Sleepy Hollow Shooting Script
KATRINA Who is there… ?
The FIGURE comes into the dim, flickering fire light… Lady Van Tassel.
LADY VAN TASSEL Dear step daughter…
Katrina stands, terrified, trying to form words… Lady Van Tassel cackles like a witch.
LADY VAN TASSEL (CONT’D) You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.
Katrina’s eyes roll up as she FAINTS dead away to the floor.
EXT. TOWN SQUARE, DOCTOR’S RESIDENCE-NIGHT
Ichabod runs out from the DOCTOR’S RESIDENCE, leaps up onto the empty coach, pushing Van Ripper’s rifle aside. Van Ripper’s urinating against the side of the building.
VAN RIPPER Be with you in a minute, Constable.
Ichabod whips the horses, driving the coach away.
Van Ripper frowns in confusion.
INT. THE WINDMILL-NIGHT
The interior of the windmill is large and shadowy, with lots of old junk, clutter, machinery, boxes, etc.
Katrina lies unconscious. Lady Van Tassel comes to cut off a clump of Katrina’s hair with SCISSORS, grinning as she does it.
A CONJURING PILE has been prepared, containing a small ANIMAL’S HEART with an iron NAIL through it. Lady Van Tassel adds Katrina’s hair, lights the pile off a lantern.
Lady Van Tassel WHISPERS over the fire. She looks to Katrina, who stirs.
Lady Van Tassel takes the HORSEMAN’S SKULL from a bag over her shoulder, places it in the flames. THUNDER is HEARD.
LADY VAN TASSEL (whispers and chants) Rise up once more, my Dark Avenger! -Rise up!-One more night of Beheading!-Rise up with your sword, and your Mistress of the night will make you whole-a head for a head, my unholy Horseman- rise-rise-rise from the earth, come forth again through the Tree of the Dead… come now for… Katrina!
EXT. WESTERN WOODS, TREE OF THE DEAD-NIGHT
The WIND scatters dead leaves. The TWISTED TREE OPENS WIDE with a RUMBLE-SHAFTS of LIGHT shooting out.
EXT. THE ROAD TO VAN TASSEL ESTATE-NIGHT
Ichabod drives the coach hard ahead.
INT. THE WINDMILL-NIGHT
Katrina sits up, groggy, looking around… sees the dying fire, and Lady Van Tassel watching her.
LADY VAN TASSEL Awake at last. Did you think it was all a nasty dream? Alas, no.
KATRINA My father saw the Horseman kill you…
LADY VAN TASSEL He saw the Horseman coming to me with his sword unsheathed! But it is I who govern the Horseman, my dear, and Baltus did not stay to see.
KATRINA But there was your body!
LADY VAN TASSEL The servantgirl, Sarah, I always thought her useless, but she turned, out useful. Tomorrow I’ll totter out of the woods and spin a tale how I found Baltus and Sarah in the act of lust… as I watched, the Horseman was upon them, and off went Sarah’s head! I fainted and remember nothing more…
KATRINA Who are you?
LADY VAN TASSEL My family name was… Archer.
KATRINA (remembering the cottage hearth) The Archer…
LADY VAN TASSEL I lived with my father and mother and my sister in a gamekeeper’s cottage not far from here…
The conversation is being heard by a MOVING POV among the shadows.
LADY VAN TASSEL (CONT’D) Until one day, my father died, and the landlord who received many years of loyal service from my parents… evicted us. No one in this God- fearing town would take us in…
The MOVING POV stops, spying from behind the clutter. The REVERSE SHOT reveals YOUNG MASBATH, holding his breath.
LADY VAN TASSEL (CONT’D) … because my mother was suspected of witchcraft…
Young Masbath looks about for a weapon. His eyes alight on a large Wooden Mallet.
LADY VAN TASSEL (CONT’D) She was no witch, but I believe she knew much that lies under the surface of life… and she schooled her daughters well while we lived as outcasts in the Western Woods. She died within a year… and my sister and I remained in our refuge, seeing not a soul… until, gathering firewood one day, we crossed the path of the Hessian…
FLASHBACK-FOREST BATTLEFIELD (WESTERN WOODS)-DAY
The Hessian Horseman (avec head) has happened upon TWO YOUNG GIRLS gathering firewood. The girls stand frozen at the sight of him, till one girl drops her firewood and runs…
The second girl remains, holding the Horseman’s gaze.
