99 - The Avengers

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Films covered in this episode:

The Avengers
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 80%

Avengers: Age of Ultron
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 64%

We've covered Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Thor, Thor: The Dark World, Thor: Ragnarok, the Captain America trilogy, Spider-Man: Homecoming and Guardians of the Galaxy volumes 1 and 2. Time to bring it all together in this delightful team-up episode.

(Yeah, we know. We've still got The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2 and 3, Ant-Man and Black Panther to deal with. That's phase 2).

Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud

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Episodes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series:
"Iron Man"
"Guardians of the Galaxy"
"Spider-Man"
"Thor"
"Captain America: The First Avenger"
"The Avengers"
"Ant-Man"

We review Avengers: Infinity War in:
"Review of the Year 2018: Part 1"

98 - Live and Let Die

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Films covered in this episode:

Live and Let Die
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 67%

It's Bond. You know the drill.

Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud

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96 - Kung Fu Hustle

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Films covered in this episode:

Kung Fu Hustle
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 84%

This week, Diminishing Returns take on the cult / mainstream (depending on what country you're in) martial arts comedy Kung Fu Hustle. Also, there's a good amount of Nicolas Cage in this one for some reason.

Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud

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95 - God's Not Dead

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Films covered in this episode:

God's Not Dead
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: ½
Sol: ½
Overall score: 20%

God's Not Dead 2
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: ½
Sol: ½
Overall score: 20%

In the first ever Diminishing Returns Easter Special, we take on overblown Christian nonsense-film God's Not Dead, all ahead of the upcoming release of God's Not Dead: A Light in Darkness which is clearly set to be one of 2018's film highlights. Also, God's Not Dead 2.

Warning: there's a whiff of antitheism about this one.

Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud

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94 - Pacific Rim

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Films covered in this episode:

Pacific Rim
Allen: ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 47%

Pacific Rim: Uprising is upon us like some sort of kaiju invasion, so Diminishing Returns is getting into a proverbial jaeger so that it can take on the beast that is Pacific Rim. Is it any good? Opinions are split.

Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud

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We review Pacific Rim: Uprising in:
"Review of the Year 2018: Part 1"

93 - Tomb Raider

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Films covered in this episode:

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 40%

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider:: The Cradle of Life
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 47%

Diminishing Returns: Podcast:: Episode 93::: Tomb Raider:::: The Video Game, But Also the Film::::: Lara Croft:::::: Tomb Raider.

Yeah, we're doing Tomb Raider because there's a new Tomb Raider movie out soon. Also, there's a video game themed music quiz!

Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud

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We review Tomb Raider in:
"Review of the Year 2018: Part 1"

92 - Diamonds Are Forever

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Films covered in this episode:

Diamonds Are Forever
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 54%

It's Diminishing Returns. It's James Bond. It's Diamonds Are Forever.

Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud

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91 - Oscars 2018

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Films covered in this episode:

Call Me By Your Name
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 67%

Darkest Hour
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 64%

Dunkirk
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 70%

Get Out
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 64%

Ladybird
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 70%

Phantom Thread
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 55%

The Post
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 70%

The Shape of Water
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 84%

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 67%

We're coming up to the 90th Academy Awards, so here's the 91st episode of Diminishing Returns, covering all of this year's Best Picture nominees, as well as some other bits and pieces including a retrospective look at a few of last year's award winners.

Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud

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Oscars episodes:
"Oscars 2017"
"Oscars 2018"

90 - A Clockwork Orange

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Films covered in this episode:

A Clockwork Orange
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 87%

First, we covered Calvin's favourite film with an episode on Psycho. Now, we're bringing you part 2 of The Diminishing Returns Favourite Films Trilogy (tm) with Sol's favourite: A Clockwork Orange.

Maybe we'll bring you a third episode on Allen's favourite film one day, if he's ever able to stop hating everything long enough to decide on a favourite.

Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud

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89 - Captain America: The First Avenger

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Films covered in this episode:

Captain America: The First Avenger
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 67%

Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 70%

Captain America: Civil War
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 60%

Captain America (1979)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 50%

Captain America II: Death Too Soon
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: n/s
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 40%

Captain America (1990)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰
Overall score: 35%

Black Panther is out this week, so we're taking a look back at his debut in Captain America: Civil War. Of course, before we get there, we discuss The First Avenger and The Winter Soldier, too. It's a veritable smörgåsbord of Marvel Cinematic Universe delights!

Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud

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Episodes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series:
"Iron Man"
"Guardians of the Galaxy"
"Spider-Man"
"Thor"
"Captain America: The First Avenger"
"The Avengers"
"Ant-Man"

We review Black Panther in:
"Review of the Year 2018: Part 1"

88 - Fifty Shades Darker

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Films covered in this episode:

Fifty Shades Darker
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ½
Sol: ½
Overall score: 27%

Our Fifty Shades of Grey episode went down so well that we figured we kind of had to cover the next one, what with Fifty Shades Freed coming out.
Consider this the second in part of a new Valentine's Day tradition where the Diminishing Returns gags sit down and give away far, far too much personal information.

Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud

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Episodes in the Fifty Shades of Grey series:
"Fifty Shades of Grey"
"Fifty Shades Darker"

87 - Sunshine

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In one of the strangest choices of films to cover on the show yet, this week's episode takes a look at Danny Boyle's 2007 sci-fi effort Sunshine. They blinded me with science.

Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud

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Films covered in this episode:

Sunshine
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 70%

 

 

 

We review Annihilation in:
"Review of the Year 2018: Part 1"

86 - The Maze Runner

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If there's one thing Diminishing Returns is good at, it's appealing to the youth... the cool kids. This episode is just for the young adults of the world; those youths that read young-adult fiction like The Maze Runner and then go to watch the young-adult movies based on the books like The Maze Runner. If it reads like this was written by someone too old to appreciate stuff for the kids, then that's probably because you're too old to get where the kids are even coming from... granddad. Go and listen to a show for old people, instead, like the episode of Diminishing Returns we did on The Godfather or something instead.

Also, The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials.

Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud

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Films covered in this episode:

The Maze Runner
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 54%

The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰
Overall score: 40%

We review The Maze Runner: The Death Cure in:
"Review of the Year 2018: Part 1"

85 - Back to the Future

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Films covered in this episode:

Back to the Future
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 87%

Back to the Future Part II
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 74%

Back to the Future Part III
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 80%

The long-awaited listener vote episode is finally here! Listen as we explore 1985 followed by 1955 followed by 1985, 2015, alternate 1985, 1955, 1885, then 1985 again (in that order) with this episode covering Back to the Future Parts I - III. As always, we pitch our own ideas for sequels to the trilogy and there's a Christopher Lloyd audio quiz, too. Great jigawatts[sic]!

Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud

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84 - Another Diminishing Returns Outtakes Show

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Our previous outtakes episode went down pretty well, so here's another one. Don't worry; we're all fine. We just wanted to burn this episode off before it got even more outdated than it already is - plus it meant that we could chill out after not taking a week off the show over Christmas.

Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud

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This episode contains previously unheard cut material from:
"Oscars 2017"
"Live-Action Disney Remakes"
"Guardians of the Galaxy"
"Suicide Squad"
"Review of the Year 2017: Part 1"
and
"Thunderball"

Outtakes Episodes:
"So It's Come to This: A Diminishing Returns Outtakes Show"
"Another Diminishing Returns Outtakes Show"
"The Diminishing Returns 107th Episode Spectacular"
 

83 - Review of the Year 2017: Part 2

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Review of the Year 2017:
Part 1
Part 2

Films covered in this episode:

The Mummy
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 55%

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
Allen: ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 30%

Transformers: The Last Knight
Allen: ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 30%

Despicable Me 3
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 50%

Spider-Man: Homecoming
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 70%

War for the Planet of the Apes
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 77%

Death Note
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 55%

It
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 75%

The LEGO Ninjago Movie
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 50%

Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Allen: ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 34%

