Sleepy Hollow

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Washington Irving's tale of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman gets a few new twists in a screen adaptation directed by Tim Burton. In this version, Ichabod (Johnny Depp) is a New York City detective whose unorthodox techniques and penchant for gadgets make him unpopular with is colleagues. He is sent to the remote town of Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of bizarre murders, in which a number of people have been found dead in the woods, with their heads cut off. Local legend has it that a Hessian ghost rides through the woods on horseback, lopping off the heads of the unsuspecting and unbelieving. Ichabod refuses to believe in this legend, convinced that there must be a logical explanation for the murders. In time, Ichabod becomes smitten with a local lass, Katrina Van Tassel (Christina Ricci), who is the sweetheart of the burly Brom Bones (Casper Van Dien), and he becomes determined to capture the murderer to prove his bravery and win her heart. Christopher Walken, Jeffrey Jones, and Christopher Lee highlight the supporting cast; Lee's appearance is particularly apt, since Burton has cited the Hammer films of the 1960s as a major influence in making this film. Andrew Kevin Walker and Tom Stoppard contributed to the screenplay. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Audio: Dolby Digital Surround
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (Theatre Wide Screen)
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Features:
  • Widescreen version enhanced for 16x9 televisions
  • Dolby Digital: English 5.1 Surround; English Dolby Surround; French Dolby Surround
  • English subtitles
  • Interactive menus
  • Scene selection
  • 2 theatrical trailers
  • Exclusive cast and crew interviews
  • Exclusive "Behind the Legend" featurette
  • Commentary with director Tim Burton
  • Selected cast biographies
  • Photo gallery

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Won Best Art Direction - 1999 (Peter Young, Rick Heinrichs)
•     Nominated Best Cinematography - 1999 (Emmanuel Lubezki)
•     Nominated Best Costume Design - 1999 (Colleen Atwood)

• American Society of Cinematographers

•     Nominated Best Cinematography - 1999 (Emmanuel Lubezki)

• British Academy of Film and Television Arts

•     Won Best Costume Design - 1999 (Colleen Atwood)
•     Won Best Production Design - 1999 (Rick Heinrichs)

• Los Angeles Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Production Design - 1999 (Rick Heinrichs)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Johnny Depp - Ichabod Crane
       Christina Ricci - Katrina Van Tassel
       Miranda Richardson - Lady Van Tassel
       Michael Gambon - Baltus Van Tassel
       Casper Van Dien - Brom Van Brunt
       Jeffrey Jones - Reverend Steenwyck
       Christopher Lee - Burgomaster
       Richard Griffiths - Samuel Philipse
       Ian McDiarmid - Dr. Lancaster
       Michael Gough - James Hardenbrook
       Christopher Walken - Hessian Horseman
       Marc Pickering - Masbeth
       Lisa Marie - Lady Crane
       Steven Waddington - Killian
       Claire Skinner - Beth Killian
       Alun Armstrong - High Constable
       Mark Spalding - Jonathan Masbeth
       Jessica Oyelowo - Sarah
       Ray Park - Headless Horseman (stunts)
       Orlando Seale

• Director:

  Tim Burton

• Producer:

  Scott Rudin, Adam Schroeder

• Screen Story:

  Kevin Yagher, Andrew Kevin Walker

• Screenwriter:

  Andrew Kevin Walker

• Cinematographer:

  Conrad L. Hall, Emmanuel Lubezki

• Composer (Music Score):

  Danny Elfman

• Editor:

  Chris Lebenzon

• Production Designer:

  Rick Heinrichs

• Art Director:

  Ken Court, John Wright Stevens

• Supervising Art Director:

  Les Tomkins

• Art Director:

  Andrew Nicholson, John Dexter

• Co-producer:

  Kevin Yagher

• Associate Producer:

  Mark Roybal

• Executive Producer:

  Francis Ford Coppola, Larry Franco

• Set Designer:

  Peter Young

• Costume Designer:

  Colleen Atwood

• Set Decorator:

  Debra Schutt

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Gary Alper, Tony Dawe

• Makeup:

  Peter Owen

• Special Effects:

  Industrial Light & Magic, Kevin Yagher, Computer Film Co.

• First Assistant Director:

  Christopher Newman, Tom Reilly

• Stunts:

  Rob Inch

• Casting:

  Ilene Starger, Susie Figgis

• Hair Styles:

  Peter Owen

• Second Unit Director Of Photogra:

  Peter Hannan

• Second Unit Director:

  Alan Munro

• Special Effects Supervisor:

  Joss Williams

• Sound Effects Editor:

  Richard L. Anderson

• Short Story Author:

  Washington Irving

• Sound Editor:

  Skip Lievsay

• Stunts Coordinator:

  Nick Gillard

• Second Unit Director Of Photogra:

  Conrad W. Hall

• Fights Choreographer:

  Ray Park

• Visual Effects Supervisor:

  Jim Mitchell

• Line Producer:

  Celia Costas

REVIEW:

• Often cited as an homage to the infamous films of Hammer Studios, upon deeper investigation into the influences of director Tim Burton, it becomes increasingly clear that, while the film does indeed have much in common with the British horror classics, the majority of visual influence is instead derived from the lush, gothic films of Mario Bava. Bearing a striking resemblance to 1960s Black Sunday in particular, Burton's muted color palate, vividly splashed with abundant amounts of blood so unnaturally red it seems to drip from the screen, represents a masterful command of color scheme rarely seen since Bava's color-era heyday. While Sleepy Hollow may not retain the masterful balance of a striking visuals and solid characterization as skillfully as Burton's early efforts, Sleepy Hollow remains a remarkably beautiful film which offers both dark humor and some breathtaking set pieces. Burton's cast does as much as humanly possible to bring scribe Andrew Kevin Walker's characters to life, though without the proper foundation, the means to define the characters much further beyond the occasional meaningful gesture or enduring quirk are unfortunately absent. Despite this minor flaw, those willing to judge Sleepy Hollow on its own terms and forego the stratospheric expectations with which Burton films are generally greeted will find themselves in for a sumptuously visual and giddily macabre interpretation of an enduring tale that has chilled the bones of children for generations. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi