On mounting a rising ground, which brought the figure
of his fellow-traveller in relief against the sky, gigantic in
height, and muffled in a cloak, Ichabod was horror-struck
on perceiving that he was headless!--but his horror was still
more increased on observing that the head, which should
have rested on his shoulders, was carried before him on the
pommel of his saddle!
of his fellow-traveller in relief against the sky, gigantic in
height, and muffled in a cloak, Ichabod was horror-struck
on perceiving that he was headless!--but his horror was still
more increased on observing that the head, which should
have rested on his shoulders, was carried before him on the
pommel of his saddle!
.
~Washington Irving, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
~Washington Irving, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Since so many of you showed up at the manor ball with Johnny Depp, I thought you might enjoy a post on Sleepy Hollow, 1999. Now, this isn't one of my top faves, but it is a classic Tim Burton artistic piece and well worth a watch. It is dark, but also full of comedy and I wouldn't really call it a horror film.As you probably already know, it does veer from Irving's original
story, adding more thrill and mystery to the plot. Depp is absolutely adorable as a fearful Ichabod Crane, who portrays the role of a detective, rather than the lowly school teacher. Christina Ricci's cool portrayal of Katrina gives the character an other- worldly aura, which adds to Burton's palette. There's also some amazing prosthetic heads rolling and quirky Burtonesque gadgets used by Depp to solve the case. Michael Gambon, Jeffrey Jones, and a flamboyant Christopher Walken round out the cast. The film won an Oscar for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, which was indeed well deserved, especially for the fabulous Burton forest, which is actually one huge set. So, since it is the season for the willies, pop some more corn, kick up those woolly socks and enjoy this ghoulish tale!
