95 - God's Not Dead

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.

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94 - Pacific Rim

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

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

93 - Tomb Raider

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

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

92 - Diamonds Are Forever

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

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”

91 - Oscars 2018

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:
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Oscars episodes:
"Oscars 2017"
"Oscars 2018"

90 - A Clockwork Orange

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:
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89 - Captain America: The First Avenger

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

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

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
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SoundCloud

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

87 - Sunshine

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:
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SoundCloud

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

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

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

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:
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SoundCloud

84 - Another Diminishing Returns Outtakes Show

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
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SoundCloud

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

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
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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"

82 - Christmas Special: Love Actually

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

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

81 - Jumanji

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

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

80 - Star Wars season: The Force Awakens

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

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"

79 - Star Wars season: Rogue One

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

Films covered in this episode:

Rogue One
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 74%

Star Wars season continues in the run up to the release of The Last Jedi. We did the prequel trilogy last week, so now we're following on with the next film in the series' internal chronology: Rogue One. How does it stack up against all the "real" Star Wars movies in the Skywalker saga?

Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud

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"

78 - Star Wars season: The Prequel Trilogy

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 I - The Phantom Menace
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 54%

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
Allen: ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰
Overall score: 37%

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
Allen: ✰ ✰ ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 57%

That's right, Star Wars season: a trilogy of episodes dedicated to the Star Wars movies we didn't cover in our last episode looking at the original trilogy.

With the upcoming release of The Last Jedi, in the coming weeks, we'll be turning our attention to Rogue One and The Force Awakens. This week, however, we're tackling the infamous prequel trilogy made up of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.

Are they as bad as their reputation or are they even worse than that? We have it out on this episode (featuring some strong, clashing opinions, which is always fun). Then, as always, we end things by pitching our own ideas for Star Wars sequels.

Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud

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"

77 - The Room

Films covered in this episode:

The Room
Allen: ½
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ½
Overall score: 24%

Diminishing Returns takes on "the worst movie of all time", Tommy Wiseau's infamous 2003 disasterpiece, The Room. Is it really that bad? Also, what's the deal with this James Franco movie coming out called The Disaster Artist?

Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud

We review The Disaster Artist in:
"Review of the Year 2017: Part 2"

76 - Wonder Woman

Films covered in this episode:

Wonder Woman
Allen: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Calvin: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Sol: ✰ ✰ ✰ ½
Overall score: 74%

Exactly what the world needed: three white men telling the world how to feel about feminism. That's right, Diminishing Returns turns its three heads to Wonder Woman! Gal Gadot and Chris Pine proving that DC movies don't have to be shit!
Why Wonder Woman? Why now? Because Justice League is out soon. Justice League! It's probably going to be rubbish but maybe it won't be! Woohoo! Diminishing Returns!!!

Listen on:
iTunes
Android
SoundCloud

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

We review Justice League in:
"Review of the Year 2017: Part 2"