Scrapbook
(Region 1 DVD)
(1999)
review by Billion$Baby

The title refers to the way the killer documents his behaviour and that of his victims in...a scrapbook (well natch!). After repeatably reading of how extreme and shocking this film was and of the way the film was cut to absolute shreds by scissor happy British censors (to the point whereby a UK release was rendered completely pointless), I have to say that I wasn't actually too shocked! I expected worse, maybe I'm just a bad person, I don't know? Don't get me wrong, I was still seriously wincing all of the way through the second half of the film.

After an ominous sounds only opening sequence and an impressive gore effect when a pitch black van's doors are opened, we're into the feature. There's then an impressive and audacious lengthy one-take point of view flashback of the serial killer's life as a child. From that point onwards, the viewer is then into the main thrust of the feature, Leonard the nutter versus Clara the victim. Tommy Biondo's performance as Leonard the serial killer is outrageously good!! And Haack delivers a very worthy performance in one of the most harrowing and challenging roles that an actress could dare to undertake.

Both of the leads undergo full nudity sequences (very brave) and the film actually comes very close to pornography on a couple of occasions. However because those sequences are clearly not meant or designed to entertain, it is not an arousing experience. Rape and humilation are clearly not enjoyable things to watch. The film is right to include such graphic sequences as it greatly adds to the realism aspects of the feature. The gore effects are very impressive, especially for a low budget production (all except for one rotting corpse seen halfway through which wasn't too convincing I'm afraid). And I have to say that the toes sequence made me seriously wince and exhale loudly. Ouch!

There's a review of a vhs copy of Scrapbook on this site already but as you can imagine, I see things a little differently (being a different person that's hardly surprising). I absolutely loved the fascinating Biondo monologues, especially when sometimes set to Brian McClelland's effective score. That score is a hugely important ingredient in the success of the feature. As is the editing, it's very good indeed. I also enjoyed noting some great abstract photography, the use of actual polaroid photographs flashing up on the screen and being able to watch one short scene through a video camera that Leonard himself sets up. Those moments added greatly to the overall effect, very impressive.

My only criticism of this film would be that I wasn't too impressed with the beating in one scene that was metered out to a male visitor to Leonard's abode. I didn't actually realise that the visitor had been
killed, I thought he'd just been knocked unconcious. And I also found it very difficult to believe that Leonard would have been able to overpower such a large guy without using a weapon of some sort to finish him off.

I've read and questioned a very bizarre viewpoint where an individual on a forum stated that Scrapbook was "seriously foul trash made by a sick misogynist fuck." Absolute rubbish...the viewer missed the point completely, Scrapbook never paints the shocking behaviour of Leonard in a favourable light at all. I'd also advise that viewer to avoid other notorious thought provoking films such as Last House On The Left, New York Ripper and I Spit On Your Grave. Amongst others. Eric Stanze's low-budget feature deserves mucho respect, it's fascinating stuff. And there's virtually no holds barred in it's rather successful attempt to provide a fully realistic experience. Scrapbook is highly recommended to all viewers with open minds and brains only.

This Sub Rosa Studios dvd has a SLIGHTLY grainy print (as one would expect since the film was presumably shot using digital video technology) with 2.0 Dolby Digital sound. It's pleasing to note that the dvd features an enjoyable behind the scenes featurette lasting over 15 minutes, a cool behind the scenes stills gallery, a Tommy Biondo (R.I.P.) biography written by Stanze, an audio commentary track from 3 participants which I haven't listened to yet but am looking forward to, and some trailers for Scrapbook and other Wicked Pixel Cinema films (Ice From The Sun looks very appealing). A very nice package of extras indeed...

BTW I see that Her Majesty's Customs & Excise department opened up this dvd's packaging to inspect exactly what I'd been sent.

Luckily it still got here.