The podcast where film-fans Calvin Dyson, Allen Turing and Sol Harris take a weekly journey to Development Hell to discuss a film, then pitch their ideas for the sequel.
Films covered in this episode:
Left Behind: The Movie (2000)
Allen: n/s
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ½
Overall score: 10%
Left Behind (2014)
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 34%
Guest host: Calvin Dyson
Diminishing Returns go back to the meaty well of Christianity to celebrate Easter 2019. Last time, it was God's Not Dead. This time, it's Left Behind.
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Films covered in this episode:
For Your Eyes Only
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 67%
Guest host: Calvin Dyson
This week has everything from deep explorations of race politics, dubious accusations of animal cruelty against Thomas Eddison, a quiz game and, of course, discussion of Dumbo... Disney's beloved classic film and the upcoming Tim Burton remake.
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Films covered in this episode:
For Your Eyes Only
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 50%
For your ears only (not really, it's for anyone who wants to listen, sorry)... but that shouldn't matter because it's Diminishing Returns returning to James Bond once more.
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Guest host: Calvin Dyson
Here, for you, are a selection of never-heard-before (and very old) clips from Allen's cutting-room floor. Hear cut discussion from episodes like Psycho, Alien and others, as well as the story about when Sol and Allen were going to get a pet chimp when they lived together and yet more cut material from that huge quiz episode we did to celebrate our episode-count turning 100.
Films covered in this episode:
Black Panther
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 70%
BlacKkKlansman
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 70%
Bohemian Rhapsody
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 55%
The Favourite
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 70%
Green Book
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 80%
Roma
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 50%
A Star is Born
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 64%
Vice
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 80%
and also…
Mary Queen of Scots
Allen: ✰ ✰
Cakvin: n/s
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 40%
The Big Short
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 80%
Guest host: Calvin Dyson
It's the third annual Oscars blowout at Diminishing Returns, taking aim at all of this year's Best Picture nominees:
Black Panther
BlacKkKlansman
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
Green Book
Roma
A Star is Born
Vice
...and a few other films that sneak into the discussion along the way.
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Films covered in this episode:
Fifty Shades Freed
Allen: ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 30%
Guest host: Calvin Dyson
The Diminishing Returns' annual Valentine's Day special sees out the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy with a look at Fifty Shades Freed. As ever, it's more of an excuse to talk about sex than a real celebration of (very bad) cinema.
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Films covered in this episode:
Split
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 74%
Guest host: Calvin Dyson
The twist is that M. Night Shyamalan Season wasn't over - that's right, we return to the infamous writer/director's work with a look at Split in anticipation of the upcoming film Glass. For obvious reasons, we take another big look at Unbreakable, too.
Also, spoiler alert for Split and some other past M. Night movies.
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Films covered in this episode:
One Good Turn
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 64%
Thicker than Water
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 64%
Way Out West
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 60%
Stan and Ollie
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 75%
Guest host: Calvin Dyson
In anticipation of upcoming John C. Reilly and Steve Coogan awards grab, Stan and Ollie, Diminishing Returns indulge Calvin's love of Laurel & Hardy by looking at their careers, a couple of their shorts and their best known feature: Way Out West. Did I say in anticipation of Stan and Ollie? That's not quite accurate because Sol's already seen it. So that film gets reviewed as well.
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Films covered in this episode:
Deadpool 2
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 70%
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 64%
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 67%
Incredibles 2
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 77%
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 67%
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Allen: ✰ ✰
Judey: ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 37%
Mission: Impossible - Fallout
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 70%
The Nun
Allen: ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 40%
The Predator
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 70%
Johnny English Strikes Again
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Judey: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 57%
Halloween (2018)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 67%
Suspiria (2018)
Allen: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 50%
The Grinch
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 50%
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Chris: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 54%
Creed II
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Judey: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 65%
Aquaman
Allen: ✰ ½
Judey: ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 44%
Guest hosts: Calvin Dyson, Judey Bignell and Chris Hunter
It's that time, again! Diminishing Returns present their biggest episode ever: a solid three-hours looking back at the releases of 2018 covered on the show and more...
Sol and Allen are joined by Calvin Dyson, Judey Bignell and Chris Hunter to ring in the new year (or, to put it more accurately, ring out the old one). Also, there's a music quiz. All in all, it's bloody good listening.
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Guest host: Calvin Dyson
We've teased you about it for three years, but we've finally done Die Hard. Merry Christmas!
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Films covered in this episode:
Die Hard
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 87%
Films covered in this episode:
Mary Poppins
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 70%
Guest host: Calvin Dyson
G'day Marybawbin!. When yor w' Bert, you'wll 'ave a jawlyawliday ev'ryday 'ere at Diminishing Ret'rns - made in real, propa authentic London itis! Thos wek, the gang's ol' doin' a jawly chimchimmernycheroo of a time lookin' at ole Mary wi' moi! Lorra lorra.
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Moonraker
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 67%
Guest host: Calvin Dyson
What? More Bond? Already? Yes! Lucky you! More Bond. James Bond. In spaaaace!
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Films covered in this episode:
Re-Animator
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 84%
Bride of Re-Animator
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 57%
Beyond Re-Animator
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 57%
Guest host: Calvin Dyson
In the culmination of this run of horror-film-focused episodes, Diminishing Returns brings you one covering classic Lovecraftian zombedy Re-Animator and its two sequels. Oh, and there's Calvin and a music quiz.
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Films covered in this episode:
The Spy Who Loved Me
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 64%
Guest host: Calvin Dyson
That Johnny English episode last week was just to whet your appetites for our next Bond episode - and this time we're doing one of the most beloved films in the entire series. Will this be the one to finally win Sol and Allen over? Don't hold your breath...
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Episodes in the James Bond series:
"Dr. No"
"From Russia with Love"
"Goldfinger"
"Thunderball"
"You Only Live Twice"
"On Her Majesty's Secret Service"
"Diamonds Are Forever"
"Live and Let Die"
”The Man with the Golden Gun”
”The Spy Who Loved Me”
Films covered in this episode:
Johnny English
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 60%
Johnny English Reborn
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 60%
Guest host: Calvin Dyson
To coincide with the release of the third installment in a franchise that nobody asked for, we bring you the 122nd installment of a podcast that nobody asked for! That's right, this week, James Bond super-fan, Calvin Dyson, is back to discuss nobody's favourite spy-spoof series, Johnny English!
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Special Extended Cut
As Allen says at the end of this episode, as a special treat for you guys, we’re making the full-length, unedited version of the episode available for your listening pleasure here. Enjoy:
Guest host: Calvin Dyson
Quentin Tarantino Season closes out with a bang. The OG Diminishing Returns gang reunite to look at Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight, as well as Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Quentin Tarantino's Star Trek movie.
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Films covered in this episode:
Inglourious Basterds
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 90%
Django Unchained
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 80%
The Hateful Eight
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 75%
