SCRAPBOOK
PLOT-A woman attempts to outwit the maniac who has imprisoned her in his home.
VIOLENCE-Several rape and torture scenes occur, some involving bloodshed and use of foreign objects. A few fake dead bodies (and parts) are shown. One character's throat is cut and another's toes are chopped off.
SEX/NUDITY-Full nudity is shown from both lead actors, but none of it is sexual in nature. If you find anything in this movie sexy, I see a nice padded cell in your future.
WHY I WATCHED IT-Every time I hear about a movie that's intense or disturbing, my curiosity wins out every time and I end up seeing it. I'm interested in any movie that gets any kind of strong reaction from those who see it. And this is definitely one of those.
THE DOPE-This film all takes place in one house, and almost 100% of the time consists of scenes between the killer/rapist and the woman he has abducted. It's realistic, brutal, hard to watch, and extremely well-acted. Why was such a film made? Why show such horrible things? To be honest, SCRAPBOOK is a story about the raw human will to survive, and to overcome seemingly impossible odds. Many movies have been made which have this same theme. As far as the subject matter of rape is concerned, it is of course unpleaseant but nonetheless a reality. However, having done volunteer work at a rape crisis center, one thing I can tell you is there is no such thing as a rape victim. You are not a victim unless you die. Anyone who lives through rape is a survivor, always remember that. I can think of no better way to sum up SCRAPBOOK than that. Ultimately it is not exploitative, illustrating rather clearly the fact that rape isn't about sex, it's about power. Emily Haack's performance easily bests that of Marilyn Burns in THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, the latter of which I previously considered to be the most realistic portrayal of suffering I'd ever seen. SCRAPBOOK isn't pleasant viewing, but that was never the intention. Any film that intelligently upsets so many viewers has to be doing something right.
MEMORABLE SCENES-The female character is shoved into a garbage can, covered in milk, and sealed inside for a period of time long enough to cause the milk to curdle. Anyone who has smelled rotten milk knows this would not be the most pleasant experience.
NOTES-Find out how you can get ahold of this flick by going to the official Sub Rosa Studios site. Special thanks to Kristy at GATES OF GORE for hooking me up with this film.
(July 2003)
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