Well I don’t know about you, but I have always loved the old Disney cartoon, ICHABOD AND MR TOAD. The cartoon was in two parts, the first was ol Washington Irving story THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW and the second part was taken from THE WIND AND THE WILLOWS.
I loved the first part most. Listening to ol Bing Crosby boom out his narration, the music, that cool as hell animation. Wow. That was a piece of magic.
I haven’t met a whole heck of a lot a people that have had that experience with that cartoon, but I’m willing to bet that Tim Burton did.
That’s why when I heard he was going to direct SLEEPY HOLLOW, I got excited big time. Then I heard he had Johnny Depp as Ichabod Crane and Christina Ricci as Katrina Van Tassel.... weeeeellll that got me a bit weirded out. You see I love both of them, but at first thought... Christina Ricci as a love interest for Johnny Depp... well it just felt a bit weird. I had thought of Winona Ryder, but then I saw some of Ricci’s latest work and thought, “OH BOY!”
Then I heard that the lantern jawed Caspar Van Dien was to play the anus-hole Brom Van Brunt. I can just imagine him coming across as well... he naturally will. And then of course hearing of Lisa Marie being in it... a smile slyly made it’s way from ear to ear as deftly as she floated into a White House hallway.
So after I read Moriarty’s piece on SLEEPY HOLLOW that he sent in a while back I began to poke around to see if I could find Andrew Kevin Walker’s (SEVEN, THE GAME) script. I managed to finally lay my grubby fat paws on it and read it straight through.
I’ve been kind of digesting it for the past two weeks, but then when I heard that Emmanuel Lubezki was the cinematographer.... MY GOD, I just started to get goosebumps. If you are not familiar with his work, by all means get you now to a video store and check out LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE, THE LITTLE PRINCESS and GREAT EXPECTATIONS.
I truly believe this will now be Burton’s most beautiful film. With Lubezki, who has already told two fable-style stories in such lovely glowing glamour that I cried in both, I have absolute confidence that this may very well be my favorite Tim Burton film to date.
Ok, so you have all heard about Andrew Kevin Walker taking liberties with Washington Irving’s story. Perhaps that is why it is called SLEEPY HOLLOW instead of THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW.
I’m ACTUALLY going to be discussing the plotline a bit, so if you wish to take off, so you won’t be spoiled go right ahead. I will understand completely. There are spoilers that follow.
Moriarty’s look at the script basically covered the introduction to the story, but I want to cover why this movie is going to just about be as cool as cool can be.
Ok... Now imagine a Tim Burton concieved and Emmanuel Lubezki photographed scene like this one. God, I get chills before I even type it.
When the Headless Horseman gallops through the forest at night, the trees get out of his way. The forest parts. Corn stalks bend out of the way, grass shrinks away from the hooves.
Now DAMMIT, that is gonna be friggin cool. I’m sorry. The one thing that I have to stress here is that this is not our typical Tim Burton story. This is a HORROR film. Not no namby pamby modern day thriller, but an actual period piece with horrific things like TWO HEADED WOLVES and Witches. It has autopsies, beheadings ON CAMERA. Self mutilation, adultery, hangings.
This thing just screams ATMOSPHERE, everything that has been lacking from the modern horror films in general.
Ichabod is intelligent, he’s not some sort of cowardly fella, he’s a man of science forced to deal with something beyond his understanding. He is both Mulder and Scully. It also has the ‘keep ya on your toes’ mystery of Andrew Kevin Walker’s other scripts.
It has evil trees and dank caves with demons. This film is the real deal. My god, I can’t wait to see designs and concepts, trailers and footage. And to just sit and think about the fantastic theme that will inevitably come pouring out of the screen as the Headless Horseman gallops with Danny Elfman’s score.... oooooooooooohhhh agony....
Even now construction begins in far off England. Filming is mere days away, I hope you folks in England give us the heads up on this one. I’m dying to hear the skinny.
Put this at near the top of your expectations list. It’s what you are looking for my friend.
