Once Upon A VHS - 80s and 90s Fantasy

We're joined by Scott and Pete from the brilliant Movies That Made Us Gay podcast to grab the Glaive (ouch) for an epic sci-fi-infused fantasy adventure. Dungeons and Drag Queens, British institution Todd Carty, Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, Princess Chappell Roan with the voice of Professor Maggie Walsh, a Beast of ambiguous scale, the Genre aisle, being bothered by Liam Neeson, a smidge of Star Wa...

Hold on to your animated amulets as we explore Don Bluth's visually vibrant and emotionally potent directorial debut. Mouse peril, scabby owls, Scissor Sisters, acid trips, divine intervention, magical twinkly stuff, gay rats, Charlotte's Web, the sartorial excellence of Vincent Valentine and lots of string await. We share our thoughts on the movie and its themes, some behind the scenes gossip, de...

Uh-oh, we're in trouble! In addition to tackling the movie, we backflip into a potted history of the TV phenomenon and its Super Sentai tokusatsu origins. Extensive discussion of Kimberley the Pink Power Ranger, Witch Bandora's flying Penny Farthing, hench Cenobite Lord Zedd, papier mache dinosaur bones, totally radical skydiving, Alpha's Magical Christmas, Ivan Ooze's gorgeous garments and Lady G...

We're back and Warwick Davis has a trick up his sleeve! Tonka toys, the Ebert and Siskel dragon, the Lord of the Rings of it all, George Lucas being Alexandra Burke's elephant in the room, the joy of DVD extras, giant fairy queens in bad wigs and transformation trauma await. We share our thoughts on the movie and its themes, some behind the scenes gossip, delve into the nightmarish moments and dre...

A bawdy, bewitching and bewildering end-of-season festive celebration - adults only! Join us as we look back, answer listener questions and empty out Santa's Sack full of 80s and 90s fantasy Christmas goodies including Santa Claus: The Movie (1985), Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997), A Smoky Mountain Christmas (1986), Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special (1988), the ITV pantomi...

Fellow Ozians! By "Popular" demand, here's an epic bonus episode - our unedited discussion of this year's fantasy blockbuster movie, going song-by-song through Wicked, Part One. Spoiler warning - see the film before you listen, but we don't spoil anything about next year's Part Two. We waffle on for nearly the whole duration of the movie - our thoughts on the Gregory Maguire books, the stage music...

Join us once upon a December on an animated journey to the past, historically accurate or otherwise. A potted history of the Romanovs, Don Bluth's Dragon's Lair, Disney pettiness, Russia's greatest love machine Rasputin having a mouth in a place it doesn't belong, and Bartok Burger King toys await. We share our thoughts on the movie and its themes, some behind the scenes gossip, delve into the nig...

Daniel Lammin, theatremaker, film critic and host of Ink & Paint podcast, joins us to roll the dice on this wild and intense blockbuster about a brutal boardgame, anchored by Robin Williams. Plants with hair, Stephen King comparisons, Australian children's TV, Bebe Neuwirth's cleaning prowess and the Jurassic Park of it all await. We share our thoughts on the movie and its themes, some behind...

Kim Morrison, writer and creator of Little Red Horror, joins us for a spell to discuss this witchy wonder. Midnight margaritas, floating petals, being born under a diva sign, inappropriate whipped cream, Ceefax (or Teletext) and a surprising number of references to classic horror await. We share our thoughts on the movie and its themes, some behind the scenes gossip, delve into the nightmarish mom...

Joshua Conkel, writer, filmmaker and one of the hosts of arthouse horror movie podcast Bloodhaus, joins us to discuss this brutal and often beautiful banger. The riddle of steel, James Earl Jones in a Bettie Page wig, representation metadiscourse, Arnie's cheekbones, Cruella's mother getting knocked off a cliff by dalmatians and THE iconic score await. We share our thoughts on the movie and its th...

Nicole and Tessa, the hilarious hosts of Doom Generation podcast, join us through the looking glass for a chaotic whirl around the second part of an all-star TV movie musical extravanganza. Carol Channing turning into a sheep, skibidi toilet, CATS, Pound Puppies, mother's crispy Aquanet hair, treacle, and the impressive resume of writer/director/Jabberwocky/mime Tom McLoughlin await. We share our...

Simon Eilbeck, Hot Mess DJ and queer dance party king, joins us to discuss this bizarre and boisterous beast of a film with one of the wildest endings we've ever seen. Evil washing lines, jaunty George Harrison, diva antics, exploding dogs, Sean Connery impressions, philosophical questions and atmospheric smoky cinemas await. But not Baldrick. We share our thoughts on the film and its themes, some...

Tara and EmKay, hosts of Down the Yellow Brick Pod, join us to discuss this proto-Ghibli anime adaptation of the beloved story. Aileen Quinn's Playbill shenanigans, surreal sound effects, Godzilla, a giant crow on fire, plenty of pie, turkey slices on a Pocahontas plate and a very purple Wicked Witch of the West await. We share our thoughts on the film and its themes, some behind the scenes gossip...

