Eyes of Fire (film)

Last updated

Eyes of Fire
Eyes of Fire (1983) film poster.jpg
Directed byAvery Crounse
Written byAvery Crounse
Produced byPhilip J. Spinelli
Starring
Narrated bySally Klein
CinematographyWade Hanks
Edited byMichael Barnard
Music by Brad Fiedel
Production
company
Elysian Pictures
Distributed bySeymour Borde & Associates
Release date
  • May 24, 1985 (1985-05-24)
[1]
Running time
86 minutes [2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$2.6 million (estimated)
Box office$12 million

Eyes of Fire (also known as Cry Blue Sky) is a 1983 American folk horror film written and directed by independent filmmaker and noted still photographer Avery Crounse. [3] [4]

Contents

Plot

The film takes place in the year 1750 on the American frontier during the colonial days, before the United States declared its independence. The story is told through the viewpoints of Fanny and Meg, a young woman and a child who have been discovered by the French military. They had to flee their settlement after the new preacher, Will Smythe, was accused of having an affair with two women. The first is Fanny's mother Eloise, whose husband is away hunting for food, and another woman, Leah, who is insane. The other settlers wanted to hang them and Will is only saved when his noose rope breaks while Leah is seemingly babbling.

They leave the camp with a few others who were against hanging the preacher: the couple Jewell Buchanan and Margaret Buchanan; their daughter Cathleen; Calvin and his wife, who goes by the name Sister; and their granddaughter Meg. As the group travels farther away from their town, the threat of attack from hostile Native American tribes becomes more prevalent until the group is eventually ambushed. Calvin does not survive the attack, but the others are protected by Leah, who has used witchcraft to provide their protection. All the while the others are unaware that Leah is using magic to keep them safe. The remaining members of the group are forced to abandon their trail along the riverbank, and take cover in the woods far from man-made trails. At this time, Eloise's husband Marion Dalton returns home to find news that his wife was scheduled to be executed along with Will for adultery and also learns that the two are on the run with others from the town. Marion pursues and eventually catches up to them. Leah wanders away from the group for a short while.

By this time the Shawnee Indians have caught up to the group and Marion Dalton, who speaks fluently in many tribal languages, is able to convince the Shawnee to abort the attack, at least for a short while, though Marion is certain the Shawnee will be back in bigger numbers. Leah returns covered in white feathers and Marion recognizes this as a warning from the Shawnee Indians to other members of the Shawnee tribe not to enter a nearby valley. Realizing that the Shawnee have superstitions about the valley, Marion leads the group there, knowing that if the Shawnee were to return, they would not follow the pioneers into the valley due to their superstitious fears.

Once the group settles in the deserted valley, they are safe from any and all tribes of Native Americans. Though the pioneers are no longer under the threat of attack from the Shawnee, they find a young Native American orphan on the outskirts of their camp. The pioneers are still unnerved by the previous attacks, but reluctantly bring the girl into the camp and care for her. It seems that only Will is pleased with the orphan's unexpected appearance, and he is delighted at the possibility of baptizing her into Christianity. Aside from Will, it seems the others in the group are unnerved by the orphan girl's presence. Leah, who has an extraordinary connection to the supernatural, senses that there is something unusual about the Native American child, and Leah soon begins to have visions as she tries to uncover the motives of the orphan girl. Fanny disappears soon afterwards and is found unconscious. Marion is able to free her with Leah's help and makes plans to leave, only to have to similarly help Meg. It soon becomes obvious to all but Will that the valley was left alone for a reason. The little girl also shows her true form, an evil spirit born out of the grief and blood of every living thing that was killed. Eloise turns away from the preacher and falls back in love with Marion. Marion is captured by the spirit, as he is a threat to its power and existence. Leah helps him fight back as the spirit narrows in on Fanny and Eloise. He is freed and the spirit mortally wounded just as Eloise and Cathleen hide Meg and Fanny in a cabinet which is to be carried downstream. Leah devours the energy from the fallen spirit and uses it to save the remaining settlers, except for Will.

