The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1980)

A new schoolmaster has come to the quaint New York town of Sleepy Hollow. Almost immediately he hears tales of ghosts and what became of previous schoolmasters. A skeptic, he doesn't let this discourage him, but then starts to see and experience odd things himself. Everyone knows the story of the bookish Ichabod Crane being chased by the fearsome Headless Horseman. It's become a staple of Halloween even to the point of their being a costume sold in stores. It's also been adapted to both stage and screen through the years, in various forms.

Probably the most well known adaptation of Washington Irving's story is the 1949 Disney animated short. The most popular feature length version however is most likely Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow. The first variations were made during the Silent Era, most of which are not available to watch. Most treat the material very seriously and are quite dark in nature. Then in 1980, NBC broadcast what was a more comedic take on the tale.

The cast here is a great combination of character actors and up and comers. Jeff Goldblum as the schoolmaster brings humor to the part, but also nails the dramatic scenes. He and the lovely Meg Foster have good chemistry, with each other and the other actors. Being a period piece, one hopes that the costumes and locations do it justice. That is so here as the homes, furniture and wardrobe all look like something out of a painting from the time. Also, the film was shot in Utah during the winter, which makes for a gorgeous and at times eerie backdrop.

The film is beautifully scored, with all the different scenes well accented. During the humorous moments is a bit whimsical, during the horrific stuff it's chilling. Speaking of which, the filmmakers have done well to create a good balance between the two. There are a number of hilarious moments, like the choir sequence, but also some spooky ones like faces at the window. Make no mistake however, this is not a Horror film the likes of Halloween or Night of the Living Dead.

Those who know the story well may be disappointed that many liberties are taken with it. However, some of the changes are executed quite well. For example, in this version Ichabod Crane is a skeptic instead of being superstitious. Also, there's some love triangle action going on between characters from the story and ones invented for this film. Sometimes these can bog a film down, but fortunately that doesn't happen here. In fact, at 94 minutes it moves at a good, steady pace most of the way through.

Without a doubt, the most exciting part of the story is when Ichabod comes face to face with the Headless Horseman. That part wasn't left out of this version, but unfortunately it's not as memorable as it should have been. The ending is actually kind of rushed and they should have drew it out more. The only other major issue that the film does drag some in the middle. Over 30 years old now, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow has yet to be released on DVD anywhere. A shame, but the film is absolutely worth tracking down on VHS.

8/10