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A serial killer and his hostage enter into a dangerous game of survival
and logic. When Leonard kidnaps Clara, he forces her to take part in
the history of his life. Leonard keeps a scrapbook, storing souvenirs
from all his victims, forcing them to write about their experiences as
he rapes and tortures them. Clara will be no different. It is this
scrapbook that might hold the key to Clara's survival.
SCRAPBOOK is a mean, nasty movie, a claustrophobic and disturbing look
at mental illness, cruelty, and the late twentieth century's obsession
with fame. Written by star Tommy Biondo, and directed by the
always-interesting Eric Stanze (ICE FROM THE SUN), SCRAPBOOK is
unflinching, harrowing, and relentless.
If it wasn't for Stanze's name on the package, I would have thought "Oh,
great, another serial killer movie", which is a genre that has long
since been hammered into the ground like a cinematic tent peg. But as
he proved with the amazing ICE FROM THE SUN, Stanze isn't one to give
you the same old thing. Indeed, SCRAPBOOK really does deliver, giving
you the the nightmare impression that this is what it is like to be
abducted by a murderer, to be thrust into his environment, and to feel
that you have no way of escaping.
From the filthy setting, to the graphic physical and mental tortures
that Biondo's Leonard inflicts upon Emily Haack's Clara, SCRAPBOOK is a
terrifically difficult movie to watch. If it wasn't for the well-placed
documentary at the end of the tape, most viewers, I suspect, would be
compelled to drink themselves into oblivion after the credits stopped
rolling.
The film's documentary feel only increases the uncomfortable
atmosphere. And unlike most b-movies, SCRAPBOOK, despite the nudity and
violence, is in no way exploitative. In fact, if you ever meet someone
who found SCRAPBOOK titillating, run for your life.
Everyone on SCRAPBOOK's cast and crew should be commended for their work
on this amazing movie. Anyone who is a connoisseur of independent film
would be recommended, caveats intact, to give SCRAPBOOK a try. The
strength of the script and acting elevates it beyond it's low-budget
roots, and a true, honest movie was made as a result. There is no
trickery, no "pat" ending. SCRAPBOOK introduces you to a mentally ill
killer and his victim, and it's up to you how you deal with the
introduction.
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