Sleepy Hollow

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Before I even start to write my review of Tim Burton´s "Sleepy Hollow," I am going to come clean on something. I am a Tim Burton junkie. I still consider "Batman (1989)" the best damn comic book / superhero movie, ever. "Edward Scissorhands" and "Big Fish" were incredible films about unusual folk. "Tim Burton´s The Nightmare Before Christmas" may very well be my favorite film of all time. "Planet of the Apes?" Loved it. "Mars Attacks!?" Loved it. Tim Burton could make a motion picture about a solitary pumpkin that sits in a mildew ravaged cornfield and has absolutely nothing to do or say and I´d probably love it. Therefore, you can expect this review to be tremendously biased towards Burton´s adaptation of the Washington Irving story.

Burton´s re-imagining of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" finds Ichabod Crane to be a constable sent from New York City to the quiet and isolated town to investigate a string of murders in 1799. This is an instant deviation from the classic tale that has Crane arrive in Sleepy Hollow to take the vacant schoolmaster position. Of course, the whole plot device that allows reasoning to why the Headless Horseman is committing the violet crimes is not part of the original writing. For any purists of the original story or of Walt Disney´s animated 1959 version, you may be disappointed, but Burton´s additions, modifications and alterations to the classic tale offer a modern updating of the story, but keeps enough of the original story to pay proper homage and maintain the spooky spirit of the story.

When remaking a Halloween classic, is there anybody else out there that is better suited for the job than Tim Burton? I think not. I am not sure if another director ever existed that had a better idea of what Halloween, specters and creepiness should look like than Burton. The director has a unique look to his films that instantly proclaims "This is a Tim Burton film" and those films have historically had something supernatural attached to them. Just take a gander at the scarecrow that appears early in the film. It is a simple scarecrow, but you know that Burton was behind the pumpkin, straw and cruddy clothing that the scarecrow is comprised of. There is absolutely nobody in Hollywood that could have done "Sleepy Hollow" and given it the soul and spirit that Tim Burton did.

Mix in Burton friends Johnny Depp and Danny Elfman and you are almost guaranteed a classic. Johnny Depp is one of the finest character actors in Hollywood. He has a long running friendship with Burton that is particularly thriving in recent years with the recent "Corpse Bride," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and the upcoming "Sweeney Todd." Depp had previously worked with Burton on "Edward Scissorhands." Danny Elfman is one of the finest composers today. The former Oingo Boingo frontman has been quite busy since the mid-Eighties and his longtime collaboration with Burton began with "Pee-Wee´s Big Adventure" and the musical scores that Elfman has composed for Burton have a unique sound that add to the flavor and feel of a Tim Burton film.

This ghoulish tale includes more great talent than just Burton, Depp and Elfman. Christina Ricci, Miranda Richardson, Michael Gambon, Casper Van Dien, Jeffrey Jones, Michael Gough, Ian McDiarmid, the incredible and creepy Christopher Walken and one of the great horror actors, Christopher Lee are among the familiar names that populate the closing crawl. If you look closely, you can also spot Martin Landau in an uncredited role and Burton´s former fiancée Lisa Marie. This cast is full of veteran´s of horror films and those who have been at Burton´s side in a couple of the director´s films. Fellow Pennsylvanian and "Se7en" scribe Andrew Kevin Wallker receives the screenplay credit. The swordplay, stunts and fighting of the Headless Horseman was handled by veteran stuntman Ray Park. Burton is one of the few directors that consistently finds himself surrounded by so much talent and this is to the benefit of "Sleepy Hollow."

The story of "Sleepy Hollow" finds Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) as an outsider in the New York City that is constantly at arms with the Head Constable because of his ´cutting-edge´ sciences that Crane applies to his investigates and easily finds faults in the police work done by others that results in solved mysteries, but not necessarily correctly solved mysteries. Crane is sent to Sleepy Hollow for the purpose of investigating a string of serial murders (and to get him out of the hair of his superiors). Ichabod is a squeamish sort who fears spiders, but is not afraid of getting bloody. He is given shelter in the home of Baltus Van Tassel (Michael Gambon) alongside with Lady Mary Van Tassel (Miranda Richardson) and Baltus´ daughter Katrina Anne (Christina Ricci). He bases his investigation from a small room in which they have given him stay.

Crane discovers that the Horseman is a Hessian mercenary (Christopher Walken) that was murdered and beheaded twenty years prior. It is known that the Horseman had beheaded all of his victims and taken the heads. A young boy, "Young" Jonathan Masbath, finds his father among the victims and he joins Ichabod with the desire of finding his father´s murderer. The lovely and curvaceous Katrina admits to reading and believing in witchcraft and supports Ichabod the best she can and the two find a mutual attraction between them. Heads continually disappear from the shoulders of the townsfolk and Ichabod feels that the Horseman is looking for his own head, but the question becomes "Who has the Headless Horseman´s head?"

"Sleepy Hollow" is a great Halloween film. It is a great re-telling of the holiday classic and though it strays greatly from the original short story, "Sleepy Hallow" succeeds in offering a fresh and interesting take on Washington Irving´s writings. The film has a wonderful Burton ´creepy feeling´ about it that perfectly captures the essence of a spooky and frightening town that is being terrorized by a specter with no head and a desire to shed blood and enact his revenge against those who still possess their own heads. Everything from the trees to the scarecrows show the touch of Burton. The costumes and sets are incredible and fit the story and period perfectly. This is a fun story that can be frightening enough to suit its purpose, but will not frighten anybody away from watching it. I think Walt Disney´s animated adaptation frightened me more than Burton´s vision, but I was extremely young when I first saw that one.

The actors and actresses in "Sleepy Hollow" are brilliant as well. Christopher Lee and Christopher Walken are just great actors for a spooky film and Burton utilizes their talents well. Martin Landau and Michael Gough have previously worked with Burton and they shine in their portrayals as town elders. Depp is his usual inventive and entertaining self as Ichabod Crane and his quirky performance rivals anything else he has done recently, including his portrayals as Jack Sparrow or Willy Wonka. Christina Ricci has had to fight off a stigmata for years that has labeled as a ´creepy movie´ actress. She is lovely in this film and has a sincerely and sweetness to her character that is far from Wednesday Addams.

I watch "Tim Burton´s The Nightmare Before Christmas" a couple times a year. I try to watch it on Halloween and sometime near Christmas. In my opinion, that is the perfect Halloween ´special.´ Sure, I love the Great Pumpkin too Linus, but Jack Skellington has your pumpkin king beat. Tim Burton´s "Sleepy Hollow" is another great Halloween classic from the master of dark and brooding. I rushed to the theaters to see this film and I´ve watched it more than a couple of times since its release. The retelling is fresh and appropriate. The performances are creepy and entertaining. Depp is in top form. Burton is in top form. I can´t think of a better reason to enjoy some candy corn, roasted pumpkin seeds and apple cider than to sit down and spend a couple hours in the quiet little town of "Sleepy Hollow."

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