251 - May Day Special(?): The Wicker Man (with Calvin Dyson)

Guest: Calvin Dyson

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It's time for our annual Diminishing Returns Easter Special where we take a look at a piece of religious cinema. We let Patreon choose the film we'd cover and they wanted The Wicker Man. We threw in the awkward spiritual sequel The Wicker Tree as well, because we're nice like that. There's even talk of the unmade third Wicker Man movie, The Wrath of the Gods.

Check out our Patreon here!

Films covered in this episode:
The Wicker Man
(1973)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 77%

The Wicker Tree
Allen: ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 27%

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250 - You Only Live Twice (Twice): Diminishing Returns Returns! (with Calvin Dyson & Japanese Bond)

Guest: Calvin Dyson and Japanese Bond

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To celebrate our landmark 250th episode, we let our Patreon-subscribers decide which film we should cover again (out of everything in our first 200 episodes). They wanted us to do You Only Live Twice... twice.

Check out our Patreon here!

Films covered in this episode:
You Only Live Twice

Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 60%

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249 - King Kong vs. Godzilla (with James Perkins)

Guest: James Perkins

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We technically covered King Kong vs. Godzilla back during our King Kong episode in 2017 (episode #40) but Godzilla set an early precedent for "raiding again" and so, this week, we're joined by film-maker and critic, James Perkins, for an enthusiastic Diminishing Returns kaiju-konversation©.

We had to do something what with Godzilla vs. Kong coming out later this month!

Check out our Patreon here!

Films covered in this episode:
King Kong vs. Godzilla

Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
James: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 50%

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248 - Coming to America (with Gareth Allen)

Guest: Gareth Allen

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The first of many 2020 Coronavirus time-capsule episodes where we covered a film tying into a new release, only for the film to be yanked from the schedule at the last minute. This time, it's our Coming to America episode, tying into Coming 2 America, which is out on Amazon Prime Video this week.

Check out our Patreon here!

Films covered in this episode:
Coming to America

Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Gareth: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 80%

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246 - Steptoe and Son (with The British Sitcom History Podcast)

Guest: The British Sitcom History Podcast (Allen Turing & Gareth Allen)

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What is this? A crossover episode? Yes.

Diminishing Returns collides with The British Sitcom History Podcast this week, with a look at the 1972 film spin-off of classic sitcom Steptoe and Son.

Check out our Patreon here!

Films covered in this episode:
Steptoe and Son
(1972)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Gareth: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 57%

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245 - Valentine's Day Special: Eyes Wide Shut (with Calvin Dyson)

Guest: Calvin Dyson

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It's Valentine's Day so things are about to get sexy. But it's also a Kubrick episode so things are probably also about to get cold and meticulous and obsessive. Phwoar!

Check out our Patreon here!

Films covered in this episode:
Eyes Wide Shut

Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 60%

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244 - Wonder Woman 1984 (with Alana Johnston)

Guest: Alana Johnston

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Diminishing Returns are joined by Alana Johnston to tackle the divisive WW84 (or Wonder Woman 1984, depending on who you ask). To quote Alana: "It's a wild ride".

Check out our Patreon here!

Films covered in this episode:
WW84

Alana: ✰ ✰ ½
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 57%

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243 - Escape Room (with Calvin Dyson)

Guest: Calvin Dyson

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We forgot to delay our episode when Escape Room 2's release got delayed from this week, so screw it. Here's an episode about Escape Room featuring Calvin!

Check out our Patreon here!

Films covered in this episode:
Escape Room

Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 68%

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242 - Stroszek (with Dallas Campbell)

Guest: Dallas Campbell

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We're keeping things highbrow, this year, as we follow last week's Kes episode with an episode (finally) tackling the enigma that is Werner Herzog. Joining us to look at his 1977 film, Stroszek, is one of our most exciting guests to date: Herzog-expert, Dallas Campbell!

Check out our Patreon here!

Films covered in this episode:
Stroszek

Allen: ✰ ✰
Dallas: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 67%

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241 - Kes (with Tossed Popcorn)

Guests: Tossed Popcorn (Lianna Holston & Siena Jeakle)

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We're joined by Lianna Holston and Siena Jeakle of Tossed Popcorn (formerly Frankly, My Dear), a podcast where two people who don't watch movies watch their way through the AFI Top 100.

Given that we're British, we thought we'd subject them to something from the BFI Top 100, instead, so here we are: Ken Loach's classic slice of social realist drama, Kes.

Check out our Patreon here!

Films covered in this episode:
Kes

Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Lianna: ✰
Siena: ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 48%

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240 - Totalinishing Returnsall (with Calvin Dyson, Scott Chambers, Gareth Allen and Judey Bignell)

Guest: Calvin Dyson, Scott Chambers, Gareth Allen and Judey Bignell

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Introducing Wandy Newman Sings Diminishing Returns, the brand new album featuring never-before-heard outtakes from past Diminishing Returns recording sessions!

Check out our Patreon here!

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