1999, 1 hr 30 min., Rated R for graphic horror violence and gore, and for a scene of sexuality. Dir: Tim Burton. Cast: Johnny Depp (Ichabod Crane), Christina Ricci (Katrina Van Tassel), Miranda Richardson (Lady Van Tassel), Michael Gambon (Baron Baltus Van Tassel).

Along has come a very good movie and I cannot think of any words to describe how I feel about it and convey my opinion.

I'm serious. What I'm doing now is coming up with filler material to take up space and time until I think of something to write.

Here's something: the cinematography deserves an Oscar nomination, and maybe even the award outright for Tim Burton's vision of Sleepy Hollow, New York, the small village imagined in Washington Irving's classic tale. The surrounding forest is overcome with shadows and smoky fog and it is perpetually dusk and gloomy in upstate New York along the Hudson River, as a seemingly invincible killer is on the rampage. The animals are always on the run, and trees reach out in every direction and are some of the spookiest since Poltergeist's boy-eating oak.

Who is the killer? Why, the Headless Horseman, of course, one of the most frightening and gruesome villains in American folklore. Burton breathes new life to the Horseman in Sleepy Hollow, giving him a striking pose and making him a terribly skilled swordsman, despite having no head. The silent killer lops off many a noggin in the picture, and I have no qualms about saying that it was rather fascinating, or in slang, "cool."

Okay, so I'm discovering that I can throw out some adjectives to let you know that Sleepy Hollow is an above-average film; a little bit haunting, an ounce of bloody, a whisp of humor and a lot of peculiarity make up a remarkable motion picture.

Johnny Depp plays New York City constable Ichabod Crane, who turns out to be a coward-turned-reluctant hero, certain that dead men with no heads don't just rise and begin killing without reason. As Burton put it, "Here's a character who thinks too much and he's up against a guy with no head." Talk about mind-blowing.

As a result, Crane faints a lot, hides under the covers in bed and plans to run from town in fear. He also dreams of his mother (played by the very attractive Lisa Marie, who is also Tim Burton's girlfriend), recalling how she was accused of being a witch and thustly killed in order to save her soul by Icabod's father.

Christina Ricci, as Katrina Von Tassel, has hypnotizing brown eyes with long blond locks that suits her well as the daughter of the town's most respected citizen. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Ricci is the best young talent in Hollywood.

As for the rest of the cast, all perform admirably and boost Burton's vision of the Headless Horseman story. There are some notable supporting characters played by some of the best on screen talent alive.

Particularly interesting was the choice of who plays the horseman when he had a head. I won't reveal who since it's sort of a surprise, but whomever played the horseman without a head is most impressive with a sword and in stature.

There. I came up with some phrases and adjectives to at least get you thinking positive about Sleepy Hollow, and hopefully you'll see the film. See it. It's good, really. I promise.