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31 Days of Halloween- Day 14 -SLEEPY HOLLOW

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31 Days of Halloween – Day 14

Sleepy Hollow (directed by Tim Burton, 1999) What would Halloween be without the tale of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman? I am sure most of us have seen the old Disney cartoon based upon Washington Irvine’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, in which Mr. Crane comes face to face with the ghoulish Headless Horseman. In 1999, Tim Burton took the legend, made a couple changes to the story (minor changes), and brought us his version, Sleepy Hollow. If anyone in Hollywood can take a classic American ghost story and make it great, Tim Burton (Batman, Edward Scissorhands) is that someone. After being labelled as eccentric by his peers, Constable Ichabod Crane is sent from New York to the village of Sleepy Hollow to investigate some mysterious and grisly murders. Someone is decapitating victims, and keeping the evidence. The town’s people are convinced that a local legend, a Headless Horseman is responsible, but Crane at first does not believe in their theory. Ichabod soon realizes that Sleepy Hollow is a place steeped in lies, deceit, and supernatural occurrence. He must now uncover the mystery of the Horseman and find away to send the Hessian back to hell. Like the vast majority of Tim Burton’s projects, the attention to detail is amazing. The turn of the eighteenth century costumes and sets are brilliant. The cast, led by Tim Burton mainstay Johnny Depp (Ichabod Crane), Christina Ricci (Katrina Van Tassel), and the great Christopher Walken as the Headless Horseman. Depp is great as the smart, yet often terrified Crane, and Walken is menacing as the antagonist. Sleepy Hollow is actually very violent and bloody, which is different from most of Tim Burton’s other more whimsical films. The color tone of the film is very grey and neutral that when the blood starts flying, it stands out that much more. As far as films go, you cannot find one that is more entrenched in Halloween lore than Sleepy Hollow. The Horseman even throws a flaming jack-o-lantern at Ichabod Crane’s head at one point, proving that everyone celebrates the eve of all Hallows in their own special way. If you are looking for a fun, spooky popcorn movie to watch tonight, Sleepy Hollow might just fit the bill.

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Recap

  • Day 1 – The Conjuring
  • Day 2 – You’re Next
  • Day 3 – Rob Zombie’s Halloween
  • Day 4 – Dog Soldiers
  • Day 5 – Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
  • Day 6 – Psycho (1960)
  • Day 7 – John Carpenter’s The Thing
  • Day 8 – The Prowler
  • Day 9 – Pet Sematary
  • Day 10 – The Nightmare Before Christmas
  • Day 11 – Near Dark
  • Day 12 – The Lost Boys
  • Day 13 – Child’s Play
  • Day 14 – Sleepy Hollow
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31 Days of Halloween Day 13 – CHILD’S PLAY

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31 Days of Halloween – Day 13

Child’s Play (directed by Tom Holland, 1988) Do you remember when you were a kid, and you wanted that special toy more than anything in the world? I bet that when you received the toy, it wasn’t possessed by the soul of a serial killer. After being cornered by the police in a toy store, psychopathic murderer Charles Lee Ray, the Lakeshore Strangler, transfers his soul, using black magic, into a ‘Good Guy’ doll before he dies of gunshot wounds. After purchasing this doll from a street person, Karen surprises her son Andy with it as a gift. It is not long after until Andy discovers that his doll “Chucky” has bad intentions. First off, I will say that if it was not for the acting/voice talents of Brad Dourif, Child’s Play would not be half the film that it is. Dourif (Lord of the Rings trilogy, Exorcist III) brings Chucky to like, and makes him the little menace he is. Chris Sarandon (Fright Night, Princess Bride) plays the detective who first track Charles Lee Haley, then tries to protect Andy and his mom (Catherine Hicks) from Haley after he becomes Chucky. Usually child actors annoy me, but Alex Vincent is really good as the boy Andy, who is the target of Chucky’s homicidal intents. I remember wanting to see Child’s Play in the movie theatre, but I was not old enough. I had to wait until it was released on home video, which seemed like it took forever. This was the first VHS movie that I “pirated” (did the old VHS-to-VHS copy), and watched the crap out of it for a year until I taped over it with some Stampede Wrestling. I understand why the movie was rated R at the time. There is some very strong (and humorous) language that flies from Chucky’s mouth. The movie is pretty short for a full length feature, clocking in at around eighty minutes, but perhaps more would have seemed like too much. Director Tom Holland (writer of Fright Night) has done some off-beat horror films, and Child’s Play is well done considering it is based on a possessed doll on a kill spree. The effects are good, and the animations for the Chucky doll are pretty believable, but like a mentioned before, Brad Dourif makes Chucky entertaining. Child’s Play will always have a special place in my heart (even though the sequels never live up to the original). Maybe you could find it in your heart to give Child’s Play a viewing this Halloween.

