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Horror Movie User Reviews
Silent Hill
A lot of movies can be described as "dripping with
atmosphere," but in the case of Silent Hill it's literally true.
Faithfully adapted from the Konami video games by French director Christopher
Gans and Pulp Fiction co writer Roger Avary (both self-confessed video
game addicts), this dark and grisly horror-fest is nothing if not a triumph of
cinematography and production design, consisting of a minimal and mostly
incoherent plot propped up by a mysterious maze of sets that literally seep,
drip, and ooze with the atmospheric evil of past misdeeds. Welcome to the
abandoned and perpetually foggy ghost town of Silent Hill, where gray ash falls
like snow, a devastating coal-mine fire still burns in a hellish underground,
and demons of various shapes and sizes make your worst nightmares seem like a
walk in the park. It's here that distressed mother Rose (played by Pitch
Black heroine Radha Mitchell) has taken her daughter Sharon (Jodelle Ferland)
in hopes of discovering the source of Sharon's sleepwalking nightmares. What
they find instead is a burned-out legacy of unspeakable evil, as Silent Hill's
dark secrets are revealed. As opposing denizens of Silent Hill's meta-morphing
underworld, Canadian actresses Alice Krige and Deborah Kara Unger seem to be the
only ones who recognize this morbid mess as campy comedy; Gans (who established
his visual flair with The Brotherhood of the Wolf) and Avary take it far
too seriously, and the entire movie is utterly devoid of any emotional hooks or
plot logic that would make us care about anything that happens. In crafting a
loyal big-screen rendition of Silent Hill and its Playstation sequels,
they've forgotten that movies play by a different and more demanding set of
rules. As a result, they've made an impressive-looking but ultimately hollow
horror film that only Silent Hill game-players can truly appreciate.
~JS
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Godzilla
If you are like most Americans, you have probably never
seen the original, unadulterated "Godzilla" (Original title "Gojira." the name
being a mix of the Japanese words for "gorilla" and "whale.") More familiar with
the campy, badly dubbed and edited version that graced TV screens in the 70s, we
have seen Raymond Burr awkwardly inserted into the plot, anti-American political
sentiments removed, and a horde of mismatched dialogs and ridiculous
translations. Well, we are in for a real treat!
The Japanese "Godzilla" is a serious film, starring Kurosawa veteran Takashi
Shimura ("Seven Samurai," "Ikura"). (In fact, two of Shimura's films, "Godzilla"
and "Seven Samurai" competed for the 1954 Japanese Academy Award for Best
Picture.) Only nine years after the atomic bombs devastated Hiroshima and
Nagasaki, the threat of nuclear power was very much in the minds of the average
Japanese citizen. Contamination, mutation, radiation...this was far from science
fiction. This is the fire from which sprang the King of Monsters.
In a now-familiar plot, American nuclear testing has given rise to a 150-foot
tall engine of destruction, breathing atomic fire and hell-bent on destroying
Tokyo before taking on the world. Assembling the army, and all of the modern
science Japan can muster, they battle the rampaging monster to the inevitable
conclusion.
Standing along side the original 1933 "King Kong," "Godzilla" is a classic
monster movie, as well as a fine film in its own right. A suspenseful
horror-drama, the acting, filming and special effects are all far above other
entries in the genre. The black and white filming is used superbly, with the
fire-cast shadows making the monster all the more menacing.
What is great about this set, is that not only do you get a restored and
beautiful version of the original classic, you get an additional disk with the
American edit complete with the stuffy professor Raymond Burr and the additional
footage thought necessary for American audiences. It is a rare chance to compare
the two versions, and see how politics in the US affected what audiences were
allowed to view in the 1950s.
I have been waiting a long time for the original "Godzilla" to get a DVD
release, and it is great to see it finally being treated with the respect it
deserves. ~ZD
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Underworld Evolution
Like some people I like to read reviews by critics
before I go see a movie. As is usually the case with these so called critics,
they are way off the mark with this movie. I guess they go into the movie
expecting sir Anthony Hopkins to generate a great "Acting" performance as in
Howard's End. Hey, this is a horror/action movie you idiots. Even some critics
pointed there negativity on the movie being humorless. HUMORLESS? Last time I
checked it wasn't a comedy either.
