Once Upon A VHS Podcast

The Once Upon A VHS Podcast is billed as a queer and never-ending 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, the creators/hosts, Michael and Callum, will journey through the big blockbusters and cult classics.

While the Fox News crowd may get hung up on the queer part, this show is just a damn good movie review podcast, regardless of your sexual orientation. Michael and Callum, the co-hosts, know how to diagnose a movie.

With Rotten Tomatoes and its weird ownership situation (Warner Bros & NBCUniversal), I don't trust those corporate moles anymore.

Like another Brit, Simon Dillon with his Dillon On Film podcast, Michael and Callum know how to breakdown movies. In their case, they've chosen to focus on 80s and 90s fantasy films, but they've done Bonus episodes on contemporary films with spectacular results.

For example, Their November 23, 2025 episode on Wicked For Good spent over two hours dissecting multiple elements of the film, from the ruby slippers to Elphaba's hat. These boys know about movies.

They began in November 2024 with The Neverending Story, tickling their listeners' fancy with, "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!"

Michael Lee Richardson is a BAFTA Scotland Award-winning writer and filmmaker with credits in TV drama, short film, documentary, radio drama and children's TV. Michael has TV and film projects in development with a range of production companies, and is attached as show runner to an upcoming TV reboot.

Callum Sinclair is a community worker and educator specializing in public engagement, health and wellbeing, and is a lifelong fantasy fan.

Callum and Michael are both based in Scotland.

When we asked them why they started this podcast, they said: "So many of the films we love are those weird, dark 80s and 90s fantasy films that went underappreciated in their time, but have cult status now. We wanted to make a space that took these films seriously - but not solemnly - where we talk about what they mean to us, what they mean to the people who love them. The biggest joy of it all, for me, has been the community that’s forming around the podcast, the response we’ve had to some of our episodes, often the ones that are about weirder films. It’s such a tonic."

Some of their best episodes include shows on movies such as Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995), Willow (1988), The Dark Crystal, and Krull (1983), where they were joined by Scott and Pete from the Movies That Made Us Gay podcast.

In July 2024, Michael and Callum hosted a fun end-of-season celebration, as they looked back at the season, answered listener questions and ripped 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.

The co-hosts add: "Plus, we remember Faerie Tale Theatre legend Shelley Duvall, pick our theme song Top of the Pops, and crown Miss Fantasy!"

When we asked how difficult has it been to produce the show, the co-hosts answered: "Our priority is to keep enjoying the process of making the podcast, and that enthusiasm hopefully comes across to our listeners. We have a lot of fun discussing these movies, and our episode format allows us to bring in more personal anecdotes and analysis of our relationships with each film - whether we were scared by it as kids, or if we appreciate different qualities when we view them now. Editing can be time-consuming and scheduling can be a challenge, especially when recording with guests, but we're both good organizers! We can easily share writing and production duties on the podcast, which makes things a lot simpler. When we need a break, we take one."

While some Millennials and GenZers may not get the allusion to the old VHS tape format, it's a nice link to the show's theme.

What I like about the show is its commitment to legitimate film analysis. It's obvious these gentlemen love films, and it shows in the care they take to dissect them. Too many movie review podcasts end up being a three-beer conversation at a sports bar with inside jokes only the hosts and most loyal audience understand. The co-hosts, Michael and Callum, share a sense of sharp wit and incisive movie analysis.

Once Upon A VHS is a brilliant movie review podcast, focusing on fantasy films of past decades. They've done some bonus episodes of recent films, and I think they are so ear worthy, that the boys may want to think about expanding to review all fantasy films. They're good enough to do it.