INT. WINDMILL-NIGHT
LADY VAN TASSEL I saw his death, and from that moment…
FLASHBACK-FOREST BATTLEFIELD (WESTERN WOODS)-DAY
The Girl watches the burial of the Horseman… and his Head dropped into the grave.
LADY VAN TASSEL … I offered my soul to Satan if he would raise the Hessian from the grave to avenge me.
INT. WINDMILL-NIGHT
Young Masbath, unseen, works his way quietly around behind Lady Van Tassel.
KATRINA Avenge you?
LADY VAN TASSEL Against Van Garrett, who evicted my family, against Baltus Van Tassel who, with wife and simpering girlchild, stole our home. I swore I would make myself mistress of all they had… (she cackles again) The easiest part was the first-to enter your house as your mother’s sick nurse and put her body into the grave, and my own into the marriage bed.
Katrina cries out in horror.
LADY VAN TASSEL (CONT’D) Not quite so easy was to secure my legacy… but lust delivered Reverend Steenwyck into my power. Fear did the same for the Notary Hardenbrook. The drunken Philipse succumbed for a share of the proceeds, and the Doctor’s silence I exchanged for my complicity in his fornications…
Masbath moves into the open, weapon raised. Katrina sees him and stifles a gasp.
KATRINA (keeping Lady Van Tassel’s attention) Yes! -you have everything now.
LADY VAN TASSEL No, my dear-you do, by your father’s will. But I get everything in the event of your death. (she cackles again)
Lady Van Tassel’s hand reaches for the Mystic Bauble on Katrina’s neck. She rips it free.
LADY VAN TASSEL (CONT’D) (as she does so) This pretty bauble, which I so kindly gave you to wear, has done it’s work. My sister, by the way, sadly passed away…
FLASHBACK-OUTSIDE CRONE’S CAVE HOME-DAY
The Crone falls to the ground outside her cave, unconscious, beaten and bloodied.
A hand-Lady Van Tassel’s hand-enters FRAME to haul the Crone up by the hair, and WE SEE the Crone’s bloodied features face to face with the wicked smile of Lady Van Tassel.
INT. WINDMILL-NIGHT
LADY VAN TASSEL … quite recently.
FLASHBACK-OUTSIDE CRONE’S CAVE HOME-DAY
Lady Van Tassel holds a SWORD high, SWINGS DOWN… Then we see the separated Head and Torso… and the severed CORD, which had been around the Crone’s neck… and Lady Van Tassel’s Hand reaching for the Mystic Bauble, which had fallen free.
INT. WINDMILL NIGHT
Young Masbath is about ready to bring the mallet down upon Lady Van Tassel’s head.
KATRINA (keeping Lady Van Tassel’s attention) It was the Crone you killed… your own sister…
LADY VAN TASSEL She brought it upon herself…
Like a whiplash, Lady Van Tassel turns cackling at Young Masbath- she sensed him by witchery!
LADY VAN TASSEL (CONT’D) (to Young Masbath) -by helping you and your master!
Young Masbath shrieks and drops the mallet.
LADY VAN TASSEL (CONT’D) You are just in time to have your head sliced off!
Katrina and Young Masbath run to each other for mutual comfort.
LIGHTNING BRIGHTENS the forest. Lady Van Tassel looks up.
LADY VAN TASSEL (CONT’D) The Horseman comes. And tonight he comes for you!
EXT. WESTERN WOODS-NIGHT
The Horseman rides Daredevil, a freight train of moldering flesh…
INT. WINDMILL-NIGHT
Katrina and Young Masbath are holding hands, scared.
Lady Van Tassel picks up the Horseman’s skull in her gloved hand and puts up her face and gives out a long animal howl. Distantly, Daredevil is heard answering with a scream.
Katrina and Young Masbath run. Lady Van Tassel has need to stop them.
LADY VAN TASSEL Run! There is no escape!
EXT. VAN TASSEL HOUSE, PORCH AND LAWN-NIGHT
Ichabod leaps from the coach, bounds up porch stairs…
ICHABOD Katrina!
Ichabod stops, sees FIRELIGHT at the Windmill. He runs… leaps back up to the coach and takes off…
EXT. WINDMILL-NIGHT
THUNDER BOOMS. WIND HOWLS. Lady Van Tassel stands in the doorway with the skull in one hand, laughing.
EXT. AROUND THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WINDMILL-NIGHT
