If there was ever an example of perfect casting, it must be Jeff Goldblum as Ichabod Crane. Tall, awkward, goofy, the actor is the living embodiment of the character. Unfortunately, while he looks the part in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1980), he doesn’t quite act it. Even more unfortunate, he fares better than the rest of the cast.
.
Worst of all is former Chicago Bears linebacker Dick Butkus as Brom Bones. He’s simply miscast, coming across as more of a buffoon than a serious rival for the affection of Katrina Van Tassel (Meg Foster.) It’s no wonder she hasn’t married him during the three years since her father, Squire Van Tassel (James Griffith) gave him permission to court her.
.
The movie almost acknowledges this by adding a character to the story, Thelma Dumkey (Laura Campbell), a widow who’s in love with Brom, who’s in love with Katrina, who’s falling in love with Ichabod. The two women conspire to force order to the love quadrangle and create an obvious solution to a problem nobody else sees.
.
Wait a minute. What’s all this romantic dramedy doing in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow? I suppose it’s meant to add new life to a familiar story. Instead, it simply adds padding, making the movie way too long at an hour and 45 minutes. The writers take other liberties, as well, providing a more upbeat ending than the original story.
.
IMDb categorizes it as a “Comedy, Fantasy.” That’s being generous with either. The “comedy” comes from exaggerated acting (from everyone but Goldblum, who’s low key) and failed attempts at broad physical humor. The “fantasy” comes from one little twist at the end after everything else is proven to be scares of the Scooby-Doo variety.
.
Another new character is Frederic Dutcher (Paul Sand), Brom’s right-hand thug. I don’t recall one scene that the two aren’t together, indicating there might be another reason Brom hasn’t married Katrina. He’s more handsome and charming than Brom, so I’m a little surprised he wasn’t stirred into the romantic stew. Four’s company, five’s a crowd?
.
Director Henning Schellerup has an interesting resume. He mostly made TV movies like In Search of Historic Jesus, Ancient Secrets of the Bible, and The Incredible Discovery of Noah’s Ark. However, as a cinematographer, he shot Planet of Dinosaurs, Silent Night Deadly Night, and Berserker. He was also director of photography on… Curse of the Headless Horseman.
.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow doesn’t necessarily need horror, but it needs suspense. And there absolutely must be a scene of the headless horseman throwing a burning pumpkin at his victims. Like the flameless version that this one tosses in the dark, this version of the story barely has a spark, much less a fire.
Visit the TV Terror Guide: 70's TV Movies playlist at ClassicHorrors.Club TV on YouTube to watch The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and other great movies from this series.
Commentaires