Review #100: Sleepy Hollow (1999)

Cast/Notable Credits:
Tim Burton (Director): Batman 1 (1989) & 2 (1992), Planet of the Apes (2001), Beetlejuice (1988)

Johnny Depp (Inchabod Crane): Nightmare on Elm Street

Christina Ricci (Katrina Van Tassel): Cursed (Pictured right)

Miranda Richardson (Lady Van Tassel): Chicken Run (2000), Harry Potter 4 (2005)

Michael Gambon (Baltus Van Tassel): The Omen (2006), Harry Potter 3-7

Ian McDiarmid (Doctor Lancaster): Star Wars 1-3,5 & 6

Christopher Lee (Burgomaster): Howling 2

Caspen Van Dien (Brom Van Brunt): Starship Troopers 1 (1997) & 3 (2008)

Christopher Walken (Hessian Horseman): A View to a Kill (1985), Pulp Fiction (1994)

Jeffrey Jones (Reverend Steenwyck): Ferris Beuller's Day Off (1986)

Richard Griffiths (Magistrate Philipse): Harry Potter

Lisa Marie (Lady Crane): Mars Attacks! (1996), Planet of the Apes (2001)

Trailer:


Plot:

Constable Inchabod Crane is dispatched to the little town of Sleepy Hollow to investigate some mysterious murders. The murders are blamed on the famous "Headless Horseman", and Crane is out to use science to disprove their iconic killer. Even after his arrival, the killings continue, with all fingers pointing towards the Horseman.

Crane stays at the town's prestiagious Van Tassel's estate and falls into a bizarre love affair with the family's daughter, Katrina (Christina Ricci) as he continues the investigation. Hey, she's damn hot! I wouldn't mind having a love affair with her.

Still trying to disprove the Horseman theory amongst the township, Crane eventually has a run in with the Horseman himself. Crane quickly shifts gears and focuses on the supernatural aspect of the case. Crane learns that whoever owns the skull of the horseman, they control the Horseman himself, and use him to do their bidding. After meeting a psychotic witch, Crane learns that he must find the Horseman's grave at the base of the Tree of the Dead. When Crane found the grave, they found the head missing. Now Crane must find the keeper of the head, before the Horseman strikes again.

Sleepy Hollow is a great movie to watch during the season of the witch. It truly brings out the true meaning of Halloween. I'm usually not a big Tim Burton or Johnny Depp fan, but they both hit the hammer on the head in this movie.

The style and atmosphere plays directly into Burton's hands. Sleepy Hollow is dark and gloomy. Even the scenes during the day are mostly overshadowed by fog and clouds. Visually this movie rocked! Pictured is a great looking shot at the Tree of the Dead.

The script was well written. The movie played out as a classic murder mystery film. We knew that the Horseman did the killings, but we were left in the dark on who was pulling the strings. That aspect honestly took me by surprise when I first saw the movie in the theaters when it came out. I was expecting just a gory slasher flick with the Horseman being the main guy. I thought he would be killing for revenge on the same night every year or something like that. Instead I was delighted to see something other than a cursed figure out for revenge.

As far as the cast goes, it was an All-Star vetern bunch. Most of them appeared in either a Star Wars movie or Harry Potter movie. Depp leads the way as an awkward constable loaf investigating the murders of Sleepy Hollow. He wasn't quite annoying as Capt. Jack Sparrow, and actually did a great job in my opinion. He was borderline odd, but capable. Christina Ricci is just damn hot! And her character was pretty good too.

Also any movie that puts 3 Star Wars Sith Lords and Christopher Walken in it ranks high in my books. Also a little "eye candy" doesn't hurt either. Lisa Marie pictured right.

The Headless Horseman was visually a great villain. He looked awesome! Before getting his head "lopped off", he was a Christopher Walken portraying his version of Luther the Geek, supporting razor sharp, jagged teeth. Darth Maul (Ray Park) provided the stunts and acrobatics of the Headless Horseman. His swordsmanship is got to be one of the best in Hollywood. We saw him in action in the Phantom Menace and saw some more sword wielding in a battle with Casper Van Dien.

The film is credited with 18 decapitations, but I only counted 13. Oh well, it probably included off screen deaths. But anyways, the tagline for the movie: Heads will Roll. I guess they sure did.

If there was something that I didn't like about the movie, it was the sub-plot about Crane and his mother. I just thought that mini plot was a dumb idea, and pretty much useless to the movie. Sure it gave some insight to the Crane character, but overall the movie could have done away with it.

Sleepy Hollow goes down as a classic "must see" during the month of October. Every year, I continue to sit down some night and watch it. I guess it's some what of a tradition now. It's better to watch on one of those dark, cool, windy nights with all the lights turned off around the house. Sleepy Hollow is not going to provide you with a whole lot of scares, but it's creepy and eerie enough to satisfy the appetite. And have I mentioned that Christina Ricci is hot?

Misc. Movie Trivia:
-Film opened on November 19, 1999 and made $101 million at the Box Office ($30 million opening weekend)...I contributed about $21 to $22 of it. I saw it twice (once on a date, and another with friends)
-The town Sleepy Hollow was built from the ground up in 3 months; actual town is in NY
-Winona Rider was offered the role of Katrina
-Liam Neeson, Brad Pitt, and Daniel Day-Lewis all considered for the role of Ichabod Crane
-Film features 3 Sith Lords from Star Wars (Darth Maul, Count Dooku, Darth Sidious)
-Casper Van Dien in real life is related to the Van Tassels
-Last movie ever produced on Laserdisc in the world