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The latest masterwork to spring from the fertile and twisted imagination of Tim Burton turns Washington Irving's quaint tale of Upstate New York peculiarities into a grisly, nightmarish detective story. Johnny Depp (an actor born to wear period garb) is as grave and handsome as a young Buster Keaton in the role of Ichabod Crane, a fastidious New York City constable assigned to investigate a decapitation in the rustic hamlet of Sleepy Hollow. His inquiries are stymied by the natives' superstitious belief in the Headless Horseman, a demonic assassin whose future victims might include fair maiden Christina Ricci (looking especially attractive with long blonde hair and daring décolletage). But it's the Horseman himself -- played by Christopher Walken -- who steals the show with his gory escapades, which are captured with startling realism thanks to computer-enhanced imaging. Burton's adaptation plays fast and loose with Irving's story, sliding at times into a cartoonishness that detracts from the film. But his stylized depiction of the gloomy, fog-shrouded village is stunningly beautiful, evoking an atmosphere of the dread that hangs over the scene, palpable as the chilly mist. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Washington Irving's tale of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman gets a few new twists in Sleepy Hollow, a screen adaptation directed by Tim Burton. In this version, Ichabod (Johnny Depp) is a New York City detective whose unorthodox techniques and penchant for gadgets make him unpopular with is colleagues. He is sent to the remote town of Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of bizarre murders, in which a number of people have been found dead in the woods, with their heads cut off. Local legend has it that a Hessian ghost rides through the woods on horseback, lopping off the heads of the unsuspecting and unbelieving. Ichabod refuses to believe in this legend, convinced that there must be a logical explanation for the murders. In time, Ichabod becomes smitten with a local lass, Katrina Van Tassel (Christina Ricci), who is the sweetheart of the burly Brom Bones (Casper Van Dien), and he becomes determined to capture the murderer to prove his bravery and win her heart. Christopher Walken, Jeffrey Jones, and Christopher Lee highlight the supporting cast; Lee's appearance is particularly apt, since Burton has cited the Hammer films of the 1960s as a major influence in making this film. Andrew Kevin Walker and Tom Stoppard contributed to the screenplay. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 097363296249
• Source: PARAMOUNT
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital Surround, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English, Français
• Subtitles: English
• Time: 1:45:00
• Sales Rank: 2,433

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Fright Night Collection

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