Sleepy Hollow (1999)

An American horror classic, Sleepy Hollow tells the harrowing tale of Ichabod Crane. At the behest of the ever-wonderful Christopher Lee, Ichabod Crane travels two days journey to the town of Sleepy Hollow. It would appear that someone or something is killing the townspeople of Sleepy Hollow by beheading them. Crane, unaffected by the superstitions of the community believes the murderer to be a man and not the myth however, those who live in the Hollow know the culprit to be far from human. A dark spirit has fallen on this secluded hamlet in the person of the headless horseman. Rising from his grave each night, he seeks out the heads of those chosen to meet a grisly end. Not exactly the tale as it was originally woven, Sleepy Hollow through Tim Burton's eyes is a wonder to behold. The incredible sets coupled with top-notch storytelling; incredible special effects & a simply amazing score make Sleepy Hollow one of the best horror films of recent history!The audio presented is absolutely gorgeous! First let's get to the technical aspect of the audio. The center channel is crystalline in its reproduction of the dialogue for the film. The surrounds & sub are in constant play as well. There is just enough sub use to create the incredibly overwhelming sense of dread used to propel the film.I cannot say enough about Danny Elfman's score! Gothic & big come to mind when defining the beauty of his musical work for the film. The director's commentary by Tim Burton is another well done segment on an already very well produced DVD. Both informative and heartfelt, you get a real sense of the director's perspective as he realizes his vision of this American literary classic.I saw this film when it opened & was put off by its seemingly overwhelming muddy visual atmosphere. I expected it to be a dank & dark film but that should have been content only, not the print of the film. Upon viewing the disc I am happy to report Paramount provided a new & improved anamorphically enhanced BRIGHT and beautiful transfer! On DVD, it's like watching a whole new film! The colors are not necessarily vibrant throughout the feature but, in certain parts, namely, the party at Boltus Van Tassel's in the beginning of the film, the interior of Van Garret's coach & Ichabod's initial meeting with the town leaders in the back room of Van Tassel's country manse, the colors are absolutely beautiful.In addition to the great audio commentary & the two trailers for the film-one theatrical & one teaser, there is a 30 minute "Behind the Legend" featurette. This segment takes you behind the scenes with cast & crew interviews & gives you an insightful view into the production of some of the film's special effects & stunts. Additionally, it paints a picture of the ensemble cast establishing the kind of atmosphere created when a group of actors that is this talented gets together with a director like Tim Burton!Sleepy Hollow is one of the greatest American horror stories ever written. Till now, it had not received the kind of treatment needed to make it a classic piece of cinema as well. Tim Burton's vision is richly terrifying & deliciously evil. In homage to the Hammer films of old, Tim Burton brings to life one of horror's most frightening visages, the Headless Horseman. Generally given to mixed reviews, Sleepy Hollow is just one of those tremendously atmospheric films that you either loved or you hated. I fell in love with Sleepy Hollow on my initial viewing & greatly enjoyed all that Burton did with the storyline. I have to say that I am a great fan of Tim Burton's work & this film further cemented that opinion. If you are looking for a good rich scare, I highly recommend this feature to you. On every level, this film makes an awesome presentation!

Yes, this is clearly a somewhat toned-down horror flick but, WOW! I haven't seen much to compare with this outstanding film, in any movie genre, for ages. While it's much shorter and a different sort of story, I think that this production stands equal in quality to The Lord of the Rings - The Motion Picture Trilogy (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition), and that is a huge compliment.In fact, if you have previously enjoyed either The Hound of the Baskervilles (which is the "white-knuckle" version of the most famous of all Sherlock Holmes entries), or Sherlock Holmes - The Hound of the Baskervilles, (the magnificent cinematography version), then you will clearly love "Sleepy Hollow."THE STORY: This yarn springboards from Washington Irving's compelling tale of terror, the companion work to Rip Van Winkle from this Classic American author's famous The Sketch Book. In the case of the film, a youthful and naive New York City constable (Ichabod Crane) is directed north to a New England Dutch settlement where a series of murders has begun to generate chaos in the community -- the year is 1799, only about twenty years after the American Revolution. The first nuance of the murders which Ichabod encounters is that all the killings have been effected by decapitation. The locals are sold on the idea that the perpetrator is nothing short of a terrifying headless horseman (artfully played by a deranged-looking Christopher Walken), purportedly a ghost of a Hessian soldier, but Ichabod is a man of science and he initially asserts that the headless horseman yarn is ludicrous. But Ichabod's scientific approach quickly gives way to his tormented imagination... especially when subsequent murders ensue.This is a terrifying mystery thriller of the First Water, directed by Tim Burton. The screenwriting (Kevin Yagher) is incredibly compelling, the cinematography is magnificent, the locations (mostly in England) are magical, the filmscore compositions (Danny Elfman) are faultlessly appropriate, and the acting is superb. Johnny Depp as Ichabod (at least for the purpose of this particular film version) amounted to flawless casting. I was also very pleased to see the great Christopher Lee (The Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition)), in this film however briefly it may have been.Viewers should prepare for a long sitting as the running time is 105 minutes -- but there is never any drag and the action is both tasteful (for the genre) and non-stop. The aspect ratio is 1.85:1, a presentation of enhanced widescreen (16:9).In summary, this Oscar-winning 1999 film is one that you won't want to pass by. I was not in the least surprised to discover that it was produced by the renowned and talented Francis Ford Coppola, (Dementia 13.) The film is rated R due to one mild and brief sexual scene as well as for the violence and the gore of the numerous heads which bounce wide-eyed along the ground after they are separated by sword and by axe from their terror-stricken hosts. I'm normally not a big fan of contemporary movies but, in this rare instance, I award "Sleepy Hollow" my most enthusiastic and very highest five-star recommendation.REVISION: (4/10) If you loved this film as much as I did you'll likely also enjoy The Village (Widescreen Vista Series).

One of the best versions of the legendary tale of Sleepy Hollow. The special effects are well done with cast members dressed in outstandingly crafted period wardrobes. I enjoyed the movie and found the soundtrack to be good, but not great. After adjusting the lower frequencies to get a bit more out of my subwoofers however, the film played out nicely. I can recommend this well made reedition of Sleepy Hollow for your home theater movie collection.

Classic movie - like it ! Not for small kids under 12 years old !