Sleepy Hollow

• Cert:
• Cat.no: P 8986 DVD
• Running time: 101 minutes
• Year: 1999
• Pressing: 2000
• Region(s): 2, PAL
• Chapters: 18 plus extras
• Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
• Languages: English
• Subtitles: English
• Widescreen: 1.85:1
• 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
• Macrovision: Yes
• Disc Format: DVD 9
• Price: £19.99
• Extras : Scene index, 2 Theatrical Trailers, Behind the Legend,Reflections on Sleepy Hollow, Director’s Commentary, Photo Gallery,Biographies, Animated Menus

Director:

Tim Burton

(Batman, Batman Returns, Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Mars Attacks, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure)

Producers:

Screenplay:

(based on the story by Washington Irving)

Music:

Cast:

Constable Ichabod Crane: Johnny Depp (Arizona Dream, The Astronaut’s Wife, Benny and Joon, Dead Man, Don Juan de Marco, Donnie Brasco, Ed Wood, Edward Scissorhands, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Nick of Time, Sleepy Hollow,What’s Eating Gilbert Grape)
Katrina Anne Van Tassel: Christina Ricci (200 Cigarettes, The Addams Family, Addams Family Values, Buffalo 66, Casper, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Ice Storm, The Last of the High Kings, Mermaids, The Opposite of Sex,Sleepy Hollow, That Darn Cat)
Lady Van Tassel/The Western Woods Crone: Miranda Richardson (Alice in Wonderland, Century, Damage, Empire of the Sun, Enchanted April, The Evening Star, Fatherland, Sleepy Hollow, Tom and Viv, TV: Blackadder II,A Dance to the Music of Time, Merlin)
Baltus Van Tassel: Michael Gambon (The Cook The Thief His Wife and Her Lover, Dancing at Lughnasa, The Gambler, Mary Reilly, Mobsters, Nothing Personal, Plunkett and Macleane, The Rachel Papers,Sleepy Hollow, Toys, The Wings of the Dove, TV: The Singing Detective)

Sleepy Hollowis the name of the town where murders have apparently been committed by aheadless horseman, the town’s legend dating back twenty years before whenThe Hessian Horseman (Christopher Walken) was up to less than no good.

Now, the year is 1799, a time before the Millennium Dome, Batmanremakes and tattoos that read “Winona Forever”. Constable Ichabod Crane(Johnny Depp) is sent to investigate and stays with the Tassel family,Baltus Van Tassel (Michael Gambon), his wife (Miranda Richardson)and daughter Katrina (Christina Ricci). While there, more murders takeplace, but surely the headless horseman can’t have come back to life?

If he hadn’t there wouldn’t have been a film and every time he attacks,he decapitates his victim with a good, clean swipe, adding to the many grossthings seen in this 15-certificate film. Doesn’t sound like an easy man tokill, since he’s already dead. The film also includes supporting roles fromCasper Van Dien, Jeffrey Jones, Richard Griffiths, Michael Goughand cameos for Alun Armstrong, the sergeant from City Centraland Christopher Lee as Burgomaster, who sends Crane off to do hisbidding.

The film is presented in an anamorphic 1.85:1 ratio, as per the originalcinema release, although there is a distinct layer of grain through the filmthat makes the dark scenes, of which there are many, occasionally difficultto watch. The average bitrate is a great 7.14Mb/s, regularly peaking over9Mb/s and it’s all on a dual-layer disc.

The sound, in Dolby Digital 5.1, is well done too, although it’s mainly acombination of dialogue, an eerie score and the sound of a blade sending headsrolling.

Behind the Legend and Reflections on Sleepy Hollow arefeaturettes going behind the scenes lasting thirty and eleven minutesrespectively, both containing many film clips and interviews with cast andcrew members. Finally, there’s a feature-length Director’s Commentary.

Menu :The menus appear to be set in the forest from the film, are animated and havesome subtle music playing in the background with cool ‘movement’ betweenareas of the forest when you access a different menu.

Overall, if you’re a fan of the film and are thinking of buying the DVDit would be worth finding out first if the Region 1 disc is affected by thesame grain problem in the print.

As for the film, it started off with promise but soon became a ridiculousload of nonsense with Burton throwing in onedark-setting-with-a-preposterous-occurence after another.

For those who did enjoy the film though, visit the Competition page towin a copy of the film on DVD from now until Friday 4th August.

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