Sleepy Hollow [DVD]

First of all, I’ve not had this on blu ray previously so I can’t compare it to that. When I have seen this film previously it’s been via dvd and on Sky Movies, so I’ve seen it in SD and HD. I can say this is a great upgrade from both of those formats. The film itself is as good as ever and you can really notice the pop in colour in certain scenes. This is a film that’s 25 years old so you’re not going to get absolute crystal clear imagery on every scene but it has cleaned up well.

Excellent product and delivery!

I've been a fan of the 90's Sleepy Hollow film since it came out. Great to see it in wonderfully clear Blu Ray with some BTS material. And while the supplier MusicMagpie notes the delivery is 'late' - it did in fact arrive promptly! So top marks and I wish more European films were available on Blu Ray for EU based fans.

An excellent movie with a star studded cast - Johnny Depp, Christopher Walken, Christopher Lee and Ian McDiarmid (Senator Palpatine in all of the Star Wars films). The film is quite refreshing as it uses stop motion and isn't plastered in CGI effects and it has a real atmosphere to it, set in victorian New York and Sleepy Hollow (a village further down the Hudson). Crane, played by Depp, is sent to the village to investigate some murders there, all of which have been decapitated and their head taken by the villian. When the murderer reveals itself, it turns out to be a headless horseman, the ghost of a slayer (Christopher Walken) who was eventually caught and decapitated. The recent murders have been carried out by himself and his daughter who has been socially rejected from Sleepy Hollow. A great film, good acting and deep atmosphere. I recommend it.

Excellent

Once again another cracking film by Tim Burton, and it was a refreshing change seeing Johnny Depp paired with someone other than Bonham Carter. I was a little worried that because Burton chose a different actress the film might not be as good. However it more than fulfilled my expectations. The film is based on a short story called 'The Sleepy Hollow' by Washington Irving. Having not read the original story I cannot say whether the adaptation is faithful to Irving. Basically a young man from the city is sent to the hollow to try and figure out what's going on with the mysterious murders that have occurred. The villagers all believe that it is a ghost seeking vengeance, and it's up to Depp to separate fact from fiction. I won't say anymore in case it spoils it for people not familiar with the story. I thought the special effects were amazing and if anyone enjoys their tim burton films and/or gothic/horror films then I would definitely recommend it. It is a little grisly at times though, so watch if you dare...

In this 1999 supernatural detective mystery set at the turn of the 19th Century, New York pathologist Ichabod Crane (Depp) is sent from New York City to investigate a series of murders in the village of Sleepy Hollow believed to be carried out by a mysterious Headless Horseman. Spurning the supernatural beliefs of the locals, crane uses a modern forensic approach to investigate the murders, but is he right? One of the main strengths of this, besides the overall acting and widespread use of almost black and white photography to create a sinister atmosphere is the musical score which adds a menacing dimension to it all. Depp plays the jittery, nervous and contradictory Crane to perfection as he searches for the clues in order to find the murderer. But although It keeps your attention throughout and is packed full of suspense, and mystery. adding more twists and turns as the story unfolds, the romance between Ichabod and Katrina lacks chemistry and is unconvincing. The single disc open directly yo an atmospheric thunder and lightning main menu featuring play, scene selection, audio [2.0/5.1, directors commentary on/off] and trailer. Slow to get into its stride, it soon gains pace to reach an exciting and ever changing finale. As a 15 rating it’s undoubtedly a ***** but ‘modern’ hard core horror buffs will find it wanting in the ‘blood n gore’ stakes.

I am a big fan of Tim Burton's films and I would say that Sleepy Hollow has to be my favourite. The film is loosely based on the short story `The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' by Washington Irvine and follows New York police constable Ichabod Crane who is sent to the small village of Sleepy Hollow to prove his scientific detection methods by finding who killed a number of the villages residence. During his investigations he discovers a world of magic and the undead while coming to terms with his own past. This film contains all the elements of a good Tim Burton film including gothic horror, a brilliantly funny script, beautiful visuals and Johnny Depp. The all-star cast all give near perfect performances especially Depp himself. Some of the special effects were somewhat suspect but the headless horseman itself and the overall mood of the film don't suffer and remain brilliantly dark. Sleepy Hollow is a beautifully made film that should be loved by any fan of Burton's films.

