Dom Robinson reviews

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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:

Scott Rudin and Adam Schroeder

Screenplay:

Andrew Kevin Walker (based on the story by Washington Irving)

Music:

Danny Elfman

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)

Now, the year is 1799, a time before the Millennium Dome, Batman remakes 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 take place, 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 gross things seen in this 15-certificate film. Doesn't sound like an easy man to kill, since he's already dead. The film also includes supporting roles from Casper Van Dien, Jeffrey Jones, Richard Griffiths, Michael Gough and cameos for Alun Armstrong, the sergeant from City Central and Christopher Lee as Burgomaster, who sends Crane off to do his bidding.

The film is presented in an anamorphic 1.85:1 ratio, as per the original cinema release, although there is a distinct layer of grain through the film that makes the dark scenes, of which there are many, occasionally difficult to watch. The average bitrate is a great 7.14Mb/s, regularly peaking over 9Mb/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 a combination of dialogue, an eerie score and the sound of a blade sending heads rolling.

Extras :

Chapters :

Languages and Subtitles :

And there's more :

Behind the Legend and Reflections on Sleepy Hollow are featurettes going behind the scenes lasting thirty and eleven minutes respectively, both containing many film clips and interviews with cast and crew members. Finally, there's a feature-length Director's Commentary.

Menu :

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

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

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

FILM CONTENT PICTURE QUALITY SOUND QUALITY EXTRAS
OVERALL

Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 2000.