Diminishing Returns

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The podcast where film-fans Calvin Dyson, Allen Turing and Sol Harris take a weekly journey to Development Hell to discuss a film, then pitch their ideas for the sequel.

Diminishing Returns


    • Dec 25, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 1h 18m AVG DURATION
    • 296 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Diminishing Returns

    294 - Review of the Year 2023

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 25, 2023 105:34


    Merry Christmas! Chicken bucket!

    292 - Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2023 76:56


    We did it! All five Indiana Jones movies reviewed for your listening pleasure.

    292 - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2023 75:07


    If you like hearing people complain about things, this is the Indiana Jones episode for you!

    291 - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2023 64:07


    More like Indiana Jones and the Third Crusade.

    290 - Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 2, 2023 47:14


    289 - Raiders of the Lost Ark

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2023 73:45


    We want more Indie cred so we're doing all of them starting with Raiders.

    288 - Oscars 2023: Part II

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2023 113:19


    Boobedy-boo, the Diminishing Returns boys are back with the other half of this year's Best Picture nominees at the Academy Awards. Will the Oscar go to The Banshees of Inisherin, Top Gun: Maverick, Elvis, Women Talking, Everything Everywhere All at Once (or one of the films from last episode)?

    287 - Oscars 2023

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2023 97:52


    It's the annual Diminishing Returns Oscars extravaganza -- and Calvin has seen a record number of this year's Best Picture nominees! Listen for the gang's thoughts on All Quiet on the Western Front, Avatar: The Way of Water, The Fabelmans, Tar, Triangle of Sadness and more!

    286 - Valentine's Day Special: Deep Throat

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2023 91:57


    We've finally done it. We've finally cut all pretenses and just covered an outright hardcore porn film for Valentine's Day. Hey, porn movies are still movies, guys.

    285 - Review of the Year 2022

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 26, 2022 59:41


    Back so soon? It's review of the year time -- but with a twist!

    284 - Christmas Special: Gremlins

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2022 65:05


    Diminishing Returns is home for Christmas!

    283 - Podcast of Horror VII: The Exorcist

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2022 64:34


    Diminishing Returns is back with a Patreon-voted horror selection. It's The Exorcist just in time for Halloween.

    282 - Season One Finale

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2022 28:38


    Big news, Dim fans.

    281 - Ernest Goes to Camp

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2022 66:35


    Hey, Vern, have you heard about Diminishing Returns?

    vern diminishing returns ernest goes to camp
    280 - Skyfall (with Calvin Dyson)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2022 82:07


    Let dey Skyfall! An dey crumbohl! James Bond is back and it's a big one.

    279 - Easter Special: God's Not Dead: A Light in Darkness (with Calvin Dyson)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2022 62:52


    To get everyone into the Easter spirit, we're celebrating by watching a Patreon-selected bit of religious propaganda. This time, we're going back to the God's Not Dead franchise for the third entry in the series.

    278 - Till Death Us Do Part (with The British Sitcom History Podcast)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2022 92:50


    The British Sitcom History Podcast is back for round three! This time, we're taking on the two movie spin-offs of controversial '60s sitcom Till Death Us Do Part -- Till Death Us Do Part (1968) and The Alf Garnett Saga (1972).

    277 - Oscars 2022

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2022 155:07


    Be vewy quiet. We're hunting Oscars.

    276 - Diminishing Returns Are Dead (with Thomas Turgoose, Andrew Ellis, Calvin Dyson and more)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2022 64:08


    A seance brings a number of never-heard-before clips back from the dead, featuring Thomas Turgoose, Andrew Ellis, Calvin Dyson, Judey Bignell, Conor Murray, Grace Miller, Emily Slade, Nicky Diss and Cubby R. Broccoli.

    275 - Valentine's Day Special: Showgirls (with Calvin Dyson)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2022 101:20


    Sol is single again, so the sex anecdotes are plentiful. Oh, also, we talk about Showgirls because our Patreon supporters voted for it.

