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Recast-a-Mania!

Recasting is a fact of Hollywood life, and it happens to the best of them. In this season finale of Def Rec, I put three recasts in a Mortal Character Kombat-style tournament: Darkman, Arnold Vosloo in Darkman II replacing Liam Neeson, RoboCop, Robert John Burke in RoboCop 3, and Raiden, James Remar in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation replacing Christopher Lambert. Darkman vs RoboCop first with the winner facing Raiden in the final, and my Def Rec.

0:00 The hook: Mortal Kombat isn't about death
0:35 Recasting is a fact of Hollywood life
0:54 Aunt Viv, Daario, and Jason DiLaurentis
1:42 The tournament: three recasts, Mortal Kombat-style
2:07 Darkman: Arnold Vosloo replaces Liam Neeson
3:17 RoboCop 3: Robert John Burke as Alex Murphy
3:49 Duel 1: Darkman vs RoboCop
4:23 Raiden: James Remar replaces Christopher Lambert
6:14 One more rec: the Eric Icarus books
6:56 Final round: Versus Raiden
7:15 The verdict: Def Rec
7:33 End of the inaugural season

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Books by Jon McBrine

The Eric Icarus Series

Unable to hide his flying abilities, a shy high school student’s plan to hide in plain sight as just another superhero backfires after an attack leaves him as the only hope to stop a diabolical villain.

Recruited by tech mogul Baron Maddox, Eric Boxworth becomes Eric Icarus, a maskless member of the Super Society, tech-based defenders of New St. Cloud City. Eric’s miraculous, natural flight power is disguised by a decoy anti-gravity backpack to avoid getting dissected in a lab. Eric and his bubbly, good-natured classmate Jaycee - the armored hero Powerhouse - must stop a madman from creating an empire built on stolen powers. Fans of young superheroes, found family tropes, and high-stakes action will love this YA sci-fi adventure series.

Available at Amazon here

Available at Amazon here

Available at Amazon here

Read the books? Leave a review here!

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Most prequels are pointless, and the distant ones are the worst of all — a prequel set decades or centuries before the main show is a recipe for boredom. So which distant prequel TV series actually works? Three picks: Dune: Prophecy, set 10,000 years before Paul Atreides, House of the Dragon, 200 years before Game of Thrones, and Krypton, Superman's grandfather Seg-El on the doomed planet.

CHAPTERS
0:00 The hook: top three distant prequel series
0:27 The prequel problem
3:40 Dune: Prophecy
7:53 Reason to Rec: Dune: Prophecy
8:14 House of the Dragon
10:13 Reason to Rec: House of the Dragon
10:44 Krypton
13:41 Reason to Rec: Krypton
14:16 The verdict
14:49 Like and subscribe

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New subscribers get a free digital copy of "Avenge Her," a prequel to my YA sci-fi series.

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Def Rec podcast:
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Full playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQ9I6GUGChJA&si=RpQNw7G0zarRK3Tz

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Can a hero be happy? Belated sequels keep bringing back our favorite heroes — just to put them through the wringer. On this Def Rec, three belated sequels that rained garbage all over their legends get the verdict: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, The Flash, and the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Which one is actually worth watching?

CHAPTERS
0:00 Cold open: Luke's "I will never train another generation of Jedi"
0:06 The Def Rec premise
0:21 Can a hero be happy?
0:43 Honorable mention: the Die Hard sequels
1:09 Smallville's Clark gets it right
1:24 Creating conflict is standard
1:38 Make heroes happy again
1:46 Harrison Ford got it twice
1:51 The Star Wars sequel trilogy misfire
2:52 The top three movies that rain on our heroes
3:01 Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
3:21 Reason to Rec: Dial of Destiny
3:30 The Flash
3:47 Reason to Rec: The Flash
3:54 The Star Wars sequel trilogy
4:15 Reason to Rec: the sequel trilogy
4:31 Def Rec: the #1 pick
4:47 The Flash is the pick
4:59 Like, subscribe & follow

BOOKS
Jon McBrine's Eric Icarus YA sci-fi series: https://jonmcbrine.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jon-McBrine/author/B0C9Z3MPTT

DEF REC
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Full Def Rec playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQ9I6GUGChJA&si=RpQNw7G0zarRK3Tz

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What's better than an episode of your favorite TV series? A movie based on your favorite TV series — helpfully labeled "The Movie" so there's no confusion about an adaptation or just what they are! On this Def Rec, three films that put it right in the title get the verdict: F1: The Movie, Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie, and Hot Dog... The Movie. Which one is best "The Movie"?

