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PODCAST

Once Upon A VHS - 80s and 90s Fantasy

Once Upon A VHS

On a queer and neverending quest through the fantasy films of the 80s & 90s, and all the memories and feelings they conjure up. From animated adventures and sword and sorcery epics to magical romcoms and fairytale horror, we will journey through the big blockbusters and cult classics.https://linktr.ee/onceuponavhsJoin our Clamshell Club on Patreon to support the show and gain access to exclusive Once Upon A VHS bonus episodes updated monthly:Boxset - reviewing 80s and 90s fantasy TV (including

tv & film film reviews

All Episodes

54:39

Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night (1987)

Once Upon A VHS - 80s and 90s Fantasy ·

2026/04/23

"Only you can choose your fate."In the second part of our double bill of peculiar Pinocchio movies, we revisit one of Callum's childhood favourites - Filmation's ill-fated cartoon pseudo-sequel which provoked the wrath of Disney - fitting for a film that flits between saccharine sweetness and a dark carnival of deeply disturbing imagery.Surreal animation, an absolutely wild voice cast including James Earl Jones, Rickie Lee Jones, Ed Asner, Tom Bosley, Don Knotts and Scott Grimes, the respective

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1:07:15

The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996)

Once Upon A VHS - 80s and 90s Fantasy ·

2026/04/16

"Miracles are made in the heart, papa."It's time for our double bill of peculiar Pinocchio movies - first up is this lavish live action international co-production with memorably uncanny puppet practical effects provided by Jim Henson's Creature Shop.We also dive deep into our relationship with Carlo Collodi's story and its legacy including the Disney adaptation(s), Guillermo del Toro's stunning stopmotion passion project, the Spielberg-Kubrick collaboration AI: Artificial Intelligence and the

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1:12:35

Thumbelina (1994)

Once Upon A VHS - 80s and 90s Fantasy ·

2026/04/09

"After the rain goes, there are rainbows - I'll find my rainbow soon."We return to the Don Bluth oeuvre with a Hans Christian Andersen fairytale adaptation starring Jodi Benson, hot on the heels of The Little Mermaid and the Disney renaissance at large.An amphibious Charo's cuchi-cuchi, Bluth's preoccupation with both death and sparkles, Barry Manilow, fairy headgear, Thumbling stories, Carol Channing chatting to Betty White on the phone, the Danny Kaye movie musical, dark undercurrents and some

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2:02

Labyrinth (1986) call for submissions - contribute to...

Once Upon A VHS - 80s and 90s Fantasy ·

2026/04/01

We want to hear from YOU about Labyrinth (1986)!To celebrate the 40th anniversary of this classic, we want to do something special this summer.We already covered Labyrinth in our first season, but to be honest we don’t think we did the film justice by squashing it into a double bill with The Princess and the Goblin. The pacing and sound quality of that old episode is a little crunchy too!After seeing the gorgeous 4k remaster in the cinema this year, we knew we needed to give it another go, reworking

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1:21:36

Gremlins (1984) with Movie Oubliette

Once Upon A VHS - 80s and 90s Fantasy ·

2026/03/27

"To understand, one has only to listen."We've called upon Conrad and Dan of the brilliant Movie Oubliette podcast to help us tackle this Christmassy classic, throwing outlandish comedy, B-movie horror and Spielbergian schmaltz into a blender and making a real mess of the kitchen.The origins of Amblin, Joe Dante's Looney Tunes leanings, the commodification of nostalgia, Zach Galligan getting his thunder stolen by a puppet, Scottish post-rock band Mogwai, cookies representing the nuclear family,

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1:50:30

Pokémon: The First Movie (1998) with Duncan Lindsay

Once Upon A VHS - 80s and 90s Fantasy ·

2026/03/20

"You mean, we don't have to fight with each other?"Our friend and resident Pokémon professor Duncan Lindsay pops by to chat all things Pocket Monsters with us - the franchise in general, the video games, the trading card game, the anime TV series and the many, many movies - focusing in on this hugely commercially successful theatrical release in which Mewtwo Strikes Back.Pondering why gays love Pokémon, existential crises, an iconic pop soundtrack album, Pikachu's expressive voice, Team Rocket's

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1:21:59

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) with Tranna Wintour

Once Upon A VHS - 80s and 90s Fantasy ·

2026/03/06

"Help each other, draw upon one another, and always remember the power that binds you."We're joined by comedian, writer, broadcaster, Faithful and all-round icon Tranna Wintour to discuss the totally tubular TMNT phenomenon - from comics to cartoons to tons of toys - focusing in on the Turtles' 1990 big screen debut. Fun fact - in the UK we originally knew them as "Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles"!April O'Neil's yellow raincoat, soft masculinity, the grounding effect of pop culture references, Krang,

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1:11:53

Beetlejuice (1988)

Once Upon A VHS - 80s and 90s Fantasy ·

2026/02/20

"Paranormal? Is that what they're calling your kind these days?"In honour of the late, great Catherine O'Hara and her brilliant turn as Delia Deetz, we're finally covering a Tim Burton film - and it's a goofy, ghoulish game changer that will rattle your funny bones. An outsider's found family, nods to B-movie horror, Michael Keaton's bonkers energy, some delightfully absurd special effects, the Usborne Book of Ghosts, queer film lighting, Winona Ryder as goth icon Lydia Deetz, spontaneous human

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1:10:38

FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992)

Once Upon A VHS - 80s and 90s Fantasy ·

2026/02/13

"We have too long forgotten the magic powers of nature. The time has come to call on them again."We're going down under to dance with some fairies who conspicuously lack Australian accents in this gorgeously green animated eco-fable.Tim Curry as a malevolent spirit singing about acid rain pouring down like egg chow mein, Crocodile Dundee, changing sociocultural perceptions of enviromentalism, Robin Williams improvising for 14 hours, Kath and Kim, a cyborg artist's antenna, Magi Lune serving so hard

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1:19:55

Small Soldiers (1998)

Once Upon A VHS - 80s and 90s Fantasy ·

2026/02/06

"Don't call it violence, call it action. Kids love action! It sells!"Bustin' out of the box, we're prepared to defeat the Commando Elite in this sanded down but still bitingly satirical romp about AI toy warfare. Life in plastic? It's fantastic.Joe Dante giving us Susan Sontag camp sensibility, the Everything Is Terrible Jerry Maguire video pyramid, transmascs loving shark movies, Action Man vs G.I. Joe, corporate synergy, Aladdin's nipples, Martika's Kitchen, the Toy Story of it all, Spinal Tap

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33:02

Alice - Něco z Alenky (1988)

Once Upon A VHS - 80s and 90s Fantasy ·

2026/01/30

"Now you will see a film made for children... perhaps."An experimental little solo episode from Callum, exploring this Czech surrealist stop motion dark fantasy from Jan Švankmajer.It's an extra weird one, but that's what happens when you talk to yourself...Art by Ashleigh Jane Cosgrove. Music by Karl Casey at White Bat Audio.https://linktr.ee/onceuponavhsJoin our Clamshell Club on Patreon to support the show and gain access to exclusive Once Upon A VHS bonus episodes updated monthly:Boxset -

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1:13:50

James and the Giant Peach (1996)

Once Upon A VHS - 80s and 90s Fantasy ·

2026/01/09

We're off on a fruity adventure with stop-motion animated insects in yet another dark delight discarded by Disney, an adaptation of the Roald Dahl novel helmed by Henry Selick, director of The Nightmare Before Christmas.The Stinky Cheese Man, a very c***y spider, Tim Burton drama, suprisingly sobering themes, Revolting Recipes, the power of Pete Postlethwaite, a mechanical shark, Andy Partridge from XTC vs Randy Newman, a fabric rhino puppet in a tank, Joanna Lumley, the New York City set looking

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1:31:43

The Gate (1987)

Once Upon A VHS - 80s and 90s Fantasy ·

2026/01/02

A real horror show aimed at a younger audience, this very 80s Canadian kindertrauma classic opens a portal to Hell in the backyard - and demons both fun-size and massive are coming to disrupt the pizza party with disturbing visions of death! We're not "f***ing off"!The Satanic Panic, supernatural experiences, Stephen Dorff in his debut, swear words, spectacular stopmotion animation and special effects, and the Stranger Things of it all await.We share our thoughts on the movie and its themes, some

