Sleepy Hollow

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Director: Tim Burton (Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice)
Cast: Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Miranda Richardson, Caspar Van Dien, Lisa Marie and Christopher Walken
Rating: R
Run Time: 105 minutesÂ

THE SKINNY
Big city detective attempts to rescue frightened farming village from decapitated demon

THE BOTTOM LINE
Pay little attention to the story, but savor the wonderful sights and sounds

THE FULL REVIEW
Sleepy Hollow, Tim Burton’s take on the classic tale by Washington Irving is very much like a Britney Spears video. While both are built upon a foundation that is mediocre at best (Andrew Kevin Walker ’s screenplay and Ms. Spears’ singing voice), they nevertheless succeed in fully arousing one’s senses.

In the film, set in the early 1800’s, Johnny Depp (Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Donnie Brasco, 21 Jump Street) plays Ichabod Crane, a constable from Manhattan, who is sent to Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of bizarre murders in which each of the victims has been beheaded. During the course of his investigation, constable Crane falls for a bewitching young woman named Katrina Van Tassel, played by Christina Ricci (Opposite of Sex, Mermaids, The Addams Family). While the villagers of Sleepy Hollow are convinced that a demonic ghost is terrorizing their farming community, constable Crane is set on proving that someone of “flesh and blood” is in fact behind the murders.

Like many of the “horror” films to come out of Hollywood in recent years, the creators of Sleepy Hollow confuse gore for terror. Sure, as the movie’s advertisements promise, many heads do roll in this film, but the effect is almost comical. This is particularly true in light of the efforts that were taken to create the elaborate decapitation scenes. According the film’s official website, cast members had life casts’ taken of their heads and bodies, a process some actors described as “incredibly claustrophobic.” On average, the faux heads took five weeks to complete. To add to the comedy, Christopher Walken, who plays the part of a deranged Hessian mercenary (the Headless Horseman in his capitated form), rides around on his horse wildly growling at everyone in his path. This character, who should have been nothing short of terrifying (particularly given the actor that plays him), comes across as just plain silly. To be honest, although its been a while, I recall Disney’s cartoon version of this story scaring me a hell of a lot more than this version did. Perhaps the creators of Sleepy Hollow should have considered revealing less of the Horseman – an affect that always seems to be more effective in horror films (the scariest scene in Sleepy Hollow, for example, is one in which we don’t see the Horseman at all).

For all of the film’s weaknesses, however, Sleepy Hollow must still be recommended. This is because it delivers in a way that any great Tim Burton film can – both visually and musically. By focusing on the film’s stunning cinematography (Emmanuel Lubezki), intricate production design (Rick Heinrichs), and elaborate costume design (Colleen Atwood), it is easy to overlook Andrew Kevin Walker ’s disappointing screenplay (Walker is the same person who wrote the startlingly terrifying Seven). Accompanying the incredible look of the film, which Burton describes as reminiscent of the horror films of the 50’s and 60’s, is Danny Elfman’s spellbinding film score. Elfman, a Grammy and Oscar-nominated film composer, has scored most of Burton’s feature films (won a Grammy for Batman), as well such films as Men In Black and Good Will Hunting.

Behind the scenes of Sleepy Hollow, was a star-studded production team that included co-producers, Scott Rudin (The Truman Show, Searching for Bobby Fischer) and Adam Schroeder (The Truman Show, A Simple Plan), and, surprisingly, five-time Academy Award winner, Francis Ford Coppola, as executive producer.

Some interesting side notes:
Danny Elfman was a founding member of the band Oingo Boingo, famous for such songs as “Dead Man’s Party” (from the movie Back to School) and “Weird Science” (from the movie Weird Science). In addition to his acting, Johnny Depp is a fairly accomplished musician. He has played guitar on two Oasis albums and is also a member of the band “P,” whose other members include Gibby Haynes of Butthole Surfers, Steve Jones of Sex Pistols and Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers.

By: Craig Ettinger