Home :: DVD :: Mystery & Suspense :: Suspense  

Blackmail, Murder & Mayhem
British Mystery Theater
Classics
Crime
Detectives
Film Noir
General
Mystery
Mystery & Suspense Masters
Neo-Noir
Series & Sequels
Suspense

Thrillers
Sleepy Hollow

Sleepy Hollow

List Price: $12.99
Your Price: $9.74
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 .. 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 .. 53 >>

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Burton and Depp make an awesome combination
Review: Tim Burton is my favorite director. He is magnificent. This movie just proves that fact even more.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A STUNNING INTERPRETATION OF A GREAT CLASSIC
Review: Tim Burton has proven you can take a classic story, give it new twists, and still maintain the flavor of the original. This is a wonderfully filmed and acted spook and laugh fest! Johnny Depp is perfect as Ichabod Crane, and the supporting cast is outstanding all the way around. Even Caspier van Dien shows a little finesse (which is unusual for him!). The British actors, especially Miranda Richardson, Michael Gambon and Richard Griffiths, not to mention horror veteran Michael Gough, are all outstanding and lend the most effective creepiness to this lushly filmed epic. The casting of Christopher Walken as the Horsemen was inspired; did anyone catch an unbilled Martin Landau as the first victim?

A wonderful movie, we highly recommend.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: TERRIFIYING, FASCINATING YET TONGUE AND CHEEK!
Review: This is a masterpiece, with a perfect cast, very good stunts and special effects. It is tongue and cheek which makes you wonder whether you should laugh, or just die of terror. The headless horseman is fascinating, and so well done here, with a beautiful black horse! WONDERFUL! A must...

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Spooky and Amazing
Review: The classic tale of the Headless Horseman, brought to life by Tim Burton. Johnny Depp is so believable as Icabod Crane. And Christopher Walken is the perfect choice for the Headless Horseman. The plot and story will definately keep you on the edge of your seat. Also amazing was the scenery. I kept trying to figure out if it was a built set, or special effects, or a combination. Burton has made the tale of the Headless Horseman even more frightening than you can imagine.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Gothic Depp And Ricci
Review: The tale of Ichabod Crane comes to life as never before, in this richly textured and detailed offering of the timeless legend, "Sleepy Hollow," directed by Tim Burton. In this dark and vividly imaginative, definitive version, Johnny Depp plays Crane, a New York City Police Constable at the end of the Eighteenth Century, who is dispatched northward by his superiors to the hamlet of Sleepy Hollow, to investigate the grisly murders of three of it's citizens. Crane has been chosen, not because he is considered a man of vision for employing the latest scientific techniques in his investigations, but rather because his methods are looked upon askance by his colleagues, and they welcome the chance to be rid of him. He is, they feel, something of an embarrassment to their community, and therefore better relegated to a small, out-of-the-way township of diminutive significance, whereupon his arrival he learns that the murders all share a common thread: In each case, the head has been severed from the body, and carried off. And so, equipped with the latest and most sophisticated wherewithal science has to offer (many instruments of which are of his own design), Constable Crane begins his investigation. Working from a terrific screenplay by Kevin Yagher (adapted from the story by Washington Irving), Burton makes use of magnificent sets and the talents of an exemplary cast to bring his tale to life. He creates an atmosphere of darkness and foreboding that permeates the drama and captures that same sense of menace and disquietude evoked by the classic horror films of the '30's and '40's, such as "Frankenstein," "Dracula," "The Wolf Man," and the like, and infuses it with some rather graphic, yet stylishly presented and realistic decapitations and various other bloodlettings, all enhanced and delivered with cutting-edge special F/X. All of which, for the fan of true gothic horror, becomes a bona fide cauldron of unspeakable delights. It must be noted that none of this is presented in a fashion anywhere near to what could be considered a "gore-fest" by any stretch of the imagination; Burton maintains the gothic aspects of the story, visually and dramatically, and renders it all with a touch of real class. Never does he sink to casting about for a gross visual, or attempt to manipulate a situation for the sake of some cheap thrills. It's a matter of integrity-- artistic and otherwise-- and Burton has it; it also demonstrates that he has a respect for his audience, for which he is to be commended, as he works in an industry in which that attitude of consideration does not necessarily prevail. Depp gives an exceptional performance as Crane, affecting a style reminiscent of Colin Clive in the original "Frankenstein," or Basil Rathbone in "Son Of Frankenstein," which fits so nicely with all that Burton is attempting (successfully) to do with this film. It signals that rare rapport between actor and director wherein a concurrent vision is realized, for all of these attributes of the classical actor that Depp brings to the character are exactly what Burton needed from his star to make the film work so well; the aspect it lends to the final product evinces the same difference as that between a fiddle and a Stradivarius. In a similar vein, in a supporting role, Michael Gambon gives a performance as Baltus Van Tassel that is akin to that of Depp's in adding to the overall ambience of the film, as does Richard Griffiths as Magistrate Samuel Philipse. The leading ladies also answer Burton's exacting call, especially Christina Ricci as Katrina Anne Van Tassel, and Miranda Richardson, who casts a spell as Lady Van Tassel. Rounding out the supporting cast are Lisa Marie (Lady Crane), Casper Van Dien (Brom Van Brunt), Jeffrey Jones (Reverend Steenwyck), Ian McDiarmid (Dr. Lancaster), Michael Gough (Notary Hardenbrook), Mark Pickering (Young Masbath) and, especially menacing in a pivotal role, Christopher Walken as the Hessian Horseman. As he did before with such films as "Edward Scissorhands" and "The Nightmare Before Christmas," Tim Burton, with "Sleepy Hollow," has given us yet another entertaining and exciting film that veritably carves out a singular niche for itself in the genre of the unique. It's a quality film that deserves a special place in every DVD or video collection. Truly one to be appreciated and savored.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Marvelous costumes and scenery!
Review: This was the best 1800 scenery and costumes I've ever seen in a movie. Combined with the clever use/lack of color, they conjured up an image of precisely what we would think 1800 New England would look and feel like.