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1:34:16

Spice World (1997)

Once Upon A VHS - 80s and 90s Fantasy ·

2025/12/26

"Will you turn that bloody racket down?"Time for some Girl Power! Who said anything about Space Ghettos? We celebrate the British pop phenomenon with a great big episode about their smash hit turned cult classic feature film Spiceworld and the Lynchian video for their single Viva Forever in which two children are spirited away by Aardman animated tin-toy fairies resembling Scary, Sporty, Ginger, Baby and Posh Spice.Our renditions of notable ad libs, Michael's pitch for a biopic centred on Geri

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1:09:25

The Borrowers (1997)

Once Upon A VHS - 80s and 90s Fantasy ·

2025/12/26

We're crashing into our new season with an action-packed adaptation of Mary Norton's classic children's books. Comparisons with the 1992 and 2011 TV versions and Studio Ghibli's 2010 anime The Secret World of Arrietty, the Trocadero Centre, post-war allegory, the incredible filmography of visual effects supervisor Peter Chiang, ice cream made of mashed potato, Penelope Wilton delivering an impassioned speech in Bob & Rose, product placement, a hat on a hat, Celia Imrie's enormous Chappell Roan

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2:23:10

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1988 BBC TV...

Once Upon A VHS - 80s and 90s Fantasy ·

2025/12/11

It's time for a Christmas VHS classic - the first instalment of the BBC's adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.Thank you so much to all our guest contributors on this special episode: Richard, Daniel, Cullen, Sophie, Paul, Rob, and Daniel Boxyteeopatra.We share our thoughts on the series and its themes, some behind the scenes gossip, delve into the nightmarish moments and dream up some ridiculous merch.Which weapons would Father Christmas hand out to us? Listen and find out!Art by

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1:24:47

Sac Magique - Season Finale and Mailbag

Once Upon A VHS - 80s and 90s Fantasy ·

2025/11/28

It's time to wrap up the Season of the Witch by opening a magic bag full of listener questions, updates and also-rans. Ursula K. Leguin's Carrier Bag Theory,Tilly from Tots TV, the population of Iceland, Bette Davis, Halloweentown, Poison for the Fairies, Hilary Duff, Grotbags and Wizadora await.Want to find out our favourite fantasy novels? Listen and find out!Art by Ashleigh Jane Cosgrove. Music by Karl Casey at White Bat Audio.https://linktr.ee/onceuponavhs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

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2:47:11

BONUS: Wicked: For Good (2025)

Once Upon A VHS - 80s and 90s Fantasy ·

2025/11/23

I've heard it said that podcasts come into our lives for a reason...SPOILER ALERT! This epic bonus episode features our extended and detailed discussion of the new movie Wicked: For Good, scene by scene. Art by Ashleigh Jane Cosgrove.https://linktr.ee/onceuponavhs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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1:48:30

The Black Cauldron (1985) with James Swanton

Once Upon A VHS - 80s and 90s Fantasy ·

2025/11/21

It's time for one of the most infamous entries in the 80s dark fantasy canon - Disney's boldly ambitious animated epic, The Black Cauldron. Joining our discussion of the film's merits and shortcomings is actor, writer and horror icon James Swanton.Three wayward witches, an oracular pig, green mist, Welsh mythology, Elmer Bernstein's ondes martenot-heavy score, and one bonechilling villain in the Horned King await. We share our thoughts on the movie and its themes, some behind the scenes gossip,

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1:20:19

The Worst Witch (1986) and A Return to Return to Oz...

Once Upon A VHS - 80s and 90s Fantasy ·

2025/10/31

Anything can happen on Halloween... Celebrating Once Upon A VHS icon Fairuza Balk, we have a special double-dunter!First up, an addendum to last year's episode about our beloved Return to Oz. We saw the 40th anniversary screening of Return to Oz at the DCA in Dundee as part of the Dundead horror and cult film festival lineup, and give our reactions to seeing on the big screen as well as expanding on our thoughts and theories about this gothic and gorgeous movie.Then we join Mildred Hubble for a

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