Sunday, October 30, 2005
Sleepy Hollow is one of my favorite horror films of all-time, and quite possibly the best teaming of director Tim Burton and actor Johnny Depp, truly showcasing the best of their talents in regards to stories that are both strange and dark. Sleepy Hollow is based on the book and follows Ichabod Crane (Depp) as he travels to the small isolated village of Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of puzzling murders where all the victims’ heads have been cut off and stolen. Little does Crane know that a mysterious head-less horseman is behind the attacks and that the mystery leads even deeper as he begins to discover an evil secret kept by the inhabitants of the village.
This film is brilliantly done; the sets are nothing short of spectacular and really add to the ambiance of the film. The acting is flawless; Johnny Depp (as always) does a great job playing a rather strange character. Crane is a slightly wimpy man as he continually faints throughout the film which actually begins to become rather comedic. Christina Ricci does a great job as the co-star and love interest in the film and Christopher Walken plays the head-less horseman, which is a great part for him especially due to his already odd appearance.
9/10
I hate to say this, but this Depp-Burton collaboration didn't do much for me. After I saw Public Enemies this year, I watched about as much of Depp's previous films as I could find, and of course, most of them were Tim Burton films.
ReplyDeleteThis was probably my least favorite of their collaborative works. I was stunned by the visual beauty of the film, but I just thought the story was silly. The ending did nothing for me at all.
This was a well-reviewed film, so I'm obviously in the minority. You supported your opinion well, I just happen to have a different one.
Do tell what your favorite collaboration of theirs is.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely go with Sweeney Todd. It had the usual Burton visual presence, but there was something to the film that made it truly special. Depp, Carter, and Rickman were all brilliant and it is a musical that I would have no problem watching multiple times.
ReplyDeleteOther collaborations I enjoyed: Ed Wood, Edward Scissorhands
However, I didn't enjoy Charlie and the Chocolate Factory I really thought the second half was miserable. I thought Depp did a fine job, but it just got boring for me...
I am eagerly anticipating Alice in Wonderland.
Ah, I had a hunch it might be Sweeney Todd. That's probably my least favorite collaboration, mainly because I deplore musicals. Ed Wood would probably be my next least favorite and Scissorhands and Chocolate Factory would be under Sleepy Hollow. Oh there's the Corpse Bride too, haven't seen that yet though.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen Corpse Bride either. Ha, our opinions are basically polar opposites. That's what makes movie discussion so intriguing though.
ReplyDeleteHmm I liked this... I didn't 9 out of 10 like it. I'd probably toss it into the 6-6.5 out of 10 range, it really weirded me out when I first saw it, but peaked my interest a bit more upon a second viewing years later.
ReplyDelete6.5 really? A "like" would be at least a 7 for me, but anything I watch almost yearly usually gets a higher rating. Something I give a 6 I probably wouldn't watch again.
ReplyDeleteI love this film. It's definitely one of my favorite of the Depp-Burton movies.
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