Product Description

An eccentric investigator is sent to the small New York town of Sleepy Hollow to find out who is committing grisly murders there.
Genre: Horror
Rating: R
Release Date: 29-DEC-2004
Media Type: DVD

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #387 in DVD
• Brand: DEPP,JOHNNY
• Released on: 2000-05-23
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 105 minutes

Amazon.com
The films of Tim Burton shine through the muck like a jack-o-lantern on a foggy October night. After such successes as The Nightmare Before Christmas and Edward Scissorhands, it should come as no surprise that Sleepy Hollow is a dazzling film, a delicious reworking of Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Dark and moody, the film is a thrilling ride back to the turn of the 19th century. Johnny Depp stars as Ichabod Crane, a seemingly hapless constable from New York City who is sent to the small town of Sleepy Hollow to solve the mystery of the decapitations that are plaguing the town. Crane is a bumbling sort, with a tremendous faith in science over mysticism, and he comes up against town secrets, bewitching women, and a number of bodies missing heads. Christina Ricci, as beautiful as ever, is Katrina Van Tassel, the offbeat love interest who alternately charms and frightens Crane.

The film, while occasionally gory (as one should expect from a movie about a headless horseman), is not terribly frightening, although it is suspenseful. Both Depp and Ricci are convincing, and the art direction and production values give the village its harsh feel. Toward the end, once the secrets are revealed, the film does slow down; however, this stylistic horror film provides many tricks and even more treats. --Jenny Brown

Customer Reviews

wonderful legend!
Johnny Depp plays a fantastic Ickibod Crane! Hes so sketchy and tweeked! Christopher Walken plays a creepy headless horseman! This story is SO much fun and played by some fantastic actors! Its a wonderfully spooky period piece! Watch this updated version of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow!

Sleepy Hollow
I enjoyed this film from beginning to end. A few minor content flaws, but nothing to make a fuss about and overall, quite enjoyable, especially if you're into Halloween like I am.

Burton and Depp Outdo the Story!
I always liked the story of "Sleepy Hollow," but I felt it was overrated. This movie is a MAJOR improvement. The original story is basically this; Ichabod (an eccentric schoolteacher) comes to town; he falls in love with Katrina Van Tassel; Bram Bones gets jealous; Bram Bones dresses up like the headless horseman to chase Ichabod out of town. This movie changes the story (in my opinion) for the better. Ichabod is a constable who is having trouble with his superiors. (Notably Christopher Lee) They send him to investigate murder in Sleepy Hollow so he can prove his scientific methods for solving crime. (One is at least entitled to wonder if they are hoping he might get killed.) The first thing you will probably notice about Ichabod Crane (now a constable) is that he is A LOT MORE INTELLIGENT than he was in the book. He arrives at Sleepy Hollow and finds them to be clannish. But he does make some friends who are willing to help him. While he is still eccentric, we can see that his methods for solving crime have their logic. Bram is of course jealous when Ichabod has his eyes on Katrina, and the climax (of the original story) is quickly included in the movie. Moving on, Ichabod encounters the Headless Horseman. While he is obviously terrified, he pulls himself together enough to find out what he can. (Even someone who comes back from the dead to kill could be following a pattern and have a motive.) One especially artful moment is when Ichabod is cutting at the 'tree of the dead' and gets a frequent spatter of blood. (Here we are not quite sure whether we should laugh or be frightened.) Without giving the story away, the more Constable Crane finds out, the more scared we can get. (Especially when Depp learns that the horseman is not killing at random and some live person may be controlling him.) Recognition can be VERY SCARY if well done! Poor Depp is also fighting nightmares from his past. (He has nightmares about the murder of his mother, and why he prefers logic and reason over religion.) The climax defines horror, and there is an especially interesting twist. (We are allowed at least a moment of sympathy for the Headless Horseman, who is so well played by Christopher Walken I may add.) Between the phenomenal scenery, the great music, the interesting deviations from the book, the interesting connections between Crane's past and present, the great acting (not only by Johnny Depp, but Christopher Walken and others), the gradual unfolding, and surprise twists, this movie is a masterpiece of horror. Johnny Depp will probably always be known most as Edward Scissorhands and Captain Jack Sparrow. But personally, I think this is his best movie, with "From Hell" a close 2nd.