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.
Films covered in this episode:
The World’s End
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 70%
The final instalment in our look at Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg's Cornetto Trilogy is The World's End. Reputedly the worst of the three, but will we be won over by the Pegg-Wright magic once again?
Thank you to our Patreons who voted for this series at patreon.com/dimreturns
Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud
Stitcher
PlayerFM
Guest: Calvin Dyson
Films covered in this episode:
Hot Fuzz
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 87%
Our Patreon-selected trilogy of episodes covering The Blood and Ice Cream (Cornetto) Trilogy continues with a look at Hot Fuzz - where we're joined by James Bond (and, therefore, Timothy Dalton) enthusiast: Calvin Dyson. Does it live up to the record-setting score set by Shaun of the Dead?
Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud
Stitcher
PlayerFM
Films covered in this episode:
Shaun of the Dead
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 100%
Note: rating was later revised when Calvin added his score in our first live episode
We kick off our first Patreon-selected season of episodes with a series looking at The Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy (aka The Three Colours Cornetto Trilogy, aka Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World's End).
Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, zombies and ice cream! How's that for a slice of fried gold? (Yeeeeeeeeeahh booooooooiiiiiii!)
Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud
Stitcher
PlayerFM
Films covered in this episode:
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Allen: ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 60%
Bet you didn't see this one coming; this week, we're doing John C. Reilly spoof-biopic Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and it features maybe the highest number of audio clips out of any episode we've done.
Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud
Stitcher
PlayerFM
Guest: Calvin Dyson
Films covered in this episode:
The Lion King
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 90%
The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 65%
The Lion King 1½
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 70%
Nants a podcast bagithi baba! Sithi uhm podcast! We're doing The Lion King Trilogy. You know the drill.
Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud
Stitcher
PlayerFM
Films covered in this episode:
The Mask
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 75%
Son of the Mask
Allen: ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 30%
This is The Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaask!
Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud
Stitcher
PlayerFM
Guest: Calvin Dyson
Films covered in this episode:
Octopussy
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 64%
Bond is back in the silliest named entry of his entire franchise! It's Octopussy with Calvin Dyson and The Dim Boys.
Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud
Stitcher
PlayerFM
Guest: Judey Bignell
Films covered in this episode:
The Iron Giant
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Judey: ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 67%
In case you didn't know, we have a Patreon profile you can subscribe to and receive bonus content including full and mini episodes of the show for as little as $1 a month! One of the other things you can do is take part in our listener votes to decide the topic of future episodes of the show. We recently held a little tournament to select the topic of this episode and, to everyone's surprise, Brad Bird's 1999 classic, The Iron Giant, ran away with it. So here we are, talking about The Iron Giant.
Head to patreon.com/dimreturns to take part in our future episode polls!
Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud
Stitcher
PlayerFM
Guest: Calvin Dyson
Films covered in this episode:
Toy Story
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 87%
Toy Story 2
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 80%
Toy Story 3
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 87%
A series that did a fairly wonderful job of avoiding diminishing returns: The Toy Story Trilogy:: Pixar's jewel in the crown... at least, that was the case before Toy Story 4. Will it be once the new film comes out? Based on early reviews, probably, yes... but they weren't out when we recorded this so we sound a lot more negative.
Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud
Stitcher
PlayerFM
Guest: Judey Bignell
Films covered in this episode:
Men in Black
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Judey: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 80%
Men in Black II
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Judey: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 67%
Men in Black 3
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Judey: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 70%
We were going to go with parody lyrics to "Men in Black" by Will Smith for this description, but nobody wants that. Here's an episode covering the Men in Black trilogy, as well as taking a look towards Men in Black: International.
Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud
Stitcher
PlayerFM
Guest: Calvin Dyson
Films covered in this episode:
X-Men: First Class
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 74%
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 80%
X-Men: Apocalypse
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 67%
From X-Men to Y-Men, as Diminishing Returns cap off the franchise with a look at the three remaining films yet to be covered on the show. For those keeping score, those films are X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past and X-Men: Apocalypse. Why? Because X-Men: Dark Phoenix is coming out and it's basically poised to be the end of the series (except for that pesky New Mutants film that everyone seems to have forgotten about).
Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud
Stitcher
PlayerFM
Guest: Calvin Dyson
Films covered in this episode:
X-Men
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 77%
X2
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 74%
X-Men: The Last Stand
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 64%
As the X-Men franchise lumbers towards a close, so do we with our coverage of it. We've done the Wolverine movies, we've done Deadpool and now we're doing the original X-Men trilogy, with the prequel trilogy to follow next week.
Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud
Stitcher
PlayerFM
Guest: Gareth Allen
Films covered in this episode:
Godzilla (1998)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Gareth: ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 54%
Godzilla (2014)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Gareth: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 64%
Shin Godzilla
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Gareth: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 80%
Guest host: Gareth Allen
Our Godzilla mini-season continues with a look at the 1998 and 2014 American remakes of Gojira and the 2016 Toho film Shin Godzilla - all in the run-up to Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud
Stitcher
PlayerFM
Guest: Gareth Allen
Films covered in this episode:
Godzilla (1954)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Gareth: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 77%
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Gareth: n/s
Sol: n/s
Overall score: 60%
Godzilla Raids Again
Allen: n/s
Gareth: n/s
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 30%
Mothra vs. Godzilla
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Gareth: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 44%
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
Allen: n/s
Gareth: n/s
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 30%
Invasion of Astro-Monster
Allen: n/s
Gareth: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 60%
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep
Allen: n/s
Gareth: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 40%
Son of Godzilla
Allen: n/s
Gareth: n/s
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 30%
Destroy All Monsters
Allen: n/s
Howard: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 50%
All Monsters Attack
Allen: n/s
Gareth: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 40%
Godzilla vs. Hedorah
Allen: n/s
Gareth: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 60%
Godzilla vs. Gigan
Allen: n/s
Howard: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 50%
Godzilla vs. Megalon
Allen: n/s
Gareth: n/s
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 30%
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
Allen: n/s
Gareth: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 40%
Terror of Mechagodzilla
Allen: n/s
Gareth: n/s
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 30%
The Return of Godzilla
Allen: ✰ ½
Gareth: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 47%
Godzilla 1985
Allen: ✰ ✰
Gareth: n/s
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 35%
Godzilla vs. Biorante
Allen: n/s
Gareth: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 40%
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
Allen: n/s
Gareth: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 50%
Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth
Allen: n/s
Gareth: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 40%
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
Allen: n/s
Gareth: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 40%
Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla
Allen: n/s
Gareth: n/s
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 30%
Godzilla vs. Destroyah
Allen: n/s
Gareth: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 60%
Godzilla 2000
Allen: n/s
Gareth: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 50%
Godzilla vs. Megaguirus
Allen: n/s
Howard: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 60%
Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack
Allen: n/s
Gareth: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 50%
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla
Allen: n/s
Gareth: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 60%
Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.
Allen: n/s
Gareth: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 50%
Godzilla: Final Wars
Allen: n/s
Gareth: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 40%
A hulking behemoth of an episode, tackling the first 50 years of Godzilla movies. That's 28 films, plus two American re-edits. We'll be getting to the 1998 and 2014 remakes next week, too.
Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud
Stitcher
PlayerFM
Guest: Howard Jenkins
Films covered in this episode:
Aladdin (1992)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Howard: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 84%
The Return of Jafar
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Howard: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 47%
Aladdin and the King of Thieves
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Howard: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 57%
Disney have done that thing that they keep doing where they remake their old films. This time, they're messing around with Aladdin. Hear talk of the animation process, shifting political standards, Robin Williams and the introduction of an instant classic new Diminishing Returns comedy character...
Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud
Stitcher
PlayerFM
Guest: Calvin Dyson
Films covered in this episode:
Pokemon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back
Allen: ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 37%
Pokemon: The Movie 2000
Allen: n/s
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰
Overall score: 35%
Pokemon 3: The Movie
Allen: n/s
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 40%
Pokemon: Mewtwo Returns
Allen: n/s
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 30%
Pokemon 4Ever: Celebi - Voice of the Forest
Allen: n/s
Calvin: ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 30%
Pokemon Heroes: Latios and Latias
Allen: n/s
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰
Overall score: 20%
Pokemon: Jirachi - Wish Maker
Allen: n/s
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 30%
Pokemon: Destiny Deoxys
Allen: n/s
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 30%
Lucario and the Mystery of Mew
Allen: n/s
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 30%
Pokemon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea
Allen: n/s
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰
Overall score: 20%
Pokemon: The Rise of Darkrai
Allen: n/s
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 30%
Pokemon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior
Allen: n/s
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 30%
Pokemon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life
Allen: n/s
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰
Overall score: 20%
Pokemon: Zoroark - Master of Illusions
Allen: n/s
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 30%
Pokemon: White - Victini and Zekrom
Allen: n/s
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰
Overall score: 20%
Pokemon: Black - Victini and Reshiram
Allen: n/s
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ½
Overall score: 10%
Pokemon: Kyurem vs. the Sword of Justice
Allen: n/s
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 40%
Pokemon: Genesect and the Legend Awakened
Allen: n/s
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ½
Overall score: 30%
Pokemon: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction
Allen: n/s
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰
Overall score: 20%
Pokemon: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages
Allen: n/s
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 40%
Pokemon: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel
Allen: n/s
Calvin: n/s
Sol: ✰
Overall score: 20%
Diminishing Returns go back to the video game well for a discussion of the Pokemon franchise in the run-up to Detective Pikachu. For those not in the know, Calvin is almost as into Pokemon as he's into James Bond.
Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud
Stitcher
PlayerFM
Guest: Howard Jenkins
Films covered in this episode:
Avengers: Infinity War
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰
Howard: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 83%
It had to be done. With the upcoming release of Avengers: Endgame, the biggest cinematic event since Infinity War, Diminishing Returns take a look at the state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And this time, Sol's enlisted a ringer.
Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud
Stitcher
PlayerFM
Guest: Calvin Dyson
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%
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.
Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud
Stitcher
PlayerFM
Guest: Scott Chambers
Films covered in this episode:
Hellboy (2004)
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Scott: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 70%
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Scott: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 67%
We've done a surprising amount of Guillermo Del Toro's work on the podcast at this point - or, at least we have, now, as we add another two of his films to our list: Hellboy and Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Why? Because they're doing another Hellboy movie, aren't they? Yes - and guest host Scott was there, on set!
Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud
Stitcher
PlayerFM
Films covered in this episode:
Pet Sematary (1989)
Allen: ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall score: 60%
Pet Sematary II
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 60%
We don't want to be buried in a pet cemetery, but we'll cover the Pet Sematary movies in the run-up to the new adaptation of Stephen King's book. Sure!
Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud
Stitcher
PlayerFM
