An appropriately titled supernatural thriller from Hong Kong's Pang Brothers, Re-Cycle is basically a collection of spooky special effects—which have graced many previous Asian ghost stories—supported by the merest wisp of a story. When popular romance author Tsui Ting-Yin (Lee Sinje) embarks on a change-of-pace shocker for her next book, she develops writer's block, discarding draft after draft while beginning to have unnerving experiences (her mental state isn't helped by the reappearance of an old flame). Eventually, Ting-Yin is drawn into a strange dreamland composed of mammoth landscapes filled with mounds of deteriorating refuse and inhabited by spectral creatures. A young girl informs her that she has entered the realm of abandoned things—including the characters she'd tossed away—and helps Ting-Yin get past all sorts of terrible dangers to reach the gate through which she will be able to return to the real world (the late revelation of the girl's identity will be no surprise to even semi-attentive viewers). While the effects in Re-Cycle are admittedly excellent, they serve a plot that amounts to little more than a succession of cheap jolts, a long chase, and a heavy-handed moral. Not a necessary purchase. [DVD/Blu-ray extras include a making-of featurette (16 min.), deleted scenes (9 min.), a before-and-after CGI effects reel (2 min.), footage of the Hong Kong premiere (16 min.), a cast and crew Q&A press session (9 min.), and a trailer. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a muddled film.] (F. Swietek)
Re-Cycle
Image, 109 min., in Cantonese w/English subtitles, R, DVD: $27.99, Blu-ray: $35.99 Volume 24, Issue 1
Re-Cycle
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