To sleep, perchance to dream... (Sleepy Hollow (DVD))

Member Name: xBorgx

Product:	Sleepy Hollow (DVD)
Date:	26/10/09 (60 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gory but great

Disadvantages: none

Main Cast...

Johnny Depp - Constable Ichabod Crane
Christina Ricci - Katrina Anne Van Tassell
Miranda Richardson - Lady Mary Van Tassell
Michael Gambon - Baltus Van Tassell
...and watch out for short but brilliant performance from Christopher Lee and Christopher Walkden.


"The horseman was a Hessian mercenary sent to the shores by German princes to keep Americans under the yoke of England. But unlike his compatriots, who came for money, the horseman came for love of carnage."

This really is a fun...

... and Tim Burton's direction and the great performances, especially by Johnny Depp, make this a truly great film to watch.

Brief synopsis...

Constable Crane (Depp) is sent to the sleepy town of Sleepy Hollow to investigate three murders. These are not usual murders because the killer has chopped off each of their heads and hidden them, oh and the killer is in fact a headless horseman, and a ghost...

Crane's ways are quite conventional to the towns' folk and his steadfast belief that the killer is not a ghost is puzzling to them. When he finds out that the horseman is actually not a myth but real this both frightening and disturbing for Depp. The towns' folk expect him to travel home, but he decides to stay and fight the horseman.

In Sleepy Hollow, Crane meets the young Mary Van Tassell and they fall in love. He is also drawn into the legend and deeper into the story, in his bid to stop the killer.

I won't give too much away about all that.

Tim Burton's 1999 film is brilliant. The air of gothic horror is in abundance and the story that is told with tongue firmly placed in cheek is sometimes hilarious in its inanity. The horror scenes can be quite shocking and reminiscent of Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead. It is a dark tale that can only be captured using humour and Burton does this well.

Have I said Depp is excellent as Crane? If so, well what the hell, he IS. He hams things up really well and I was extremely impressed by this actor's acting qualities when first watched it many years ago.

Christopher Walkden hams up his role as the Horseman, too, and is suitably evil.

Based on the classic tale by Washington Irving this tale has been written for film by Kevin Yagher.

A great quote from the film...

Lady Van Tassel: 'Watch your heads!'

Also written for Ciao UK, is a slightly altered version, as Borg...

Summary: A gore-fest, a fun film, a horror and a chiller - Great!