Day 54 Sleepy Hollow [1999]
Screenplay Andrew Kevin Walker
Based on ‘The
Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ by Washington Irving
Director Tim
Burton
Cinematography Emmanuel
Lubezki
Music Danny
Elfman
Leads Johnny Depp,
Christina Ricci, Michael Gambon, Christopher Lee, Christopher Walken, Miranda
Richardson
Production Mandalay Pictures, Scott
Rudin Productions, American Zoetrope, Tim Burton Productions
IMDb 7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes 68%
Mehhh.. Not sure about this one. Johnny Depp
playing young detective Ichabod Crane in the film adaptation of Washington
Irving’s short story. I was excited to see a Depp-Burton-Elfman production, but
it let me down. Everything was average. The only elements that were slightly
better than average were the music and the art direction. Elfman’s creepy sound
track was the only thing that kept me awake, and whilst awake, the dingy
setting of the Sleepy Hollow village was the only thing stopping me from
watching something else. The set is Burton all over. I guess you’d call this a
gothic supernatural tale about a village that is haunted by a headless horseman
who is murdering the people of the Sleepy Hollow one-by-one. His calling card,
if you will, was chopping off the head of his victims. Ichabod is sent from New
York to the village to find out who the murderer is. Depp is actually alright
as the squeamish Crane, immersing himself in the role as he often does. Perhaps it’s the writing that lets the film down?
I’m bad at reviewing films I don’t like, in fact I’m probably not very good at
reviewing period but films I don’t like especially – it’s dull reviewing a dull
film. I can’t be too harsh, one must remember that there would have been little
CGI, if any, thus the cinematography is pretty darn good. No surprise from
Lubezki (The Revenant, Birdman, Gravity). I mean the IMDb rating isn’t
bad so maybe you’ll like it? I didn’t.
Acting 2
/ 4
Writing 1
/ 4
Cinematography 3
/ 4
Music 2.5
/ 4
HWF rating 2 / 4