Many critics also claimed the story to be confusing. I guarantee you they didn't
go back and watch the first movie to refresh their minds of the back-story. If
the were to, they would see that the story flowed from the prior movie just
fine. Critics!! They drive you crazy and unfortunately sometimes hold the fate
of a movie in their hands. Thank god for sites like Amazon to get the word out
that this is a very good movie.
Kate Beckinsale is the hottest vampiress there is for sure. The story for me
made perfect sense as they have an early back-story revisited with the history
of the sons of Corvinous (William-bitten by a wolf and Markus-bitten by a bat)
that are the basis of this movie.
The special effects are convincing and that's all that matters to me. Nothing
like Star Wars for sure, but good enough for this type of movie. And man is
there a lot of blood....especially in the last scene. Fun stuff. Many actors
return including cameos by Lucian, Kraven, Viktor, and a little more from
Amelia. There really isn't a "war" between Lycans and vampires as in the
previous movie. It's more a personal war between Selene (who discovers her real
importance) and Markus( who was always defiant when it came to his brother
William and he never liked Viktor much).
All in all a great movie that I would watch again. ~MEH
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Final Destination 3
Giddily gruesome and perversely entertaining,
Final Destination 3 proves, yet again, that horror franchises will thrive as
long as teenagers keep finding spectacular ways to die. A stand-alone sequel to
the first two Final Destination thrillers, this one begins when a group
of seven high-school graduates luckily escape from a deadly roller-coaster
disaster, only to discover that their own deaths have been only temporarily
avoided. Cute brunette Wendy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) spots clues of impending
doom in digital photos of her soon-to-be-expiring classmates, and an ill wind
follows her everywhere, suggesting the presence of a supernatural force that
makes her a catalyst for gory events, as each of her friends is dispatched in
the order they were meant to die. Returning to give their brainchild a
suspenseful, low-budget makeover, franchise creators and former X-Files
writers James Wong and Glen Morgan cleverly play on our collective fears (the
roller coaster sequence is genuinely terrifying) with a knowing nod to violent
urban legends, which explains their inclusion of the '70s hit "Love Roller
Coaster" on the soundtrack when two stuck-up girlfriends pay an ill-fated visit
to a tanning parlor. And that's just for starters: With Wong as director, FD3
serves up its grisly deaths with tight pacing and humor, and the cathartic
carnage is discreetly edited yet gory enough to satisfy hardcore horror buffs.
When morbid mayhem is this much fun, it's a safe bet that another sequel is just
around the corner. ~JS
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Trilogy of Terror
This
is a review of the new 2006 special edition version. Worth buying. I love it. When I first saw
this on TV in the 1970's it scared me half to death. Karen Black stars in 3
short stories. But as many reviewers here have posted, the most famous is the
final story called Amelia about a woman who buys a doll for a boyfriend which
comes to life and chases her around her apartment like a rabid animal. In my
opinion it is the third story that has caused Trilogy of Terror to be remembered
after all these years. The third story is a classic among terror films. In 1999
another company (Anchor Bay) released this on DVD but after they sold out their
batch I don't think they released anymore. That is why if you find someone
selling it on Amazon or elsewhere you can expect to pay up to $500 for it. I
bought one at a Horror Movie convention and it turned up being a bootleg and
when I took it home it didn't play. I lost my money. Finally it is out again.
This time by a different company and I am impressed with this version. The film
has been completely restored and is crystal clear like you are watching it back
when it was first released. I was highly impressed with the visual restoration.
Exceeded my expectations here. The interviews with Karen Black and writer
Matheson are great and informative. Karen looks great for her age and, in my
opinion, is one of the most underrated actresses. Just a joy to watch. I haven't
yet watched the entire disc from start to finish. Truthfully, I got if for the
third story only and if that was all the disc had I still would of bought it.
Not to say the first two stories aren't bad. They are actually pretty good. But
if you asked a 100 people why they like Trilogy of Terror...they will likely
mention the third story about the Doll. The idea of a doll that comes to life
and tries to kill is not new anymore and has been done repeatedly ever since.
