Psychotronic:
-adjective
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.
-Oxford English Dictionary
We staff don’t necessarily subscribe to the low budget part of that definition since movies like A Quiet Place Part II and Terminator 2: Judgement Day are not exactly low budget affairs but are well within the above mentioned sub-genres. That being said, we do like an underdog more often than not and when you’re challenging the mean you might as well have a lot of fun pushing yourself to new lows.
The basic guidelines are:
- Watch at least 1 movie per day during the month of October in whatever order suits you.
- Must fall within the psychotronic definition.
- Have fun and get weird.
- If you see something, say something! Post your watches on social media and make sure to tag them with #SCVpsychochallenge.
1. RE-ANIMATED: Businesses are opening back up (we did!) and things are getting back to “normal” so to kick things off you get to watch a movie where something gets brought back to life. We’re baaaaaack!
2. MASKS ARE STILL REQUIRED: You know it, at least one character has to wear a mask for the entire movie
3. HIGH SPIRITS: Tickle your funny bones with a side splitter, a gut buster, a real scream. Go on, laugh your head off!
4. WHEN THE TABLES TURN: Victim becomes stalker, hunter becomes the hunted etc.
5. REEKING HAVOC: Sewer dwellers making a mess of things up on the surface.
6. IT CAME FROM THE SEA: Some kind of threat from below the brine.
7. IT CAME FROM THE SCREEN: One where a TV is a major part to the story.
8. CRAFT NIGHT: Cast your eyes upon the screen, whence a witch’s spell is surely seen.
9. SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL: One with a misunderstood freak/mutant/abomination etc.
10. RITUALS: It’s good to have a routine, even if it’s evil.
11. SKINS & NEEDLES: Body art or body harm? When getting the mark leads to all hell breaking loose.
12. CAMPFIRES & FLASHLIGHTS: One where a character tells a scary story and then… flashback.
13. THE RUBY ANNIVERSARY: Watch something that came out in 1981. The redder the better, right Ben?
14. SPOILED ALERT!: Watch something with grotesque eating in it. Or at least some expired food. Yuck.
15. KILLED BY TECHNOLOGY: The gadgets will getcha (<-autocorrect that one, phone).
16. VIDEO STORE DAY: This is the big one. Watch something physically rented or bought from an actual video store. If you don’t have access to one of these sacred archival treasures then watch a movie with a video store scene in it at least. #vivaphysicalmedia
17. HEADS OFF AT THE PASS: Something with a decapitation in it.
18. ALL THUMBS: Picking up a hitchhiker can be risky… lift with your legs, not your back.
19. CAN’T YOU HEAR ME KNOCKIN’?: When you let an unexpected guest in, you may be in for a long night.
20. CASTLEMANIA: Something that takes place in, where else, a castle.
21. BARN HOWLS: There are strange things afoot at the farm. Bonus points if you see a pumpkin patch!
22. BEASTS OF BURDEN: One where a horse/donkey/mule/ox etc is doing some serious work.
23. DEPT. OF INDUSTRY & LABOR: A story based on doing a job. Speaking of jobs, yours ain’t finished yet, 8 days to go!
24. 2 CLOSE 4 COMFORT: A main character suffers from claustrophobia.
25. SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE*: Sleep deprived and still alive… for now. (*Does not have to be set in Seattle)
26. DAY OF THE SERPENT: There better be a motherf*ing snake in this motherf*ing movie.
27. ARTIFICIAL LIMBS: Robot arms, wooden legs or even a transplanted thing… whatever grabs you.
28. THESE FISTS BREAK BRICKS: In celebration of the excellent new book, watch a martial arts movie.
29. DOUBLE TROUBLE: There’s gotta be some twins in there somewhere.
30. MARTINI SHOT: Blow off some Challenge steam with a hardy party scene.
31. THAT’S A RAP: Watch one with a rapper-turned-actor in it, even if Samuel L. Jackson does not approve.
