Rating summary

Movie		1.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		3.5

Scrapbook Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 8, 2024

2000’s “Scrapbook” is “based on actual events.” These situations are never identified, with violence and suffering basically driving the viewing experience, technically qualifying most movies as “based on actual events.” Screenwriter Tommy Biondo (who passed away in 1999) has some personal issues to work through in the picture, which explores the merciless ways of a serial killer (played by Biondo) and his obsession with his latest catch, spending time torturing a young woman in his remote farmhouse. And that’s about it for dramatic urgency in “Scrapbook,” with the shot-on- video endeavor completely made up of scenes where one character torments the other character, with Biondo passing on story and suspense to make what’s basically a fetish film that’s extraordinarily tedious to watch.

As a boy, Leonard (Tommy Biondo) suffered through years of sexual abuse, dealing with his deranged sister and violent father. He’s grown up to become a serial killer, and one with a particular fixation on female victims. Leonard is creating a scrapbook detailing his crimes and darkest thoughts, preparing to unleash the collection on the world, sharing his true power. Trying to complete his work, Leonard takes possession of Clara (Emily Haack), a terrified young woman who doesn’t understand what’s going on. Locked in Leonard’s farmhouse, Clara is subjected to all kinds of torture and sexual assault, also experiencing her captor’s detachment from reality, forced to listen to his insanity, exposed to the master plan of the scrapbook. As the days pass, Clara is mentally and physically tested by Leonard, maintaining some hope that an escape can be made.

Director Eric Stanze (“Savage Harvest”) is in charge of bringing Biondo’s world to life, but instead of mounting a delicate understanding of real-world horror, he goes the SOV route, opening the film with the POV experience of Leonard’s sexual assault. Like everything in “Scrapbook,” the sequence goes on longer than necessary, with points quickly made about molestation and extreme punishment, but Stanze enjoys lingering on the salacious details of the horror, which, of course, help to beef up the feature’s run time, not add to dramatic urgency.

Leonard’s domestic nightmare is only the beginning in “Scrapbook,” which jumps in time to the character as an adult, bringing Clara into his home for an introduction. The scrapbook is presented, filled with pages of demented writing and graphic photos, with Leonard believing he can change the world with this collection of crime. He’s even ready for trash talk show glory. Leonard is hunting for a queen, and he finds one in Clara, looking to break her spirit as quickly as possible, with this mission pretty much it for the rest of “Scrapbook.” The madman rapes Clara, seals her in a trash can, films himself fondling her in the shower, and rapes her some more (even using a glass bottle to complete the act). Stanze deals with all of this in a leering manner, helping the picture miss its mark as a genuine study of human derangement. The suffering is briefly broken up by an outsider, with the character Biffle (Todd Tevlin) arriving to actually see a man about a horse, but he’s not long for the world, and Stanze goes right back to prolonged scenes of Clara screaming in pain and Leonard blathering on about his grand plan.

Scrapbook Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.34:1 aspect ratio) presentation remains in line with other shot-on-video productions. There's no fine detail here, but a general sense of frame information is available, with "Scrapbook" in better shape than most of these features. Clarity is decent with skin particulars and tattered clothing. Room experiences retain a softer look at filth, blood, and decorative additions. Exteriors are limited, but some farmland depth is found. Colors carry age, but skin tones are within the realm of natural, and blood retains redness. Delineation is passable. Source is in decent condition.

Scrapbook Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 Dolby Digital mix remains inherently uneven, with balance between the loudness of yelling matches and quietness of survival sounds struggling for balance. Dialogue exchanges are intelligible, dealing with a rambling nature of the performances. Scoring supports with a basic synth sound.

Scrapbook Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary Track #1 features director Eric Stanze.

• Commentary Track #2 features director Eric Stanze, actress Emily Haack, and producer Jeremy Wallace.

• "Afterward: A Look Back at 'Scrapbook'" (32:04, HD) is a dual interview with director Eric Stanze and actress Emily Haack. Stanze establishes his professional momentum at the time of "Scrapbook," trying to build on past successes, learning from his previous accomplishments. Haack was up for the acting challenge, prepared to trust Stanze with the material's violent content. The severity of the project was attractive to Stanze, who wanted to explore a darker mood and play more directly to his fanbase, also pushing his own theory that horror should "go for the throat." He also goes into the details of his professional life, handling outside criticism as he's aged, staying in the industry to some degree, sticking with his craft for what's become decades of work. Haack treated the job as a way to purge personal demons, remaining empowered by the job, still proud of the endeavor.

• Image Gallery (12:36) collects BTS snaps, poster art, and magazine articles.

• "The Making of 'Scrapbook'" (26:31, SD) is a 2005 look at the creation of the picture, featuring interviews with director Eric Stanze, actress Emily Haack, associate producer Todd Tevlin, and producer Jeremy Wallace. Coming off the complicated production of "Ice from the Sun," Stanze was looking for something a bit more manageable, electing to make a "raw" film about a serial killer. Production achievements are shared, including the use of a dilapidated trailer to serve as the main set. The cast and crew also contributed to the creation of a special book used in the movie. Dialogue was improvised, with Stanze leaning on his actors to create moments with their own lines, and they were in charge of finding an ending to the picture. The death of writer Tommy Biondo is also recalled, who passed away right as "Scrapbook" was completed. Throughout the viewing experience, BTS footage is included, providing a look at the production in motion, including moments of horror and levity.

• Deleted Scene (1:28, SD) is presented without the original audio.

• And Trailer A (1:45, SD), Trailer B (3:02, SD), and Trailer C (1:56, SD) are included.

Scrapbook Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Scrapbook" is an ugly movie, but that's the point of it. Biondo and Stanze want to rub viewer faces in the violence, under the impression that prolonged exposure to direct viciousness will result in some type of appreciation for insanity. Instead of making salient points on the cycle of abuse and the decay of mental health, the men create something pointlessly excessive, going way beyond an understanding of darkness. "Scrapbook" isn't interesting, and while the actors do everything they're capable of to communicate games of power and trust (and lots of screaming), they're stuck with an inert idea and Stanze, who has no interest in editing or shaping tone, preferring to keep the endeavor a blunt object for a specific audience.