Blade Runner 2049
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 65%

Cult of Chucky
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 65%

Jigsaw
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 50%

Thor: Ragnarok
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 75%

Justice League
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 57%

The Disaster Artist
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 74%

Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 60%

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 70%

We follow up our first Review of the Year 2017 episode with a look back at the last six months of film releases.
This episode contains reviews of:
- The Mummy (2017)
- Transformers: The Last Knight
- Despicable Me 3
- War for the Planet of the Apes
- Death Note (2017)
- It (2017)
- The LEGO Ninjago Movie
- Kingsman: The Golden Circle
- Blade Runner 2049
- Cult of Chucky
- Jigsaw
- Thor: Ragnarok
- Justice League
- The Disaster Artist
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi
and
- Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Allen also put a quiz together for this episode with questions focusing on each film, which is probably why this has ended up being our longest episode to date. Sorry about that or you're welcome depending on your views on long episodes. We didn't want to cut our Last Jedi argument too short, after all.

Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud

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82 - Christmas Special: Love Actually

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Films covered in this episode:

Love Actually
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 47%

Here's an early Christmas gift: a Diminishing Returns holiday episode. Yes, we're doing Love Actually instead of Die Hard (you'll hear why in the episode, itself). There's also a Christmas movie music quiz in there which is jolly good fun.

Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud

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Diminishing Returns Christmas Specials:
"It's a Wonderful Life"
"Love Actually"

81 - Jumanji

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Films covered in this episode:

Jumanji
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 74%

Zathura
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 55%

The Last Jedi is here. Star Wars season is over. That's it for Star Wars (until the week after next).

In its place, we bring you an episode on 1995 family classic Jumanji. We look back to the Robin Williams-fueled '90s nostalgia-fest in anticipation of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (and we touch on the sort-of-but-not-quite-sequel Zathura, too).

Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud

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We review Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle in:
"Review of the Year 2017: Part 2"

80 - Star Wars season: The Force Awakens

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Star Wars season:
Part 1: "The Prequel Trilogy"
Part 2: "Rogue One"
Part 3: "The Force Awakens"

Films covered in this episode:

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 67%

The final part in the trilogy of the Diminishing Returns Star Wars season.

We've covered The Prequel Trilogy, we've covered Rogue One and, now, we're covering Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens. Is it the shot in the arm Star Wars needed or is it a shot-for-shot remake of A New Hope without the charm? We get into it, plus what we're expecting from The Last Jedi, here!

Oh, and, like in our recent On Her Majesty's Secret Service episode, there's a Star Wars music quiz, too. Think you can distinguish between music that's really part of the Star Wars franchise and music that isn't? Then listen and play along at home.

Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud

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The Star Wars Music Quiz

If you haven't listened to the episode yet, then don't read ahead as the following is a list of answers for the Star Wars music quiz. If, however, you listened to it, liked the sound of one of those songs and want to go and listen to the full version, here's a reference list to help you out:

1. "Medley: Star Wars - 12" Version" by Meco (from the album Music Inspired by Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk)
2. "Tiki Tiki Babeloo" by The Minions (from the movie Despicable Me 3)
3. "Ewok Celebration and Finale (Nyub Nyub)" by John Williams (from the movie Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi)
4. "Ewoks Theme Tune" from the cartoon series Ewoks
5. "Chewbacca" by Supernova (single)
6. "The Imperial Suite" by Michael Giacchino (from the movie Rogue One)
7. "Lapti Nek" by Joseph Williams (from the movie Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi)
8. "Highly Illogical" by Leonard Nimoy (single)
9. "What Can You Get a Wookie for Christmas?" by Meco (from the album Christmas in the Stars)
10. "Gay Bar (Dagobah Remix)" by Electric Six (from the album Fire)
11. "The Threepenny Opera" by Bea Arthur (from the stage musical The Threepenny Opera)
12. "Goodnight, But Not Goodbye" by Bea Arthur (from The Star Wars Holiday Special)

Episodes in the Star Wars series:
"The Star Wars Trilogy"
"The Prequel Trilogy"
"Rogue One"
"The Force Awakens"

We review Star Wars: The Last Jedi in:
"Review of the Year 2017: Part 2"