The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1980)

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Best movie of this year hands down!

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

This version, to me, takes Washington Irving's classic tale and really brings it to life in a family friendly, lighthearted vein. It's not a horror movie, it's not even suspenseful because you know who is doing what, but there is an element of wonder and the superstitions of the rural communities in upper New York make it a lovely treat to watch. If Jeff Goldblum was born to play a role, this was it. He is the scrawny, hawk-faced beanpole sort that you picture when you read Irving's classic. Meg Foster's simply beautiful in this version. I like the fact that they added another female character to give Katrina someone to play against even though it's not in the original. I love the setting with the deep snow and the bare trees. So many times shows 'pretend' to be set at a certain time of year but if you pay attention to the surrounding trees they are lush and green when they should be bare or it should be dreary and it's sunny and bright. It says it was filmed in Utah so it would be easy to build the primitive rural structures required for the shoot. The use of John Sylvester White as a confidante for Ichabod is wonderful. He is best known for his role as Principal Woodman in "Welcome Back, Kotter" and this role allows him to be gruff and comedic but not ridiculous. Dick Butkus is likewise perfect for his part. He is big and kind of dumb--a bit ox-like--but he's not without sympathy. You can easily see him bullying people in the area and being possessive of the fair Katrina Van Tassel. Still, he isn't so horrible that you want him to get hurt or killed. You simply want him to stop being so mean. The other members of the supporting cast: Paul Sand, Laura Campbell, James Griffith, and Tiger Thompson just add more layers to a well-known story.

Yes, I realize that this is a made-for-TV film with a less- than-stellar budget. And yes, I realize that it deviates a bit from Washington Irving's original short story.HOWEVER, this remains my single favorite version of Sleepy Hollow committed to film! Who better to play Icabod Crane than lean, lanky, bumbling Jeff Goldblum at his early and most Goldblum- y? I love the development of all the characters, the setting, the costuming, and the banter. I love the superstitious, but well-meaning, townspeople. You can truly feel the connection of a community that knows one another perhaps a bit too well. Even the music score has a haunting, albeit distinctly 80s, atmosphere.This is the version I grew up on. It is a point of nostalgia and personal taste for me, and I REALLY, REALLY wish it was available on DVD!

Henning Schellerup directed this TV version of the classic Washington Irving story that stars Jeff Goldblum as schoolteacher Ichabod Crane, who has recently arrived in the New England town of Sleepy Hollow, and soon runs afoul of bully Brom Bones(played by Dick Butkus) after showing romantic interest in the beautiful Katrina Van Tassel(played by Meg Foster) but legends of ghosts and headless horsemen haunt Ichabod as he tries to win Katrina's hand, and keep his head... Jeff Goldblum is perfectly cast here, as is Meg Foster, but film is harmed by too many supporting characters and dramatic padding to fill out the running time; would have been far more effective about 20 minutes shorter.

Okay, I am so fascinated with the "Sleepy Hollow" movies, but this one is the most inadequate one. The acting is horrible, the camera shots are worse, but this movie does hold a place in my heart, so I gave it a 7. It was an okay movie, Jeff Goldblum was not a good Ichabod though, but Butkus rocked. It always comes on here in Chicago the Wednesday before Halloween from 4 in the morning to 6. I have it now, it was released on video for some time.All in all, this is an average TV movie, and WOULD BE BETTER AS A "LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRARIE" HALLOWEEN SPECIAL. If you get a chance, check this out.