Roll up, roll up! In this first part of our Ray Bradbury double bill, we take a ride on the creepy carousel of the October People in a dark and moody film that Disney would probably rather keep secret.

Our thoughts on Ray Bradbury's writing, the politics in the Dark Pandemonium Carnival, extreme Pam Grier appreciation mania, Grandpa Simpson's onion on his belt which was the style at the time, schmoozing with celebs, nostalgia as a sickness, the Vogue rap, American boyhood, 7 Faces of Dr. Lao, spiders in the bed, reshoots with terrible wigs, Michael not knowing who the High Sparrow in Game of Thrones is, regret, being the target market for Dust Witch lunchboxes, a coming of age for Old Dad, lockdown horror, Picnic at Hanging Rock, a mesmerising parade, a Stan Winston skeleton with skin on, becoming a baby in the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon, creepy statues, a Doctor Who mirror maze, Weapons, and Dust Witch lewks await.

What tortured metaphor do we use to describe Bradbury's influence on Stephen King? Listen and find out!

Art by Ashleigh Jane Cosgrove. Music by Karl Casey at White Bat Audio.

Join 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 Jim Henson's The Storyteller)
• Rewind - looking back at fantasy films from before 1980 (including Star Wars)
• Fast Forward - our thoughts on fantasy movies from 2000 onwards (including The Lord of the Rings)

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