The Hollow (2004)

After watching The Watcher last night, I decided to see what would come out if I just left Hulu play. That movie is my next review, the 2004 entry The Hollow.

Plot/ Restless spirits stir this Hollow's Eve, beckoning Ian Cranston, the last blood relative of Ichabod Crane, back to Sleepy Hollow. Thundering hooves unleash a wave of bone-chilling screams as the ghost of the Headless Horseman rides again! Ian must try to save the town and his girlfriend, Karen and determine whether the sword-wielding stalker is their clownish classmate, Brody in costume, or the dark rider himself. If it's truly the Headless Horseman... how do you kill what's already dead?

The Hollow is an interesting modern adaption of the Washington Irving classic tale of Ichabod Crane; unfortunately, it does not fully deliver of the idea. While the cinematography is not bad, the pacing decent, and some of the effects do deliver, for some reason it just does not make an impact. Yes, it was targeted for a younger audience, but it comes across like a mixed up Saturday Afternoon Special that was trapped somewhere in the 1980s. Of course, this could be from the clichéd moments, the uneven scripting, and some questionable performances (not to mention the subpar headless horseman costume). In the end, The Hollow would be good for some type of teen Halloween party, and should not be added to your horror collection.

Sleepy Hollow (1999)

I love classic tales. My favorites are often those stories that transcend generations and visual movie adaptations and the majority of time, come across in a fresh almost modern way. One such movie was on my television this weekend, 1999s Sleepy Hollow.

Plot/ Ichabod Crane is sent to Sleepy Hollow to investigate the decapitations of 3 people with the culprit being the legendary apparition, the Headless Horseman.

It had been a while since I have watched Sleepy Hollow and honestly, it was a lot better than I remembered. This Tim Burton / Johnny Depp collaboration was one of their best. The pacing was on, the horror elements and effects were outstanding, the cast was amazing with both Christopher Walken as the headless horseman and Christina Ricci perfect for their roles, and the gothic atmosphere was captured in an entertaining  manner. Of course, it would not have been possible without the tremendous eye and cinematography of Burton, who created an interesting world within this classic tale. In the end, this is a must see and if you have not seen it, you are missing out. Give it a shot!