    274 - Review of the Year 2021: Part II (with Calvin Dyson)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2022 78:10


    Seeing out the year in style – and only a month later than everyone else did. By the way, we've heard some of you like James Bond. Listen for our (and guest Calvin Dyson's) thoughts on No Time to Die, along with a whole load of other 2021 films.

    273 - Review of the Year 2021 (with Calvin Dyson)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2022 90:46


    It's 2022! Time to look back at 2021, right? Hear our thoughts on everything from A Quiet Place: Part II to Coming 2 America to Gozilla vs. Kong to Mortal Kombat to The Forever Purge... and more, obviously!

    272 - Christmas Special: The Star Wars Holiday Special

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 27, 2021 42:04


    It's a holiday special about a holiday special! What is this? A podcast directed by Christopher Nolan?

    271 - Kingsman: The Golden Circle (with Calvin Dyson)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2021 107:36


    This episode was recorded over a year ago and has been sat on an exclusive Patreon shelf ever since thanks to The King's Man being delayed. Just like with the eventual release of our The Purge episode earlier this year, it's now a super-sexy time capsule from a more complicated time. Also: Calvin's back!

    270 - Keanuvember: Speed (with Nightmares from the Discotheque)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2021 55:00


    Keanuvember concludes with a look at Speed, perhaps the greatest Keanu Reeves movie of all time. Joining us are Rick Schaple and Canz Rickman (collectively: Nightmares from the Discotheque) who have written songs about things like Die Hard. Who better to talk about Die Hard on a bus?

    269 - Keanuvember: The Matrix (with Jeremy Kaplowitz)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2021 69:31


    Keanuvember rolls on with special guest Jeremy Kaplowitz and a look at Keanu's magnum opus: The Matrix (and its lesser sequels The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions) - just in time for The Matrix Ressurections.

    268 - Keanuvember: John Wick (with Alice Fraser)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2021 45:25


    It's Keanuvember! Our entire month of Keanu Reeves begins with a look at the no-holds-barred John Wick franchise, thanks to special guest Alice R. Fraser!

    267 - Podcast of Horror VI - Live! (with Calvin Dyson and Gareth Allen)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2021 59:58


    It's an (extremely visual) live Halloween spectacular! This episode was broadcast exclusively to Patreon subscribers on the 6th of October and now you're getting a (severely truncated) audio edit. The video version will be posted to our YouTube channel closer to Halloween, so keep your eyes peeled.

    266 - Grown Ups 2 (with Tim Batt of The Worst Idea of All Time)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2021 58:34


    It's the second-worst idea of all time as Tim Batt joins us to dredge up past trauma by revisiting Grown Ups 2, a film he watched and reviewed once a week as part of The Worst Idea of All Time podcast, back in 2014. Is Chris Rock better than this? Did South Park end Rob Schneider's career? Did Grown Ups 2 inspire Quentin Tarantino to make Once Upon a Time in Hollywood? All this and more in Diminishing Returns!

    265 - Quantum of Solace (with Calvin Dyson)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2021 75:06


    No Time to Die is (allegedly) finally being released! To mark the occasion, we're marching on from the ending of Casino Royale and straight into the beginning of Quantum of Solace, the Bond movie that was infamously written on the fly thanks to the 2007 writers' strike. Will Sol stay true to his contrarian nature and actually like this one? Someone's got to because Calvin certainly doesn't.

    264 - The Inbetweeners Movie (with The British Sitcom History Podcast)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2021 57:43


    The British Sitcom History Podcast is back for its second series, so it's crossover episode #2: this time looking at the film that singlehandedly relaunched the Britcom movie genre.

    263 - Candyman (with Calvin Dyson)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2021 76:42


    Candyman, Candyman, Candyman, Candyman... well, we definitely say it five times over the course of this episode, so that's what happened to us if this ends up being the last episode of Diminishing Returns. Yes, Calvin is here to help us tackle the Candyman trilogy (the 1992 original, Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh and Candyman: Day of the Dead) as well as to discuss the upcoming 2021 Candyman sequel / reboot from Nia DaCosta and Jordan Peele.

