Leofwine_draca THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW is a cheap Canadian TV movie version of the short story. It came out in the same year as Tim Burton's blockbuster SLEEPY HOLLOW, which of course had a much bigger budget and is therefore a slicker and better realised production. Saying that, I did like the way this film presents a more traditional, anchored, and realistic fairy tale, in which the cheesy ghostly stuff is kept to a bare minimum.Needless to say that unknown actor Brent Carver gives a much better performance as Ichabod Crane than Johnny Depp did in the Burton film. Depp played it as all quirk, a desperate attention-seeking performance that turned my stomach. By comparison Carver is nervy and mild-mannered, much closer in realisation to the Ichabod of the book. I'm still holding out on seeing Jeff Goldblum in the role though (he made a film of the story in 1980) as I can imagine he'd supply the definitive portrayal.Elsewhere, THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW suffers from the usual issues associated with the TV movie genre, namely lots of padding which only serves to drag the pacing down when it should be snappy. That's one of the perils of adapting a short story for a feature length movie. The romance stuff is quite horrible as is the acting of Rachelle LeFevre, later the star of TV's UNDER THE DOME. Burton's is the better version due to the budget and supporting cast alone, although I'm still waiting to see the definitive version of the story.

coolguyelijahsavestheworld Most adaptations of this beloved story are renewed with new stories, but this one sticks true to its roots. The story isn't as much as a horror movie as it would seem on the cover, but more of a drama about Ichabod Crane trying to fit into the town and fall in love with Katrina Van Tassel. The acting is pretty decent. Brent Carver as Ichabod Crane does a good job of capturing the way he acts, and severe difference from that of the other men in the community. Rachel Lefevre (who is now a star in the show "Under the Dome") does a sub-par job. She doesn't show much emotion throughout the movie until the end. Paul Lemelin, who plays Brom Bones, doesn't really add much to the movie for me. The cinematography in the movie is beautiful, and definitely nice to watch if you like that. It also captures the art of story-telling in the movie that many people probably don't realize. The whole movie is based around guys telling a story at a bar. So if things are exaggerated, remember, it's a story at a bar, it's bound to change. Overall, I really enjoyed the movie and would recommend for anyone who has ever found the story of Sleepy Hollow interesting.

Chris Another poster here said that he'd rather watch Tim Burton's version, but that just goes to show that most movie-goers aren't interested in a true adaptation of a classic novel. This version, unlike Burton's version, is very true to the story. Meaning, instead of a strange plot involving witches, it revolves around Ichabod Crane and his awkward, generally unlikeable persona. It was pretty funny at certain times. Brent Carver stole the movie acting wise, while the guy who played Brom was pretty dull and lifeless throughout. The only real problem I had with the movie was the general lack of a empathetic character. Crane is, like I've said, awkward, but he's also pompous and his motivations are never clear. Brom is your typical no-brains jock stereotype. Katrina is even more confusing. Mostly watch this movie for the comedic value, because there's no real horror here. If you're into the butchering of a literary classic, though, please, by all means, rent Tim Burton's version.

Buccaneer Most renditions of Irving's short story focus of Ichabod's romantic rivalry with Brom for the attention of Katrina. This version captures the historical context of the Hudson River Valley following the Revolutionary War. Several characters distinguish Ichabod as a 'Yankee'. During that time, New Englanders were migrating into the Hudson Valley, displacing the old Dutch communities. The other thing I liked about this script is that it didn't subject Ichabod to the cliche that has developed through earlier versions. Instead of jumping out his skin every time something goes bump in the night, Ichabod works very hard in this script to mask his fears, at least when in the presence of others. This is how I imagine Ichabod when I read Irving's original, not as the wobbly-kneed, teeth-chattering, shaky handed Don Knotts-like cliche running off gobbling like a turkey at the sight of his own shadow.