Parfait 👍

„Sleepy Hollow“ zählt zweifelsohne zu einem meiner persönlichen Favoriten von Tim Burton. Dieser Film hat alles was mich anspricht: Tolle Schauspieler, eine fantastische Ausstattung, eine gruselig-düstere Atmosphäre, eine sowohl ästhetisch ansprechende wie auch fantasievolle Bildgewalt, ein famoser Score und eine interessante Balance zwischen Horror und Humor. Dass es sich hierbei um eine nicht wirklich werkgetreue Fassung von Washington Irvings „The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow“ handelt, stößt zumindest mir persönlich nicht übel auf. Der Film ist eben Tim Burton-Madness at it`s best! Story: Der verschrobene Constable Ichabod Crane wird in das abgelegene Dorf Sleepy Hollow entsandt um dort einer unheimlichen Mordserie auf den Grund zu gehen. Ein kopfloser Reiter soll einige der namhaftesten Einwohner des Dorfes enthauptet und deren Köpfe mitgenommen haben. Der eher rational denkende Crane tut diese Geschichte zunächst als kollektives Hirngespinst der abergläubischen Gemeinde ab. Er möchte den verängstigten Einwohnern beweisen dass kein Geist, sondern ein Mensch aus Fleisch und Blut die grausigen Morde begeht. Jedoch begegnen ihm die meisten Dorfbewohner eher missgünstig und argwöhnisch und sind ihm bei seinen Ermittlungen eher selten eine Hilfe. Doch dauert es nicht allzu lange und es rollen erneut Köpfe… Meine Meinung: Ich habe eine Schwäche für düster-skurrile Filme. Gerade Tim Burton bietet mir dies mit seinen Filmen oft. Doch Sleepy Hollow ist in der Hinsicht einer seiner gelungensten Streifen. Es ist jedenfalls einer der mit Abstand blutigsten Burton-Filme welchen ich bislang gesehen habe (in einer Reihe mit „Sweeny Todd“)- und dennoch passt der Film von seiner Skurrilität her perfekt zu Burtons anderen Gruselmärchen. Dabei soll der Film auch eine Anlehnung an die alten Hammer-Filme sein (welche bekannt sind für einige, steinalte Horror -und Sci-Fi-Schinken). So hat auch Hammer-Legende Christopher Lee ein kurzes Cameo. Ich bin allgemein kein sonderlich großer Splatter -oder Gore-Fan. Doch beim Kopflosen Reiter macht es mir ungewöhnlich Spaß seinem blutrünstigen Treiben zuzuschauen, da dies effektvoll und stellenweise auch völlig übertrieben von statten geht. Zumal das gezeigte Blut ebenso überspitzt künstlich aussieht und manch grausige Szene eher abschwächt. Einher geht damit der oft morbide und skurrile Humor. Manchen könnte die Ernsthaftigkeit dadurch zu kurz kommen. Ich finde es lockert den Film auf. Im Kern ist „Sleepy Hollow“ aber vor allem eine Detektiv-Story. Und es macht durchaus Spaß mitzurätseln wer hinter all dem Treiben steckt. Passend zur Geschichte sind auch die Charaktere eher verschroben und stellenweise komplett abgedreht. Alle Figuren wurden zudem ideal besetzt: Johnny Depp (hier noch in der Prä-Captain Jack Sparrow-Ära) darf einen leicht gestörten Hauptcharakter mimen. Der Film zehrt viel von Depp`s komödiantischem Talent. Seine Love-Interest wird von Christina Ricci dargestellt, welche als einzige etwas fade wirkt. Der kopflose Reiter selbst wird von keinem geringeren als Christopher FAAAAAAKKKKKIIIIINNNNGGGGG Walken dargestellt. Und auch wenn er nicht wirklich viel an Screentime, geschweige denn an Text hat- dem Mann beim crazy sein zu beobachten macht einen Heidenspaß. In den Nebenrollen sieht man zudem den großen Michael „Dumbledore (den Zweiten)“ Gambon, sowie Ian „Palpatine“ McDiarmid, Michael Gough, Jeffrey Jones und Miranda Richardson. Das Setdesign und die Ausstattung sind famos und man merkt dass hier viel Liebe und Zeit in Details investiert wurden. Top-Notch! Neben den überwiegend grandiosen, oft von Hand gemachten Effekten, gefiel mir aber auch der beklemmend düstere Score von Danny Elfman. Wer auf klassische Horror-Scores steht wird auch Elfmans Filmmusik zu „Sleepy Hollow“ lieben. Was ich kritisieren könnte ist so mancher in die Jahre gekommener CG-Trick. Manche sind gut genug um auch heute noch zu gefallen (oder sogar nicht weiter aufzufallen). Jedoch sticht manche Szene eher albern hervor, was ein wenig Schade ist. Aber insgesamt gibt es nur wenig meinerseits zu bemängeln. Daher mein Fazit: Wie mit allem ist es auch bei diesem Film Geschmackssache. Denn er ist nicht unbedingt straight dem Horror-Genre angehörig und lässt manchmal den nötigen Ernst vermissen. Beachtet man aber das Burton hier das Steuer in der Hand hatte (und eine Hommage an alte Horror-Trash-Filme abliefern wollte), so kann man vieles eher hinnehmen. Ich mag eben die Skurrilität und feier auch die stellenweise abstrusen Metzelszenen. Für zartbesaitete Burton-Fans ist der Film eher weniger geeignet. Denn auch wenn alles überspitzt dargestellt ist, eine Szene ist doch etwas grausiger und sticht hervor. Im Grunde handelt es sich hier um ein typisches Burton-Märchen: von den schaurig-schönen Bildern, der Story, den Charakteren und auch der Musik… nur eben mit viel Mord und Totschlag und literweise Kunstblut. Ich liebe den Film, daher eine unbedingte Empfehlung von mir!

An American horror classic, Sleepy Hollow tells the harrowing tale of Ichabod Crane. At the behest of the ever-wonderful Christopher Lee, Ichabod Crane travels two days journey to the town of Sleepy Hollow. It would appear that someone or something is killing the townspeople of Sleepy Hollow by beheading them. Crane, unaffected by the superstitions of the community believes the murderer to be a man and not the myth however, those who live in the Hollow know the culprit to be far from human. A dark spirit has fallen on this secluded hamlet in the person of the headless horseman. Rising from his grave each night, he seeks out the heads of those chosen to meet a grisly end. Not exactly the tale as it was originally woven, Sleepy Hollow through Tim Burton's eyes is a wonder to behold. The incredible sets coupled with top-notch storytelling; incredible special effects & a simply amazing score make Sleepy Hollow one of the best horror films of recent history! The audio presented is absolutely gorgeous! First let's get to the technical aspect of the audio. The center channel is crystalline in its reproduction of the dialogue for the film. The surrounds & sub are in constant play as well. There is just enough sub use to create the incredibly overwhelming sense of dread used to propel the film. I cannot say enough about Danny Elfman's score! Gothic & big come to mind when defining the beauty of his musical work for the film. The director's commentary by Tim Burton is another well done segment on an already very well produced DVD. Both informative and heartfelt, you get a real sense of the director's perspective as he realizes his vision of this American literary classic. I saw this film when it opened & was put off by its seemingly overwhelming muddy visual atmosphere. I expected it to be a dank & dark film but that should have been content only, not the print of the film. Upon viewing the disc I am happy to report Paramount provided a new & improved anamorphically enhanced BRIGHT and beautiful transfer! On DVD, it's like watching a whole new film! The colors are not necessarily vibrant throughout the feature but, in certain parts, namely, the party at Boltus Van Tassel's in the beginning of the film, the interior of Van Garret's coach & Ichabod's initial meeting with the town leaders in the back room of Van Tassel's country manse, the colors are absolutely beautiful. In addition to the great audio commentary & the two trailers for the film-one theatrical & one teaser, there is a 30 minute "Behind the Legend" featurette. This segment takes you behind the scenes with cast & crew interviews & gives you an insightful view into the production of some of the film's special effects & stunts. Additionally, it paints a picture of the ensemble cast establishing the kind of atmosphere created when a group of actors that is this talented gets together with a director like Tim Burton! Sleepy Hollow is one of the greatest American horror stories ever written. Till now, it had not received the kind of treatment needed to make it a classic piece of cinema as well. Tim Burton's vision is richly terrifying & deliciously evil. In homage to the Hammer films of old, Tim Burton brings to life one of horror's most frightening visages, the Headless Horseman. Generally given to mixed reviews, Sleepy Hollow is just one of those tremendously atmospheric films that you either loved or you hated. I fell in love with Sleepy Hollow on my initial viewing & greatly enjoyed all that Burton did with the storyline. I have to say that I am a great fan of Tim Burton's work & this film further cemented that opinion. If you are looking for a good rich scare, I highly recommend this feature to you. On every level, this film makes an awesome presentation!

Eerie tale of the legend of the headless horseman and the detective Ichabod Crane out to stop his killing spree.Quite enchanting fantasy but not for children due to the number of beheadings and supernatural undertones. Great atmosphere and excellent 4k transfer make this movie well worth seeing. The steelbook also has the addition of the book by Washington Irving.

It's sad to say, and the line feels cliche, and yet it's true. They just don't make them like this anymore. This is a true Gothic horror movie, the first of it's kind to come along in years and the last of it's kind for years to come afterward. Sleepy Hollow is a spooky and atmospheric Gothic horror story in the vein of Hammer Horror. The use of color and shadow with the bombastic and heavily haunting scoring of Danny Elfman certainly give it the feel of a Hammer horror period piece like Horror of Dracula or Frankenstein Created Woman. It's both refreshing and nostalgic at the same time. Every scene is full of sublime, surreal visuals. This is a wonderful film that is part supernatural thriller and part murder mystery. It has a complexity to be appreciated. Unlike most recent horror films it does not condescend to the audience or make the viewer feel like a child or a half-wit. I was seventeen-years-old when Sleepy Hollow came out and I saw it in the theatre twice. A part of the story involving the ancient symbol of the pentacle caught me by surprise. Originally It seems the symbol is being used for evil. This bothered me because the symbol is, in reality, a symbol of ancient faith and protection representing the five elements of nature. Earth, air, fire, water, and spirit. Later though our protagonist is made to realize that the symbol was being used as a protection ward and this greatly relieved me and my fear of misuse of the symbol. Though this is not a faithful adaptation of Washington Irving's short story (which would be difficult to make into a full length feature) I actually feel this story is an improvement on the original incarnation. Ichabod Crane is a lot more relatable and likable in this version of the story. He is shy, geeky, awkward, and faints at least three times during the course of the movie. He is like a cross between Sherlock Holmes and Roddy McDowall's character from Hell House. Our nerdish hero is masterfully played by Johnny Depp. And the ending of the film is very satisfying. I strongly recommend this for anyone who loves Gothic Horror.