Think Chucky. But Trilogy of Terror I believe was the first to come out with it
and what makes it work is that the doll is creepy looking. Another reason this
was so successful at the time is the novelty of it all. Back when it first aired
in the 1970's horror stuff, for the most part, was less gory. The story about
the doll is only 20 minutes long but what they do in those 20 minutes is
amazing. If you have never seen it before you likely will laugh since the
special effects look a little cheesy now. They don't hold up well. In my
opinion...nothing beats the magic of seeing it back then and also seeing it for
the first time. Now that I watch it I know what happens throughout the whole
story. But if you haven't watched it before and you can watch it for the story
and not try to compare it to special effects of today...you will likely
appreciate it. The acting of Karen Black alone is worth watching. She makes all
3 stories work. She makes them memorable. I would of bought this if it had the
third segment only and if it had no bonus material. On a side note...they came
out a couple of years ago with a replica of the doll. I was lucky enough to get
a limited edition one of only 500 made. The limited edition had a green outfit
on. Not what it wears in the movie. They then sold a massed produced one with a
brown outfit. But it seems that everywhere you look everyplace is sold out of
this doll. I gave this five stars for those buying this that are collectors or
who watched it back in the 1970's and want to see it again restored in all its
glory. If you are buying it now to see for the first time you will likely laugh
more than being scared and will be disappointed wondering what all the fuss is
about. Buy it with an open mind and get lost in the story and you will not be
disappointed. ~KT
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Horror Classics Collection
I purchased this 50 DVD box set this past
autumn (for Halloween) and have viewed all of the films. There are some GREAT
CLASSICS mixed with fabulous SCHLOCK for a price that can't be beat!
Different horror genres including:
Crusty, Creepy Creatures
Descend to the depths of the deep, dark ocean and encounter the "Phantom From
10,000 Leagues" and "Creature From The Haunted Sea". Check out the cheesy and
quite primitive special effects in "The Giant Gila Monster". Rediscover terror
of dogs dressed up in fur playing "The Killer Shrews". Hold your breath to see
which hick from the backwoods will actually survive "The Attack of the Giant
Leeches"! Also the great "The Hunchback Of Notre Dame" with the fabulous Lon
Chaney, Jr., "The Gorilla", "Swamp Women", "Atom Age Vampire", "Beast Of yucca
Flats", "Black Dragons", "Invisible Ghost", "The Vampire Bat" with Fay Wray,
"White Zombie" with Bela Lugosi and "The Bat" With Vincent Price!
Descend into insanity and weird funereal rites in Francis Ford Coppola's first
full-length feature "Dementia 13". Be astounded at the scientific perversity of
Jason Evers as he keeps the severed head of his fiancé alive in "The Brain that
Wouldn't Die". Also includes, "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde", "The Monster Maker",
"Maniac", "The Amazing Mr. X", "The Tormented", and "Bluebeard".
Cult Classics
Watch when Audrey II cries "feeeed me" in "Little Shop of Horrors". Fear for the
fate of humanity as flesh-eating zombies roam the earth in Romero's "Night of
the Living Dead". Find out what it's like to be "The Last Man on Earth" with
Vincent Price and "The Last Woman On Earth" with Robert Towne. Go to the
"Carnival Of Souls" with Candace Hilligoss, even!
Silent Horror Classics
Watch the amazing Lon Chaney in "Phantom of the Opera", slinking through the
cellars of the Paris Opera House. Marvel at the chilling Max Schreck in "Nosferatu",
giving a truly mesmerizing performance and the classic and futuristic,
"Metropolis".
AND MUCH, MUCH MORE! I highly recommend this very cool and inexpensive box set
for anyone who likes classic horror, cheesy schlock, Bela Lugosi or stylings of
the great Ed Wood!