James Dewar, star of The Great British Bake Off, joins us to discuss the director's cut of Clive Barker's misunderstood monster melange, Nightbreed. Stop-motion animation, queer allegory, big demon statues, David Cronenberg in a gimp mask and furry jump scares await. We share our thoughts on the film and its themes, some behind the scenes gossip, delve into the nightmarish moments and dream up som...

We're back for Season 2 with some special guests! Cullen and Hannah from Not My Fantasy podcast join us to discuss this much beloved movie. Mixtapes for Fred Savage, the Blorpo alien empire, storytelling as an act of love, Nicole-Bertha the Ancient Booer, and watching a lime-green Shrek VHS cassette on a TV that has an ass await. We share our thoughts on the film and its themes, some behind the sc...

It's our end-of-season celebration! Join us as we look back, answer listener questions and rip open a Lucky Bag of 80s and 90s fantasy mini-topics including Starla and the Jewel Riders, The Pirates of Dark Water, Through the Dragon's Eye, Heroes of Might and Magic 3, Final Fantasy 7 and Highland Mysteryworld Plus, we remember Faerie Tale Theatre legend Shelley Duvall, pick our theme song Top of th...

We return to Fantasia for The NeverEnding Story 2: Electric Boogaloo before a beard-flight to The Land of Faraway based on Astrid Lindgren's Mio min Mio. Prepare for Christopher Lee's Sasha Fierce claw, Power Rangers meets Encarta 95 vibes, Benny and Bjorn from ABBA, a draggy sorceress, swimming pools, and Geiger counters. We share our thoughts on the films and their themes, some behind the scenes...

Dance, magic dance! There is a spark inside us! Our goblin double bill brings us Henson hot takes, magic phone cards, a rotten Hoggle, the twelve tapdancing toes of the Goblin Queen, the best and worst of David Bowie's costume and a very special grandma ghost. Oh, and singing. We share our thoughts on the films and their themes, some behind the scenes gossip, delve into the nightmarish moments and...

Episode 7 is a hot mess express with a lot of love for Stan Winston, special makeup effects artist and creature creator extraordinaire, but less so for his second feature as director, a bizarre buddy comedy with a puppet gnome. Derailing from our usual format, we share our thoughts on the film in the first half (with tangents about Mr Blobby's Blobbyland and the Psammead), and in the second half w...

Well, excuuuuuuse me princess - our sixth episode is our wildest wander yet! With a tip of the hat to Brian Froud and Alan Lee's Faeries book and TV special, we find ourselves in the ridiculously glittery sets of Ridley Scott's Legend. The devilish Darkness, dancing dresses and Tom Cruise's thighs. Big nostalgic memories of the Atmosfear VHS board game and the Clarks Magic Steps shoe commercial. W...

Episode 5, how she sparkles, The Last Unicorn! Melancholy mythical creatures, surprising celebrity superfans, internalised unicorniphobia and more misguided impersonations. We share our thoughts on the film and its themes, some behind the scenes gossip, delve into the nightmarish moments and dream up some ridiculous merch. Will we get vaporised by a Sphinx? Listen and find out! Art by Ashleigh Jan...

Bangarang! Spielberg's sequel to Peter Pan is our episode four focus. Maggie Smith's old age makeup, floating Carrie Fisher, moppet dirges and OG gay pirates. Rufio-no-they-didn't! We share our thoughts on the film and its themes, some behind the scenes gossip, delve into the nightmarish moments and dream up some ridiculous merch. Will we get vaporised by a Sphinx? Listen and find out! Art by Ashl...

Episode 3 - Extreme Return to Oz Appreciation Mania. Fractured identities, Fairuzaween, blinged-out Tik-Tok, the Nome Queen of Chromatica, Mombi's head complaints and more. Beware the Wheelers... We share our thoughts on the film and its themes, some behind the scenes gossip, delve into the nightmarish moments and dream up some ridiculous merch. Will we get vaporised by a Sphinx? Listen and find o...

The library is open for episode 2. Power ballads, scroll beards, the McDonalds coffee lawsuit and Whoopi Goldberg as an anthropomorphic book adjusting her pantyhose. We share our thoughts on the film and its themes, some behind the scenes gossip, delve into the nightmarish moments and dream up some ridiculous merch. Will we get vaporised by a Sphinx? Listen and find out! Art by Ashleigh Jane Cosgr...

From Falkor fur coats to Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas and a big warehouse full of fairies, join us in the magical land of Fantasia for our first episode. We share our thoughts on the film and its themes, some behind the scenes gossip, delve into the nightmarish moments and dream up some ridiculous merch. Will we get vaporised by a Sphinx? Listen and find out! Art by Ashleigh Jane Cosgrove. Musi...