Loosely inspired by Washington Irving's 1820 short story, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", Tim Burton and crew set about creating a turn-of-the-nineteenth-century horror film with Sleepy Hollow (1999). Set in 1799, New York City constable Ichabod Crane is sent upstate to Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of murders… in which the victims were decapitated by the ghost of a Hessian soldier called the Headless Horseman. Johnny Depp, naturally Burton's first choice, was picked for Ichabod Crane, though the character was changed to be an early homicide detective, giving the story a more methodical, crime thriller approach. Christina Ricci and Christopher Walken are excellent in their respective roles, and Burton regulars fill out the ensemble cast nicely... including Michael Gambon, Jeffrey Jones, Christopher Lee, Martin Landau and Michael Gough. The real "stars" of Sleepy Hollow, however, are the art and production teams. The visual look of the film is stunning, stylized, atmospheric, eery and enchanting... and the film deservedly took home the "Best Art Direction" Academy Award.