    262 - Arrival (with Grammar Girl)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2021 54:35


    We're joined by Grammar Girl herself, Mignon Fogarty, for a look at Denis Villeneuve's Oscar-nominated, language-based sci-fi movie in which Amy Adams attempts to communicate with space aliens against a ticking clock. Will the show ever get the phrase "cinema unawaritƩ" added to the dictionary? Is the video game Fortnite a pun? Do Allen and Sol like the film more than back when they covered it as part of 2017's Oscar season? All this a more in this edition of Diminishing Returns! This year is the 15th anniversary of the Grammar Girl podcast, so it's an extremely proven entity at this point. Head here to give it a listen: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl

    261 - The Podcast Does an Outtakes Show (with Calvin Dyson and Judey Bignell)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2021 61:28


    It's outtakes time, leds! Featuring everything from James Bond to zombies to Fifty Shades of filth.

    260 - Space Jam (with Chris Antista)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2021 50:15


    Space Jam, I always wanted you to go into space, jam (intergalactic Chris). Yes, our latest offering is a deep dive into the peak-'90s cinematic monstrosity that is Space Jam. Joining us is special guest, animation expert and host of numerous Laser Time podcast network shows, Chris Antista!

    space jam laser time chris antista
    259 - The Purge (with Calvin Dyson)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2021 104:34


    Calvin's back, everyone! Well, sort of. This episode was recorded over a year ago to coincide with the original release of The Forever Purge. When COVID delayed the movie, this episode got put on a shelf... until now! We walk through every last entry in the The Purge franchise, even the TV series!

    258 - Jackie Chan and Armour of God (with Imran Yusuf)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2021 53:11


    We're joined by Chan-fan, Imran Yusuf, for a Jackie Chan deep-dive focused on 1986 martial arts classic Armour of God.

    257 - Rushmore (with Allie Goertz)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2021 46:39


    We're joined by musician, former editor of MAD Magazine and all round quality-comedy-person, Allie Goertz, for a look at one of her favourite non-Simpsons things: 1998 Wes Anderson movie, Rushmore.

    256 - Pretty Woman (with Dr. Wendy Walsh)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2021 59:48


    The ever informative Dr. Wendy Walsh (Mating Matters, Time Magazine Person of the Year 2017) joins us to discuss classic rom-com Pretty Woman (and to psychoanalyse Allen's sex-life). Is the classic Julia Roberts / Richard Gere pairing a fluffy fairytale dream or an insidious, problematic nightmare? Listen to find out.

    walsh pretty woman time magazine person
    255 - Casino Royale (2006) (with Calvin Dyson)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2021 86:11


    In a heartfelt apology for the hilarious April Fools' prank we pulled last month, here's a sincere, legitimate bit of film analysis focused in on the 2006 version of Casino Royale - the real one, starring Daniel Craig - that you wanted to hear us discuss in the first place.

    254 - Oscars 2021

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2021 87:34


    It's the fifth annual Diminishing Returns Oscars special, in which Sol and Allen review each of 2021's Best Picture nominees in the order of least to most diverse.

    253 - Mortal Kombat (with Ashley Esqueda)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2021 58:06


    With the new Mortal Kombat movie in our sights, Diminishing Returns take a trip back to 1995's cinematic abomination, directed by Sol's arch-enemy, Paul W.S. Anderson. Joining us for this, as well as a look at 1997's Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, is writer, host of Stream Economy and Senior Editor of CNET, Ashley Esqueda!

    252 - Casino Royale (with Calvin Dyson)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2021 79:44


    It's an exciting week at Diminishing Returns as we're joined by Calvin Dyson to finally discuss Casino Royale. Will this be the James Bond movie to win over Sol and Allen?

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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2021 69:13


    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.

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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2021 113:53


    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.

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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2021 44:29


    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!

    248 - Coming to America (with Gareth Allen)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2021 59:47


    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.

    247 - Gladiator (with Kiel O'Shea)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2021 72:12


    Fight choreographer and stage-combat instructor, Kiel O'Shea, stops by to help Diminishing Returns dissect Ridley Scott's Gladiator.

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

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2021 53:47


    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.

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

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2021 101:46


    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!

    244 - Wonder Woman 1984 (with Alana Johnston)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2021 66:38


    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".

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