final post next week, and catch up on week one and week two if you haven’t already. Support your local video store, and happy viewing! –Julianne Bell
15. WORKPLACE WHOOPSIE: “O.S.H.A. inspectors are gonna need a whole case of red tape for this day.”
Julianne’s pick: The Faculty (1998)
This 1998 high school sci-fi horror movie has a bonkers cast: Clea DuVall, Josh Hartnett, The Pitt star Shawn Hatosy, Jordana Brewster, Elijah Wood, Salma Hayek, and Jon Stewart, just to name a few. It’s also directed and edited by Robert Rodriguez (From Dusk Till Dawn, Once Upon a Time in Mexico) with a screenplay by Scream writer Kevin Williamson. The plot revolves around a group of six teens who begin to suspect their teachers are being replaced by parasitic aliens. It’s a fun take on the high school movie, with quick banter, a soundtrack ranging from Garbage to Oasis, and a grotesque alien queen. Duvall’s loner goth girl character, Stokely, is supposed to be straight—yeah, sure.
More ideas: Annihilation (2018), Sunshine (2007), Pontypool (2008), Alien (1979), Bloodsucking Bastards (2015)
16. STAPH ONLY: “Why doesn’t anyone read the warning signs at the biology lab anymore?”
Audrey’s pick: Shivers (1975)
Lauded as “phallic, gruesome, deranged, forbidden and…funny (or was that just me?)” by Charli XCX on Letterboxd, this early David Cronenberg film follows the residents of a luxury high-rise apartment infected by parasites that turn them into sex maniacs. Think about this the next time you have bed bugs and be grateful.
More ideas: The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996), Panic in the Streets (1950), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), Variola Vera (1982), The Andromeda Strain (1971), The Last Man on Earth (1964)
17. VIDEO STORE DAY: “This is the big one. Watch something physically rented or bought from an actual video store. If you live in a place that is unfortunate enough not to have one of these archival treasures then watch a movie with a video store scene in it at least. #vivaphysicalmedia”
Audrey’s pick: Frankenhooker (1990)
Frank Henenlotter’s Frankenhooker brings together a few of my favorite things: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, models who act (the film stars Penthouse’s August 1986 Pet of the Month, Patty Mullen), and camp icon Shirley Stoler (of The Honeymoon Killers and Seven Beauties). The lore of this film runs deep—a ratings body representative reportedly told Henenlotter that the film should be rated “S for shit.” And, when it was released on VHS, it mortified rental customers with a sound chip that exclaimed, “Wanna date?” when it was picked up. Needless to say, it’s taken a few decades for this gem of a movie to be appreciated. RENT IT.
More ideas: MaXXXine (2024), The Last Video Store (2003), Benny’s Video (1992), Stan Helsing (2009), Scream (1996)
18. CREEPETITION: “Rewatch the first movie you ever saw that really made your skin crawl. Don’t be scared, we got you.”
Julianne’s picks: The Sixth Sense (1999) or The Tooth Fairy (2006)
When I was far too young, I saw a clip on TV of the scene from The Sixth Sense when the ghost of the dead bicyclist with a broken neck from a car accident is standing outside Toni Collette’s car, and it haunted me for years, so I’d probably choose that for this prompt. I was terrified whenever I saw an ambulance after that. The other contender would be 2006’s direct-to-DVD The Tooth Fairy, which I watched at a Halloween party when I was 15. It was very bad, and I mocked it mercilessly, but I was still scared to turn the lights off alone in my room afterward.
Audrey’s pick: Poltergeist (1982)
Attention parents: Just because Poltergeist is rated PG does not mean it won’t haunt your children for the rest of their lives. I first saw the film—upon the recommendation of my dad—when I was seven years old, and when that ghost-hunting assistant peeled his face off in the bathroom mirror, the image was burned into my memory and kept in a special compartment of my brain along with Large Marge (Pee Wee’s Big Adventure) and Martian Girl (Mars Attacks!). Is there swearing in Poltergeist? No. Is there excessive gore? Also no. But there is a creepy clown doll that giggles and moves sometimes, and for that reason, it should be rated R.
19. DISCHARGE: “Hey hey, ho ho, that nasty ooze has got to go! *You see, the only truly great jokes are the ones that have to be over-explained right? Check it out… In addition to being a less than flattering name for bodily fluid secretions, Discharge is also the name of a 1970’s/80’s minimalistic UK punk band with intense drone-like rhythms who sing short sharp protest songs, mostly about the fears and horrors of nuclear war and the fallout from it. Some have described their sound as a “grave-black aural acid assault.” How is that for information leakage? Haha. We suppose you could opt for a film about nuclear fallout, war, punk stuff, or just plain ol’ seepage of some sort.”
Julianne’s pick: Green Room (2015)
In A24’s critically acclaimed horror-thriller Green Room, the fictional punk band the Ain’t Rights, composed of bassist Pat (the late Anton Yelchin), guitarist Sam (Alia Shawkat), drummer Reece (Joe Cole), and singer Tiger (Callum Turner), are touring the Pacific Northwest when a series of misadventures leads them to grudgingly perform at a neo-Nazi bar outside Portland. After the members witness a stabbing committed by a member of the Nazi metal headliner in the venue’s green room, they find themselves locked in a grim battle for their lives, fighting a gang of “red lace” skinheads tooth and nail alongside the murder victim’s friend Amber (Imogen Poots). Everyone in the main ensemble delivers powerful performances, but Patrick Stewart is particularly chilling as the aloof white supremacist bar owner, Darcy.
More ideas: Slime City (1988), The Blob (1988), The Stuff (1985), The Blob (1958), The Fly (1986), The Substance (2024)
20. MAN, YOU GOT SOME ‘SPLAINING TO WATCH: “Characters, or even whole movies, who feel compelled to explain everything. ‘Educate’ yourself with one of those.”
Audrey’s pick: Scream (1996)
For a long time, I misjudged the Scream franchise as a cheesy batch of jump-scare cash grabs. Now, I see the truth: the films strike a perfect balance of astute horror satire and camp high school drama. The first Scream film remains my favorite, as it has the incredible outfits (Rose McGowan’s psychedelic miniskirt is everything to me), queer subtext (Billy and Stu 4ever <3), and a fiercely feminist heroine, Sidney Prescott. The first two films also feature the horror movie nerd of all nerds, Randy Meeks.
More ideas: It Follows (2014), The Cabin in the Woods (2011), Nosferatu (2024), Happy Death Day 2U (2019), Heretic (2024)
21. BACK TO THE FUTURE DAY: “Really though, any time travel flick will do the trick.”
Julianne’s pick: Happy Death Day (2017)
What’s better than a time loop movie? A horror time loop movie! Happy Death Day is the ideal mix of comedy and slasher and a great comfort watch (if you’re a sicko like me who finds horror movies soothing). After superficial sorority girl Tree Gelbman (played flawlessly by Jessica Rothe) is stabbed on her birthday by a killer in a creepy baby mask, she is forced to live the last day of her life over and over until she can solve the mystery of her own murder.
More ideas: Triangle (2009), The Final Girls (2015), The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006), Time Masters (1982), Lost Highway (1997)
