218 - The Christopher Nolan Season Rises (with Gareth Allen)

Guest: Gareth Allen

Films covered in this episode:
The Dark Knight Rises
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Gareth: ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 53%

Interstellar
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Gareth: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 84%

Dunkirk
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Gareth: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 73%

Christopher Nolan Season comes to a thrilling and much-better-thought-through conclusion than The Dark Knight Rises with this: "The Christopher Nolan Season Rises", a look at the third Nolan Batman movie, Interstellar and an in-depth look at Dunkirk (following us touching on it in our 2018 Oscars episode, where we covered all of the Best Picture nominees).

Gareth Allen joins us to lend a third voice among the split opinions that dominate this episode.

Check out our Patreon here!

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217 - The Christopher Nolan Season (with Emily Slade)

Guest: Emily Slade

Films covered in this episode:
The Prestige
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Emily: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 80%

The Dark Knight
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Emily: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 88%

Inception
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 90%

Diminishing Returns continue their exploration of Christopher Nolan's filmography with the help of Emily Slade, on hand to guide them through The Prestige, The Dark Knight and Inception.

Check out our Patreon here!

Listen on:
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PlayerFM

216 - Christopher Nolan Season Begins (with Paul Brear)

Guest: Paul Brear

Films covered in this episode:
Following
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Brear: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 74%

Memento.
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Brear: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 90%

Insomnia (1997)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Brear: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 65%

Insomnia (2000)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Brear: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 67%

Batman Begins
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Brear: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 78%

Our hotly anticipated Christopher Nolan Season launches with a look at the first third of his career, comprising of Following, Memento., Insomnia and Batman Begins.

Paul Brear joins us for a discussion that also spans the chronological cut of Memento. and the original, 1997 version of Insomnia, of which Nolan's film was a remake.

Listen, then come back next week for The Prestige, The Dark Knight and Inception!

Check out our Patreon here!

Listen on:
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Android
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PlayerFM

192 - Oscars 2020

Films covered in this episode:
Little Women (2019)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 60%

1917
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 80%

Jojo Rabbit
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 65%

The Irishman
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 65%

Ford v Ferrari (aka Le Mans ‘66)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 70%

Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood
Allen: ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 55%

Joker
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 65%

Parasite
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 70%

Marriage Story
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 75%

I Lost My Body
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 70%

It's Oscar season, for the fourth time at Diminishing Returns! We take a time-travelling romp through this year's Best Picture nominees, in chronological order, starting with Little Women and ending with Marriage Story, but making stops at 1917, Ford v Ferrari, The Irishman, Jojo Rabbit, Joker, Parasite and even some movies not nominated for Best Picture (or anything in Uncut Gems' case). Also featuring the return of fan-favourite characters Joker and Randy Newman!

Check out our Patreon here!

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PlayerFM

179 - Joker

Films covered in this episode:

Joker
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 65%

In what might be a Diminishing Returns first, we take on a film while it's still playing in the cinemas! Is it a good idea or are we betraying everything the show stands for? It's Joker, anyway - the weird, DC, Batman side-piece starring Joaquin Phoenix and directed by Todd Phillips.

Check out our Patreon here!

Listen on:
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Android
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Stitcher
PlayerFM

132 - Justice League (with Chris Hammond)

Guest: Chris Hammond

Films covered in this episode:

Justice League
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰
Chris: ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 50%

This week, Diminishing Returns collides with the Spoilt Milk Movie Podcast as guest Chris Hammond joins Allen and Sol to discuss DC's best attempt at an answer to The Avengers: Justice League. There's talk of the DC universe in general seeing as Aquaman is out soon.

Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud

Episodes in the DC Cinematic Universe series:
"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice"
"Suicide Squad"
"Wonder Woman"
”Justice League”

We also spoke about Justice League in:
"Review of the Year 2017: Part 2"

83 - Review of the Year 2017: Part 2

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

This episode is a continuation of the following episodes:
"The Mummy"
"Transformers"
"Minions"
"Spider-Man"
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
"Death Note"
"It"
"The LEGO Batman Movie"
"Kingsman: The Secret Service"
"Blade Runner"
"Child's Play"
"Saw"
"Thor"
"Wonder Woman"
"The Room"
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens"
"Jumanji"

Review of the Year episodes:
"Review of the Year 2016"
"Review of the Year 2017: Part 1"
"Review of the Year 2017: Part 2"
"Review of the Year 2018: Part 1"

67 - The LEGO Batman Movie

Covered in this episode:

The LEGO Batman Movie
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 70%

But we haven't done The LEGO Movie yet!

It's fine. It's fine. We're doing LEGO Batman first. It's more fun. Yes, this week, we're looking at, reviewing and pitching sequels to The LEGO Batman Movie, tying into the upcoming release of the upcoming The LEGO Ninjago Movie.

Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud

You may also be interested in our episodes covering the DC Extended Universe series:
"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice"
"Suicide Squad"

We review The LEGO Ninjago Movie in:
"Review of the Year 2017: Part 2"

52 - Suicide Squad

Suicide Squad
Allen: ✰ ✰ (revised from original score of ✰ ✰ ✰ ½)
Calvin: ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 37%

Released 29/05/2017

In a Diminishing Returns first, here's an episode about a film that we did an episode tying into (yes, we've been going so long that things are going to start getting meta).