CHAPTERS
0:00 Cold open: the rules of the Chinese Downhill
0:04 The Def Rec premise
0:22 Why TV shows add "The Movie" to the title
2:50 The three best "The Movie" movies
2:57 Honorable mentions
3:16 F1: The Movie (2025)
4:38 Reason to Rec: the F1 verdict
5:10 Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (1996)
6:54 Reason to Rec: the MST3K verdict
7:16 Hot Dog... The Movie (1984)
8:32 Reason to Rec: the Hot Dog verdict
8:45 Def Rec: the #1 pick
9:37 Like, subscribe & follow

BOOKS
Jon McBrine's Eric Icarus YA sci-fi series: https://jonmcbrine.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jon-McBrine/author/B0C9Z3MPTT

DEF REC
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/def-rec/id6810310255
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@jonmcbrine
Full Def Rec playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQ9I6GUGChJA&si=RpQNw7G0zarRK3Tz

FOLLOW
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From The Odd Couple to Stargate, turning hit movies into TV shows is a grand Hollywood tradition — but most of them don't survive. On this Def Rec, three shows that added "The Series" to their title get the verdict: Tremors, RoboCop, and Highlander. Which one actually earned the top spot?

CHAPTERS
0:00 Cold open: "I am Duncan MacLeod..."
0:03 The Def Rec premise
0:27 Why some movies become TV shows
1:48 The three best "The Series" shows
1:59 Honorable mentions
2:19 #3 - Tremors: The Series (2003)
3:25 Reason to Rec: the Tremors verdict
3:39 #2 - RoboCop: The Series (1994)
5:32 Reason to Rec: the RoboCop verdict
6:06 #1 - Highlander: The Series (1992)
9:07 Reason to Rec: the Highlander verdict
9:37 DefRec: the #1 pick
9:51 Like, subscribe & follow

BOOKS
Jon McBrine's Eric Icarus YA sci-fi series: https://jonmcbrine.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jon-McBrine/author/B0C9Z3MPTT

DEF REC
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/def-rec/id6810310255
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@jonmcbrine
Full Def Rec playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQ9I6GUGChJA&si=RpQNw7G0zarRK3Tz

FOLLOW
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Some franchises pass the torch to a new hero and stick the landing. Others fumble it so badly the flame goes out.

On this Def Rec, three legacy sequels that tried to hand off the franchise get the verdict: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), A Good Day to Die Hard (2013), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). Which torch-passing actually worked?

CHAPTERS
0:00 The Def Rec premise
0:29 Why franchises keep passing the torch
1:43 Torch-passings that worked: Creed, Jurassic World, Maverick
3:46 The three movies that unpass the torch
3:53 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
6:49 Reason to Rec: the Crystal Skull verdict
7:08 A Good Day to Die Hard (2013)
10:14 Reason to Rec: the Die Hard verdict
10:30 The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
14:32 Reason to Rec: the top pick
15:18 Like, subscribe & follow

BOOKS
Jon McBrine's Eric Icarus YA sci-fi series: https://jonmcbrine.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jon-McBrine/author/B0C9Z3MPTT

DEF REC
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/def-rec/id6810310255
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@jonmcbrine
Full Def Rec playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQ9I6GUGChJA&si=RpQNw7G0zarRK3Tz

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Some sequels arrive a decade late and still stick the landing. Others should have stayed in the vault.

On this Def Rec, three belated sequels get the verdict: Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020), Psycho II (1983), and Top Gun: Maverick (2022). Which one was actually worth the wait?

CHAPTERS
0:00 The Def Rec premise
0:24 Better late than never, or better never late at all?
1:20 Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020)
4:16 Reason to Rec: the Bill & Ted verdict
4:33 Psycho II (1983)
7:06 Reason to Rec: the Psycho II verdict
7:13 Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
9:28 Reason to Rec: the top pick
9:53 Like, subscribe & follow

BOOKS
Jon McBrine's Eric Icarus YA sci-fi series: https://jonmcbrine.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jon-McBrine/author/B0C9Z3MPTT

DEF REC
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/def-rec/id6810310255
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@jonmcbrine
Full Def Rec playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQ9I6GUGChJA&si=RpQNw7G0zarRK3Tz

FOLLOW
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Medium: @jonmcbrine

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When Hollywood runs out of sequel ideas, studios turn to the best letter ever - "S." Sci-fi author Jon McBrine tackles pluralized movie sequels: Adrien Brody's philosophical warfare in Predators, Rings accidentally curing insomnia, and Glenn Powell's unexpectedly fun storm-chasing cash grab Twisters.

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