Once Upon A VHS - 80s and 90s Fantasy

"Dance, magic dance!" To celebrate the 40 year anniversary of Labyrinth, here's our epic new standalone episode revisiting this truly iconic 80s dark fantasy musical masterpiece from Muppet maestro Jim Henson, starring Jennifer Connelly and David Bowie. We share our thoughts on the movie and its themes, some behind the scenes gossip, delve into the nightmarish moments and conjure up personal memor...

We wrap up our Size Matters season by bursting open a bag full of listener questions, reflections on the movies we've covered and three brand-spanking-new mini-reviews of The Elm-Chanted Forest (1986), The Indian in the Cupboard (1995) and The Return of the King (1980) as well as our thoughts on mystical British comedy-drama TV series Small Prophets (2026). Lots of delicious little snacks to share...

"Masters of illusion never reveal their secrets." The scandalous story of the Cottingley Fairies hoax that captivated Britain in the early 20th century is magically transformed into a prestige fantasy drama - one of two major motion pictures adapting these events. We chat with the delightful actor and memorabilia collector Michael Valvo about this hidden gem. Skydancers, spiritualism, Harvey Keite...

"The girl was right. The little people, they're f***ing dolls!" We're thrilled to be joined by pop legend Bright Light Bright Light to discuss a favourite cult classic midnight movie directed by Stuart Gordon - the whimsical horror comedy dark fairytale Dolls! That iconic poster image, Charles Band going from Empire Pictures to Full Moon Features, a BOYTOY belt, filming back-to-back with the absol...

"Whizzpop, whizzbang, feel the bubbles go down!" Our friend, clinical psychologist and mental health researcher Dr Liam Casey joins us to discuss this animated Roald Dahl adaptation, originally made for UK TV by Cosgrove Hall productions. A song about farting, The Delicious Miss (Sophie) Dahl, World Book Day, the 2016 Spielberg film being dragged through the mud, Mrs. Slocombe's you-know-what...

"No, no, no Bigfoot here, Sergeant. I was just joking." Joining us on the trail of a very special sasquatch is a connoisseur of cult movies, Antonio Palacios from The Cultworthy Cinema Podcast and Back 2 The Balcony. It's time for a family comedy that became a real VHS staple - initially known in the UK as "Bigfoot and the Hendersons"! Rick Baker providing stunning makeup effects and having beef w...

"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...

"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...

"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 Ch...

"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...

"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...

"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"! A...

"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 U...

"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, Ro...

"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...

"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/onceuponavhs Join our Clamshell Club on Patreon to...

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 f...

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 ef...

"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,...

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 impassi...

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 u...

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 Cosgrov...

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.

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...

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...