The worst thing about the movie was the music. It was quite dreadful and lacked any sort of synchronization with the ongoing plot. Mystery music continued through the comical scenes so much that it confuses the watcher and almost hides the comedy itself. It did very little to strengthen the plot and most of the scenes could have done without music entirely as the scenery, color, sound, plot, and acting were more than capable of sustaining the movie's quality.

I really didn't know what to expect when going into this. Some critics bashed it for not sticking to the book and others praised the costumes and scenery. I don't see the veering from the book's plot a weakness at all. In fact, it was much more entertaining and satisfying than the original.

I was a bit confused about Ichabod Crane's character and personality. Although Depp appeared to play what was directed, the character itself seemed to lack the intelligence, experience, and couth you'd expect from the character in the original story. But alas, this is a rewrite, so I probably should not criticize for this.

Christina Ricci (Katrina) definitely shows promise although she appeared to lack enthusiasm. For that much money, you would expect her to be able to "fake it", but it was still a decent job. Miranda Richardson (Lady Van Tassel) had some good moments, but she also lacked enthusiasm and seemed very distant at times. She has proven worthy with perfect performances in "Merlin" and "Alice in Wonderland".

Fabulous performances by all of the members on the town's council, but Jeffrey Jones is still stuck in my head as "Charles Deitz" in "Beetlejuice".

Christopher Walken was absolutely incredible and easily stole the show!! Don't worry, you won't miss him. He was a perfect choice for the role and will be the face to remember the movie by (Sorry Johnny).

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Tim Burtons Best!
Review: Watching sleepy hollow was so fun. It keeps you hanging on an action-packed thrill ride.Itis well worth buying.You will watch it over and over. I believe it is one of tim burton best.But be sure to avoid the video tape,it is much better on DVD.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Another review...
Review: I have reviewed this movie before, but now, I feel I must review the DVD, which I recently bought.

The movie is of course amazing, with a great combination of hammer horror, suspense, and a great mystery story.

The DVD's features are great, too. The best is the "Behind the Legend" making-of featurette. It offers a great look into the making of this remarkable film, including the secrets behind its graphic decapitations, how they made the Headless Horseman headless, and how they designed the astonishing sets.

Tim Burton's commentary, however, can be passed by. He tends to babble on about nothing during the whole film, and offers very little interesting information.

This is definately a must-have DVD.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Not scary, but very fun to watch
Review: I can't say I've always liked Tim Burton movies, but Sleepy Hallow is one of his better efforts (Beetlejuice & Ed Wood are his other fine movies). Johnny Depp, as usual, gives a first rate performance. Christina Ricci once again shows why she's one of our most interesting and talented actresses. And Christopher Walken as the Hessian Horseman is perfect casting. It's also great to see Christopher Lee (the first Dracula I ever saw in movies). Although his part is small Lee, along with the late Peter Cushing, is incapable of give a bad performance. Tim Burton's director's commentary is also fun to listen to. While Sleepy Hallow isn't that scary, it can be kind of gross, it's a fine halloween movie.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Burton's finest hour
Review: Here is one of the greatest gothic horror films of our time, a movie of such marvelous visual power that it carries us into the atmosphere, and puts us on a journey much like the one displayed in the opening scenes. We are familiar with the path (the story is loosely adapted from a famous Washington Irving tale), but cannot begin to comprehend the elegance and beauty that is absorbed by our eyes along the way. The screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker takes a large departure from the original story. Ichabod Crane, portrayed originally as a schoolteacher, is now a forensics lawyer from New York, who is being sent to a remote town called Sleepy Hollow after a judge grows tired of his scientific outbursts in court. When he arrives there, the high-class townsfolk invite him into the abode of Baltus Van Tassel (Michael Gambon), who terrifyingly warns his visitor of a legend in the town who has seemingly returned to murder the town's residents. The alteration in the story may seem degrading to the Irving tale for purists, but the details are so well-written and perceived that the film gains relentless energy off of them. Matched up against the art direction, which breaks free from any limits of the Sleepy Hollow formula, this isn't a movie buried in clichés or routine predicaments. Even the ending, which is often disappointing with Hammer-style horror films, is well-executed; it does not feast on clichés, but rather, focuses on the awesome cinematography.


<< 1 .. 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 .. 53 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates