Sleepy Hollow
Paramount / 1999 / 102 Mins / Rated MA15+

MOVIE
The story of the headless horseman has always been a favorite of mine, now it has been brought to life by one of my favorite directors Tim Burton.

It's 1799 and Johnny Depp stars as Ichabod Crane a constable with the New York City Police. Ichabod has been sent to a small town called Sleepy Hollow to investigate the murders of several people.

At first Crane believes the murderer is one of the locals living in the town until he witnesses a headless horseman committing the crime. Now Ichabod must find out why the murders are occurring and who is behind them.

VIDEO
This is a stunning transfer that beautifully represents the fine production qualities of the movie. 

This transfer is razor sharp throughout with excellent shadow detail that allows you to see every last little detail. The colors are quite muted but this looks more like an artistic effect used by the director more than a fault with a transfer.

There were no MPEG artifacts present at all, same can be said for film artifacts.

Sleepy Hollow  is framed at 1:85:1 and is 16:9 enhanced.

This is a single-sided, dual-layer disc.

The layer change occurs at the 75:48.
AUDIO

There are a few soundtracks encoded on this DVD. Firstly there is a Dolby Digital 5.1 as well and Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack. There is also a Dolby Digital 2.0 commentary track.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 is superb and it creates an engaging sound field that really puts you in the middle. Surround separation is sensational throughout the movie. The .1 channel was used constantly to underscore the film's soundtrack and sound effects.

EXTRAS

Another great extras package is on offer for this disc.

Theatrical Trailer - DD2.0 sound framed at 2:35:1. Quite a good trailer, pity there's no 5.1 sound.

Audio Commentary - Director: This commentary by Tim Burton has a stop and start feel with many frequent pauses. Burton does not speak constantly but when he does speak, he does give a lot of information on the movie.

Photo Gallery - Just your bog standard on set photos.

Behind The Scenes Documentary- DD2.0 sound, 1:85:1 aspect ratio, 16:9 enhanced. This is quite a good 30 minutes and gives a lot of information about the making of the movie.

Cast & Crew Bios: Standard biographies for the cast and crew.

Featurette: This is your bog standard extended trailer that features interviews of the main cast and crew. Average. 
FINAL THOUGHTS
A great movie on a very impressive disc. Roadshow have come up with the goods again. 
16:9 ENHANCEMENT DISC RATING

VIDEO:
AUDIO:
EXTRAS:
PLOT:
OVERALL:

REVIEW EQUIPMENT
Display: 48" Sony RPTV.
DVD Player: Panasonic A350 Player using S-Video Cables.
Receiver: Pioneer VSX-D508 Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround.
Speakers: Accusound speaker system.

Copyright © 2000 by [Roger Ward].
Revised: 24 Sep 2000 17:05:45 +1100 .

DVD INFORMATION
Region Coding: Region 4
No of Discs: 1
OFLC Rating MA15+
Running Time: 102 Mins
Case Type: Clip Case
Release Date: 18/7/2000
Catalog Number: 1025079
List Price: $34.95
Distributor: Village Roadshow
DISC SPECIFICATIONS
Disc Format: PAL
Disc Type: Picture Disc
Disc Format: SS-RSDL
Chapters: 21
Macrovision: Yes
Manufacturer: DVM
VIDEO SPECIFICATIONS
Aspect Ratio: 1:85:1
Anamorphic: Yes
Film Format: 35mm
SOUND SPECIFICATIONS
Dolby Digital:

5.1 Surround
2.0 Surround
DTS: None
PCM Stereo: None
Other: None
Languages: English
Subtitles: Yes
SPECIAL FEATURES
Audio Commentary: Yes
Theatrical Trailer: Yes
Teaser Trailer: None
TV Spots: None
Dolby Trailer: Rain Trailer
Documentary: Yes
Cast & Crew Bios: Yes
Deleted Scenes: None
Music Videos: None
DVD Rom Content: None
Collectable Booklet: None
Scene Access: Yes
Animated Menus: Yes
Production Notes: None
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