The Art of Tim Burton's "Sleepy Hollow"

This large-format, soft-backed volume is ultimately an illustrated screenplay and Andrew Kevin Walker's adaptation of the classic Washington Irving tale forms the main text here. Instead of the poor quality snaps that so often accompany film tie-ins, however, the illustrations here are something special. Full-colour photography throughout allows the reader to appreciate again the haunting gothic beauty of the film as more than 60 key scenes--yes, even the gory ones--are reproduced. Juxtaposed alongside these polished stills, however, is a treasure of production artwork. The inclusion of early sketches--some by Burton himself--and the remarkable paintings that formed final stage design guides allows the reader to follow the directors vision from conception to fruition.

Designed to appear aged--text pages are yellowed and have fake worn edges--there is incredible attention to detail here for even as the reader studies the screenplay a background of further sketches and doodles is visible below.

A foreword by Tim Burton himself completes the content and as he explains his fascination with the classic New England legend he's reworked for a new generation, on-set photos place the director in the world he created.--Helen Lamont