If you haven't already heard it, got and listen to our Review of the Year 2016 episode, in which Calvin and Allen butt heads over whether Suicide Squad is a solid action movie or complete and utter dross. Afterwards, come back and listen to this one in order to hear Sol cast the deciding vote

All before some of the usual sequel-pitches and general pratting about.

Listen on:
iTunes
Android
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PlayerFM

Episodes in the DC Extended Universe series:
"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice"
"Suicide Squad"
"Wonder Woman"

We review Wonder Woman in:
"Review of the Year 2017: Part 1"
and
"Wonder Woman"

30 - Review of the Year 2016

Released 26/12/2016

This classic episode is in the Diminishing Returns vault. Sign up to our Patreon for as little as £1 to access our back-catalogue episodes!

It's Boxing Day, and in less than a week, it'll be 2017, so why not get comfy in your favourite chair, help yourself to a nice plate of Christmas leftovers and recover from yesterday's antics with a nice, relaxing Diminishing Returns? Well, we say "relaxing", but this one gets pretty full-on at times as film-Scrooge, Allen Turing, repeatedly butts heads with Calvin and Sol regarding the movie offerings of 2016.

This is a retrospective episode of the show, looking back at the last 29 editions of the podcast, and that essentially means that we cover a whole heap of films listed below (and more).

Films covered in this episode:

Finding Dory
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 64%

Independence Day: Resurgence
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 50%

Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 77%

Ghostbusters (2016)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 60%

Star Trek Beyond
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 70%

Jason Bourne
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: n/s
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 40%

Suicide Squad
Allen: ✰ ✰ (revised from original score of ✰ ✰ ✰ ½)
Calvin: ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 37%

David Brent: Life on the Road
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 80%

Ben-Hur (2016)
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: n/s
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 40%

Bridget Jones's Baby
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 80%

Ash vs Evil Dead (season 2)
Allen: n/s
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 80%

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Allen: ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ (rated in subsequent review of the year episode)
Overall score: 37%

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

Doctor Strange
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 67%

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 60%

Moana
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 84%

This episode is a continuation of the following episodes:
"Finding Nemo"
"Independence Day"
"Absolutely Fabulous"
"Ghostbusters II"
"Star Trek Into Darkness"
"The Bourne Legacy"
"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice"
"The Office"
"Ben-Hur"
"Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason"
"Evil Dead"
"Tim Burton"
"The Da Vinci Code"
"Iron Man"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2"
"Frozen"

Some discussion from this episode is continued in:
"Review of the Year 2017: Part 1"

Review of the Year episodes:
"Review of the Year 2016"
"Review of the Year 2017: Part 1"
"Review of the Year 2017: Part 2"
"Review of the Year 2018: Part 1"

17 - Tim Burton

Released 26/09/2016

This classic episode is in the Diminishing Returns vault. Sign up to our Patreon for as little as £1 to access our back-catalogue episodes!

In another slightly format-bending episode, Diminishing Returns take a look at the career of Tim Burton, all the way from his early short films up to the upcoming Miss Peregrine's House of Weird Kids. Instead of pitching sequels, Allen, Calvin and Sol pitch what they would like to see Tim pick up as his next project.

Films covered in this episode:

Pee-Wee's Big Adventure
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 70%

Beetlejuice
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 77%

Edward Scissorhands
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 84%

The Nightmare Before Christmas
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 90%

Ed Wood
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 90%

Mars Attacks!
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 60%

Sleepy Hollow
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 74%

Planet of the Apes (2001)
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 40%

Big Fish
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 74%

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 67%

Corpse Bride
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 67%

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 70%

Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Allen: n/s
Calvin: ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 30%

Dark Shadows
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 50%

Frankenweenie (2012)
Allen: n/s
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 80%

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

We review Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children in:
"Review of the Year 2016"
...and again in...
"Review of the Year 2017: Part 1"

We revisit Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes in:
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes"

Allen's review of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

9 - Batman

Released 01/08/2016 as “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”

This classic episode is in the Diminishing Returns vault. Sign up to our Patreon for as little as £1 to access our back-catalogue episodes!

Diminishing Returns presents a Batman epic, spanning 2 hours, in which Allen, Calvin and Sol embark on a whistle-stop tour of the screen iterations of Batman, covering everything from the 1943 movie serial to the upcoming Suicide Squad. Oh, and Superman also.

Films covered in this episode:

The Batman (1943)
Allen: n/s
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 50%

Batman: The Movie (1966)
Allen: n/s
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 75%

Batman (1989)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 64%

Batman Returns
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 67%

Batman Forever
Allen: ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 47%

Batman & Robin
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 37%

Batman Begins
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 74%

The Dark Knight
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 87%

The Dark Knight Rises
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 64%

Man of Steel
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 50%

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 44%

We review Suicide Squad in:
"Review of the Year 2016"
and
"Suicide Squad"

Allen's review of Suicide Squad

Episodes in the DC Extended Universe series:
"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice"
"Suicide Squad"
"Wonder Woman"

You might also be interested in:
"The LEGO Batman Movie"