The podcast where film-fans Allen Turing and Sol Harris take a weekly journey to Development Hell to discuss a film, then pitch their ideas for the sequel.
Guest: Calvin Dyson
Films covered in this episode:
Moonraker
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 67%
What? More Bond? Already? Yes! Lucky you! More Bond. James Bond. In spaaaace!
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Guest: Judey Bignell
Films covered in this episode:
Rocky Balboa
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Judey: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 64%
Grudge Match
Allen: n/s
Judey: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 50%
Creed
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Judey: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 70%
If last week was Rock-A, then this week is Rock-B, covering the remaining films in the Rocky franchise (Balboa and Creed) ahead of the release of Creed II.
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Guest: Judey Bignell
Films covered in this episode:
Rocky
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Judey: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 77%
Rocky II
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Judey: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 67%
Rocky III
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Judey: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 57%
Rocky IV
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Judey: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 54%
Rocky V
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Judey: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 50%
This week, it's the original Rocky series; that is Rocky through to Rocky V (which was originally intended as the conclusion to the series). Come back next week for Balboa and Creed, but in the meantime, enjoy some chat about classic '70s drama, Mr. T and inexplicable robots.
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Guest: Chris Hunter
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Chris: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 67%
This week, we return to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them to give the film a proper, in-depth look. Do the same opinions hold or will Chris Hunter's love of Potter be enough to sway Allen and stop him from hating everything like he usually does?
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Episodes in the Harry Potter series:
”Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2”
”Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”
Guest: Howard Jenkins
Films covered in this episode:
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Howard: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 70%
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Howard: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 60%
There's a show about films, many people have learned,
Where they shit on the films; it's called Diminishing Returns.
They shit with their mouths, they shit with their splanuses,
They shit with their writing, everything but their anuses.
This week, the gang gather to shit with their ghrishmas,
All over the film How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
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Guest: Calvin Dyson
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%
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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Guests: Sophie Harris and David Denyer
Films covered in this episode:
Suspiria
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
David: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Sophie: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 65%
Inferno (1980)
Allen: ✰
David: n/a
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Sophie: n/a
Overall score: 35%
Mother of Tears
Allen: ½
David: n/a
Sol: ✰
Sophie: n/a
Overall score: 15%
This week, we're joined by Sophie Harris and David Denyer to discuss seminal giallo classic Suspiria, the little-known sequels that form The Three Mothers Trilogy (Inferno and Mother of Tears), the upcoming 2018 Suspiria remake and their respective soundtracks.
Is Dario Argento a genius? Is he a hack? Or is he a hack on purpose to the point that it equates to being a genius? Listen and decide!
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Guest: Scott Chambers
Films covered in this episode:
Halloween II (1981)
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Scott: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 50%
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
Allen: ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰
Scott: ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 43%
Halloween 5
Allen: ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰
Scott: ✰
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 28%
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers
Allen: ½
Calvin: ✰ ½
Scott: ½
Sol: ✰
Overall score: 18%
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
Allen: ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Scott: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 50%
Halloween: Resurrection
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ½
Scott: ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 38%
What's that you say? We've already done Halloween? Yes, but back then, Calvin was the only one who'd seen all of the sequels. In this episode, Sol and Allen have endured the lot of them so that you can enjoy a real blow-by-blow account of each of Michael Myers' antics.
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Episodes in the Halloween series:
”Halloween”
”Halloween II”
Guest: Calvin Dyson
Films covered in this episode:
The Spy Who Loved Me
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 64%
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”
Guest: Calvin Dyson
Films covered in this episode:
Johnny English
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 60%
Johnny English Reborn
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 60%
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: Judey Bignell
Films covered in this episode:
American Beauty
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Judey: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 90%
Note: rating was later revised when Calvin added his score in our first live episode
A listener requested an American Beauty episode and we responded with an American Beauty episode. If you'd like to request a film for us to cover in the future, then head over to iTunes and leave us a review mentioning what film you want us to look at and we might just do it.
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Guest: Daryn Ashcroft
Films covered in this episode:
The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Daryn: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 60%
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Daryn: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 94%
Note: rating was later revised when Calvin added his score in our first live episode
Remember when we did Mamma Mia!? It was so awful that we had to do a good musical to make up for it. That's where Little Shop of Horrors comes in, with a brief look at the original 1960 film and the 1986 musical remake.
This week, Sol and Allen are joined by Daryn Ashcroft from Films Remembered Badly and there's a music quiz where the gang have to identify what movies various musicals are based on thrown in for good measure. Did you guys know that there's a musical adaptation of Catch Me If You Can?
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Predator
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 80%
Predator 2
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 65%
Predators
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 65%
You know what pre-dates those Alien vs. Predator films that we've already covered? Pre-dator.
Also, the second one, but not the third one. We cover all three, this week in anticipation of Shane Black's upcoming The Predator.
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Episodes in the Predator series:
”Alien season: The Alien vs. Predator Duology”
"Predator"
Films covered in this episode:
The Conjuring
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 60%
The Conjuring 2
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 65%
Diminishing Returns is haunting your ears with this look at both Conjuring movies in anticipation of the release of The Nun. Annabelle gets a quick mention, too. It's not even Halloween yet but shit's getting spooky.
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Guest: Gareth Allen
Films covered in this episode:
Beverly Hills Cop
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Gareth: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 80%
Beverly Hills Cop II
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Gareth: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 47%
Beverly Hills Cop III
Allen: ✰
Gareth: ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 30%
Doo doo doo do do doo doo, doo doo doo doo do do doo, doo doo doo do doo doo do doo doo. This week is the Beverly Hills Cop trilogy and Allen's brother has popped in to join us along with Eddie Murphy Bond.
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Guest: Calvin Dyson
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%
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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Guest: Conor Murray
Films covered in this episode:
Kill Bill: Vol. 1
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Conor: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 74%
Kill Bill: Vol. 2
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Conor: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 70%
Grindhouse
Allen: n/s
Conor: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 70%
Planet Terror
Allen: n/s
Conor: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 60%
Death Proof
Allen: ✰
Conor: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 47%
Quentin Tarantino Season continues with Volume 2 - although, this is a legitimately new volume. We didn't just record one really long podcast, chop it in half and then release it as two separate episodes. This week, we look at Kill Bill and Grindhouse (Planet Terror and Death Proof) as well as exploring Tarantino's relationship with music and feet.
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Guest: Dan Straw
Films covered in this episode:
Reservoir Dogs
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Dan: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 77%
True Romance
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Dan: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 65%
Pulp Fiction
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Dan: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 94%
Natural Born Killers
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Dan: n/s
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 60%
Four Rooms
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Dan: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 45%
From Dusk Till Dawn
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Dan: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 84%
Jackie Brown
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Dan: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 74%
Diminishing Returns kicks off Quentin Tarantino Season with this episode looking at Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown and everything in between!
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Guest: Paul Brear
Films covered in this episode:
Fight Club
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Brear: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 94%
Note: rating was later revised when Calvin added his score in our first live episode
The nth rule of Fight Club is everyone must make hacky parodies of the "rules of Fight Club" scene from Fight Club. And this week, Diminishing Returns is no exception, as they take on the retro-evaluated classic.
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Films covered in this episode:
Mission: Impossible
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 65%
Mission: Impossible II
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 45%
Mission: Impossible III
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 55%
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 60%
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 55%
Stunts! Action! Crazy action stunts! This week, Diminishing Returns take on one of the most surprisingly resilient action movie franchises out there. It's rival to the James Bond series, Mission: Impossible.
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