Happy Watching! ~SCC
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The Sixth Sense
"I see dead people," whispers little Cole Sear (Haley
Joel Osment), scared to affirm what is to him now a daily occurrence. This
peaked 9-year old, already hypersensitive to begin with, is now being haunted by
seemingly malevolent spirits. Child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) is
trying to find out what's triggering Cole's visions, but what appears to be a
psychological manifestation turns out to be frighteningly real. It might be
enough to scare off a lesser man, but for Malcolm it's personal--several months
before, he was accosted and shot by an unhinged patient, who then turned the gun
on himself. Since then, Malcolm has been in turmoil--he and his wife (Olivia
Williams) are barely speaking, and his life has taken an aimless turn. Having
failed his loved ones and himself, he's not about to give up on Cole.
This third feature by M. Night Shyamalan sets itself up as a thriller, poised on
the brink of delivering monstrous scares, but gradually evolves into more of a
psychological drama with supernatural undertones. Many critics faulted the film
for being mawkish and New Age-y, but no matter how you slice it, this is one
mightily effective piece of filmmaking. The bare bones of the story are basic
enough, but the moody atmosphere created by Shyamalan and cinematographer Tak
Fujimoto made this one of the creepiest pictures of 1999, forsaking excessive
gore for a sinisterly simple feeling of chilly otherworldliness. Willis is in
his strong, silent type mode here, and gives the film wholly over to Osment,
whose crumpled face and big eyes convey a child too wise for his years; his
scenes with his mother (Toni Collette) are small, heartbreaking marvels. And
even if you figure out the film's surprise ending, it packs an amazingly
emotional wallop when it comes, and will have you racing to watch the movie
again with a new perspective. You may be able to shake off the sentimentality of
The Sixth Sense, but its craftsmanship and atmosphere will stay with you for
days. ~ME
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Forbidden Planet
It's funny, me being a fan of science fiction and movies
in general, why it is that it took me so long to get around to watching
Forbidden Planet (1956). Part of it is I feel as if I've already seen the film,
as clips from it are usually always shown whenever someone does a documentary on
science fiction in film, as it's just such an influential and amazing piece of
work. Now, I've heard that this movie is loosely based on Shakespeare's play,
The Tempest, but since I've never read it, I can't comment on comparisons
between the play and the film. The film stars Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis,
Leslie Nielsen, and Robby the Robot (Yes, the robot gets a screen credit. If you
look on the Internet Movie Database, you'll find it's even listed as an actor).
The story is about a spacecraft sent to learn what exactly happened to a
previous spacecraft and its' crew, which had been deployed many years prior, and
has since not been heard from in some time. This current mission is under the
command of Commander John J. Adams (Nielsen), and soon find themselves on
approach to the destination planet of the now lost ship. On their arrival, they
get an ominous message, from the planet, issued by a member of the original
crew, Dr. Edward Morbius (Pidgeon). Despite his warnings, they land and are soon
met by a robot named Robby, who escorts them to Morbius' rather posh abode. Here
we learn all the members of that fated crew have been killed off, except for
Morbius and his daughter (whom Morbius had when he procreated with another
member of the original crew), Altaira (Francis), by some unseen, yet completely
nasty, force, to which Morbius and his daughter seem immune. Not expecting to
find any survivors, Commander Adams now has to change his plans to include
trying to contact his superiors and receive further instructions on how to
proceed, despite Morbuis' protests that they should leave as soon as possible,
leaving him and his daughter behind so that he may continue his research. What
is his research? Well, it seems that many hundreds of thousands of years ago,
the planet was inhabited by a highly advanced race of being called the Krell,
who mysteriously vanished seemingly overnight in comparison to their collective
power, intelligence and abilities, and while their cities have long since gone,
a great deal of their technology survived underneath the ground, and Morbius has
managed to gain some understanding of these beings, even being able to pry bits
of information and such in the 20 odd years that he's been here. This amazing
discovery is certainly worth writing home about, and so Commander Adams begins
having the men disassemble the ship to create a device powerful enough to send a
message back to his superiors, and in the meantime, starts making time with
Morbius' daughter, who's never seen a man outside of her father, and is
uneducated in the ways of woo. Things seem to be progressing until an unseen
late night attack on the ship damages some crucial elements needed for
communication, so an electrified perimeter is set up to prevent the approach of
any more unannounced and unwelcome visitors. We soon find out the fence works,
as a huge beastie, normally invisible, now highlighted by the electrical
current, tries to attack the ship, killing a few defenders. What exactly is the
nature of this beast? Is it somehow connected to the Krell? Does Morbius know
more than he's letting on? Will any get off this planet alive? What the heck
were these Krell up to anyway?