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Recap

  • Day 1 – The Conjuring
  • Day 2 – You’re Next
  • Day 3 – Rob Zombie’s Halloween
  • Day 4 – Dog Soldiers
  • Day 5 – Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
  • Day 6 – Psycho (1960)
  • Day 7 – John Carpenter’s The Thing
  • Day 8 – The Prowler
  • Day 9 – Pet Sematary
  • Day 10 – The Nightmare Before Christmas
  • Day 11 – Near Dark
  • Day 12 – The Lost Boys
  • Day 13 – Child’s Play

T.

31 Days of Halloween *Day 6* – PSYCHO (1960)

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Psycho’s Bates House

31 Days of Halloween – Day 6

Psycho (directed by Alfred Hitchcock, 1960) I will begin by admitting that black and white films are not my favorite. There is no real reason, I just don’t dig them as much as I do color movies. That being said, there are a few that I can enjoy, despite my obvious flawed film viewing habits. The sixth entry of my 31 Days of Halloween extravaganza, Psycho, is one of those classics that I do enjoy, and consider a landmark in horror movie history. Secretary Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) decides to commit theft against her employer, and in doing so, leaves town with the cash she has stolen. She sets out towards California to meet her lover. After a long day of driving, the tired Marion checks into the Bates Motel for the evening. There, she meets the hotel proprietor, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), who lives up the hill in a house he shares with his domineering mother. It is what happens next in Psycho that set the stage for horror cinema for the next fifty years. Until then, Hollywood’s dark side was dominated by monsters, mutants, and aliens as the evil antagonists. Psycho humanized evil, and gave it a man’s face. Alfred Hitchcock’s enduring classic set the table for countless slashers, creeps, and maniacs to make their way into cinema. The film is much more than a typical horror movie. It also contains Hitchcock’s signature film noir and murder mystery/thriller vibe. The Janet Leigh shower scene may be one of the most famous and recognizable scenes in film history, if not the most famous. Sure, in this desensitized era, that scene is tame. Yet, think about what that scene meant to movie-goers in 1960, when blood and bare skin were taboo. Psycho would have made an impact on people who were not used to that type of on-screen violence. Gus Van Sant tried to make a shot-for-shot remake of Psycho, but you cannot replicate near perfection, and Vince Vaughn is no Anthony Perkins. Perkins is almost too good as the tormented Norman Bates. His portrayal of Bates puts him in the same stratosphere with Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lector and Heath Ledger’s Joker as cinema psychopaths. Going back to my first statement regarding black and white films versus color films, Psycho would not be nearly as effective if it was shot in color. The way Hitchcock filmed it gives the picture an air of timelessness and immortality. On second thought, maybe I should give monochrome a second chance. But for you, faithful readers, you should make psycho a part of your Halloween viewing. Sometimes it is nice to go back where it all started.

Cool Fact: In homage to Psycho, Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence) from John Carpenter`s Halloween is named after Janet Leigh`s screen lover of the same name.

Recap

  • Day 1 – The Conjuring
  • Day 2 – You’re Next
  • Day 3 – Rob Zombie’s Halloween
  • Day 4 – Dog Soldiers
  • Day 5 – Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
  • Day 6 – Psycho (1960)

T.