Sleepy Hollow (1999)
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Directed by: Tim Burton
Starring: Casper Van Dien, Christina Ricci, Christopher Lee, Christopher Walken, Ian McDiarmid, Jeffrey Jones, Johnny Depp, Michael Gambon, Michael Gough, Miranda Richardson, Richard Griffiths
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Continuity mistake: We are told that the horseman's sword cauterises the wounds it makes. Earlier on in the film, however, the cuts cause squirts of blood to fly into the air, such as when the scarecrow is sprayed with blood. (00:03:40)
Ichabod Crane: The millennium is almost upon us. In a few months, we will be living in the nineteenth century. But our courts continue to rely on medieval devices of torture.
High Constable: Stand down.
Ichabod Crane: I stand up for sense and justice.
Trivia: Numerous references to other Tim Burton films: a) The dress Katrina Anne Van Tassel wears at the end is similar to Beetlejuice's outfit. b) Crane has various sharp scissor-like tools, which is a reference to Johnny Depp's early film "Edward Scissorhands" (1989). c) The scarecrow at the beginning looks exactly like Jack from "The Nightmare Before Christmas" (1994). d) The covered bridge is a lot like the bridge in "Beetlejuice."
Question: Why was The Headless Horseman ordered to kill the Killian family including their incredibly young son?
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Answer: As revealed by Lady Van Tassel to Katrina during the film's climax, the midwife Mrs. Killian was abreast of the secrets regarding the affairs of Peter Van Garrett with the widow Winship, as well as their unborn child. Mrs. Killian revealed this secret to Lady Van Tassel right in front of Mr. Killian, which signed both of their death warrants. However, Lady Van Tassel most likely commanded the Headless Horseman to kill the Killians (as opposed to just saying Mr. & Mrs. Killian), to which the Horseman would instinctively murder their child too. It may have been an oversight on the part of Lady Van Tassel, as the child would undoubtedly be ignorant of affairs and the intricacies of legal matters regarding wills, but then again, she probably didn't care anyway.
Phaneron