Forbidden Planet is inspirational, in my opinion, because it presents an well
developed and thought out story above and beyond the usual `scary alien' fare we
saw in the early 50's. Similar to The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), it
brought a level of intelligence to the genre while managing to also entertain.
Basically, whatever level you view the film on, it will provide enjoyment. It
also hallmarked the first film appearance of Robby the Robot, probably one of
the most popular, recognizable, and enduring icons in science fiction film
history. Also, it is important to note, this is the first film to utilize an
entirely electronically composed musical score. Stereotypical characterizations
appear to create the various roles, but since the film was releases a good 14
years before I was even born, I can't help but wonder if the stereotypes started
here, given the influence of the film. The production value overall is lavish
and indicates little expense was spared in bringing the story to life. The
special effects, even by today's standards, look remarkably good, and the
realism in the matte painting backgrounds is truly spectacular. The tour of the
huge underground Krell facility really stood out in my mind, properly
highlighting the enormity and intricacies at the same time. Plot holes? Yeah, I
noticed a few of them (like how'd Robby show up at the end despite every circuit
being blown? And that self-destruct mechanism at the end...that seemed a bit
convenient and lacking proper safeguards one would normally apply as to not
accidentally cause it to go off), but these tend to pale in comparison to the
overall film. As a whole, I think anyone would be hard pressed not to
acknowledge this as one of the more influential films in the genre, and just a
lot of fun in general. ~SW
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The Hills Have Eyes
Boasting an upgrade in production values, The Hills
Have Eyes should please new-generation horror fans without offending devotees of
Wes Craven's original version from 1977. There's still something to be said for
the gritty shock value of Craven's low-budget original, made at a time when
horror had been relegated to the pop-cultural ghetto, mostly below the radar of
major Hollywood studios. With the box-office resurgence of horror in the new
millennium--and the genre's lucrative popularity among the all-important teen
demographic--it's only fitting that French director Alexandre Aja should follow
up his international hit High Tension with a similarly brutal American debut to
boost his Hollywood street-cred. Working with co writer Gregory Levasseur, Aja
remains surprisingly faithful to Craven's original, beginning with a bickering
family that crashes their truck and trailer in the remote desert of New Mexico
(actually filmed in Morocco), where they are subsequently terrorized,
brutalized, and murdered by a freakish family of psychopaths, mutated by the
lingering radiation from 331 nuclear bomb tests that were carried out during the
1950s and '60s. After several killings are carried out in memorably grisly
fashion, it's left to the survivors to outsmart their disfigured tormentors, who
are blessed with horrendous make-up (especially Robert Joy as freak leader
"Lizard") but never quite as unsettling as the original film's horror icon,
Michael Berryman. In Aja's hands, this newfangled Hills is all about savagery
and de-evolution, reducing its characters to a state of pure, retaliatory
terror. It's hardly satisfying in terms of storytelling (since there's hardly
any story to tell), but as an exercise in sheer malevolence, it's undeniably
effective. ~JS
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Let's Scare Jessica to Death
Easily among the most unsettling and
creepiest features I've ever had the pleasure of watching. It's deliberately
paced but never boring...complex and intense but never confusing. Basically the
entire film is open to the interpretation of the viewer but the palpable sense
of dread never relents - right up to the chilling and masterful closing scenes.
Highly recommended for a rainy night!
Jessica (very well played by Zohra Lampert) has just been released from the
asylum after a nervous breakdown. Her husband (Barton Heyman, who played the
immortal Dr. Klein in "The Exorcist") has purchased an old house in the country
where they hope to relocate and start life anew. A hippie best friend comes
along for the ride and naturally, the youthful trio drive through the country in
a Hearse with the word "Peace" painted on the side - well, this is 1971. The
house is sinister, to say the least, with a dark past to include the legend of a
ghost/vampire walking its grounds. I will not give away the rest of the tale,
suffice to say the local town nor the characters are what they seem. The film's
dream-like quality is further enhanced by a surprise ending left open to
interpretation.
"Let's Scare Jessica To Death" plays out like one long, unsettling nightmare.
Scenes of Jessica running through the woods are reminiscent of similar scenes
from "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." In fact, take away the chainsaw, and "Let's
Scare Jessica To Death" and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" bear striking
similarities - young people headed to the country, finding an old dark house,
and encountering local yokels with an intense dislike for strangers.
I think the low-budget quality of "Let's Scare Jessica To Death" enhances its
creepiness. It is abundantly clear this film has been shot entirely on location,
with scenes inside of the house having a claustrophobic feel. But I did find
some of the supporting performances (Kevin O'Connor, the goofy townspeople) to
be so bad as to be distracting, not to mention the at-times ridiculous dialogue.
But with the lights turned out and alone at night, I can't think of a more
enjoyable creep-fest than "Let's Scare Jessica To Death" - an interesting, if not
creative, horror film ripe for discovery. ~CK-MB
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King Kong
I am completely blown away by King Kong. On every level the
film is a total success. The three leads were cast perfectly, they have fabulous
characters, capturing the essence of the 1930s. Kong himself is one of cinema's
greatest creations, it is as though Jackson has brought him back to life after
70 years spent roaming in the two-dimensional world. He is frightening, he is
heroic; you actually truly feel for him.
Skull Island, as Jackson has re-imagined it, is one of the most sinister
locations ever to be presented to film audiences. Its inhabitants are no longer
corny but very believable, frightening savages. For anyone who has read James
Michener's "Hawaii", specifically his narrative of the diasporas from the carnage
of Bora Bora and the other South Pacific islands, this portion of the film
strikes a chord. There truly were natives who acted in such unimaginatively
cruel ways, and of course this fits in perfectly with their having been ravaged
by Kong and other beasts. That is one example of the brilliant re-conception of
this story.
But at the heart of it all is the relationship between Kong and Ann Darrow, and
it is here that Jackson, Watts, Andy Serkis, everyone at WETA, and his
screenwriting partners truly pull off the miraculous. These are some of the most
sincerely rendered moments of any film, the result of heartfelt love and
compassion for these characters and this material. It is something that I do not
know if we will see again at the movies in quite the same way.
Peter Jackson's King Kong is some of the finest filmmaking I have ever seen. It
will be his masterpiece. You MUST see this film in the theater. I am very, very
cynical about current films, and I did not particularly like Return of the King.
Rarely has a subject and a director been so perfectly matched as with this
latest film. Jackson has crafted the best remake ever. ~OZ
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Sleepy
Hollow
This was a very
enjoyable telling of the classic tale that is very heavy on atmosphere. The DVD
has several extra features that really add to its value beyond the straight
movie too.
The look and feel of the film are great. We are taken back to the late 1790s to
a very convincing Sleepy Hollow that has lots of fog and smoke, distant
lightning, scary jack-o-lanterns, and twisted trees. The movie has a great deal
of suspense built into it, and we are treated to lots of tense moments when the
horsemen is near, along with some fairly short, but sometimes very intense
scenes of decapitation. The film is much more of a drama than a horror film --
the plot is quite complex and usually laid out well.
For me, one of the best parts of the film was the Danny Elfman score -- it was
very rich, with lots of interesting effects built into -- brooding strings,
eerie children's chorus, and tinkling bells. It added both suspense and humor to
the film.
The acting was good. Johnny Depp and Tim Burton work well together -- Depp shows
a nice range of emotions as the somewhat nervous Ichabod Crane who was
investigating the horseman's murders. Christina Ricci played a very pretty but
very mysterious young lady with links to the horsemen. The whole cast was very
good and tended to play a bit over the top (this is Tim Burton after all).
A particular favorite for me was Christopher Lee in a small but powerful role as
a judge who sends constable Crane off to Sleepy Hollow.
The DVD has several very good features, including commentary by Tim Burton, a
nice set of interviews with cast and crew, and a good "Making of the Movie"
feature that shows how a lot of the special effects (including decapitation)
were done.
A good movie on a DVD with lots of features! ~DRS
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