The film ends with the French military commander unable to believe the fantastical tale. He orders one of his men to take them away for the time being, unaware that the man has been possessed by a woodland spirit under Leah's control.

Cast

Release

Critical response

Caryn James from The New York Times gave the film a somewhat neutral review, calling it "an imagistic morality tale" and "a bizarrely fascinating story told in flashback", but also was somewhat critical saying "If Mr. Crounse had stayed poised on the line between human reality and horrific visions of evil, he might have turned out a small masterpiece, or at least a cult film. As it is, Eyes of Fire is an ambitious idea gone haywire, as if The Scarlet Letter had zoomed into the future and collided with the movie version of The Exorcist ." [5] Dennis Schwartz from Ozus' World Movie Reviews awarded the film a grade B. In his review, Schwartz wrote, "The arty horror pic, not for all tastes... Though it's a flawed film, its strange storyline captivated me despite such obvious flaws as the performances were mostly inadequate, the story had choppy moments and the special effects were cheesy." [6] HorrorNews.net gave the film a positive review, calling it "creepy", and "artistically beautiful". [7] Steven Ryder from Critics Associated.com awarded the film 4 out of 4 stars, praising the film's atmosphere, tone, and sense of dread; writing, "[it] may not be blessed with the same production values or talent that these later films are yet the electric aura and commitment to unrelenting dread make Eyes of Fire an almost-forgotten paragon of folk horror." [8] Author Edmund G. Bansak compared the film favorably to the films by Val Lewton, commending the film's acting, atmosphere, cinematography, and "authentic period flavor", while also noting that the film deteriorated towards the end. [9]

Home media

The film was released on VHS by Vestron Video on June 26, 1987. [10]

After decades of being scantly available on home video, Severin Films released Eyes of Fire on Blu-ray on December 7, 2021, featuring a new 4K restoration from the original film elements. The Severin release also features an alternate (earlier) cut of the film, titled Crying Blue Sky, "restored in 2K from [the] Director's personal 35mm answer print." [2] The film was also included on Blu-ray in All the Haunts Be Ours, a limited edition Blu-ray boxed set by Severin featuring twenty international feature films in the folk horror genre. [11]

Alternate Version

The film was originally screened with a 108-minute runtime under the title Crying Blue Sky. After seeing the film with an audience, Crounse decided to make significant cuts, eventually releasing the film under the title Eyes Of Fire with an 86-minute runtime. Crounse explained in a 2021 interview with author Stephen Thrower that he "cut it down to something that didn't necessarily make much sense," adding that "there are some people who really loved the first version, but there was money that had to be made, so I did what needed to be done." [4] Since its release, several commentators have expressed a preference for the longer cut, which includes more characterization and a completely different opening and closing. [12] [13] Although the difference between the two cuts is only 22 minutes, the alternate version contains more than 22 minutes of previously unseen footage, some of which replaces footage in the final release (for example, a totally different framing story). [12] The Crying Blue Sky cut was released for the first time on home media as a bonus feature on the Severin Films Blu-ray released in 2021. [2]

Related Research Articles

<i>Thirteen Ghosts</i> 2001 film by Steve Beck

Thirteen Ghosts is a 2001 supernatural horror film directed by Steve Beck in his directorial debut. A remake of the 1960 film 13 Ghosts by William Castle, the film stars Tony Shalhoub, Embeth Davidtz, Matthew Lillard, Shannon Elizabeth, Alec Roberts, Rah Digga, and F. Murray Abraham.

<i>Deranged</i> (1974 film) 1974 horror film

Deranged is a 1974 psychological horror film directed by Alan Ormsby and Jeff Gillen, and starring Roberts Blossom. Its plot, loosely based on the crimes of Ed Gein, follows Ezra Cobb, a middle-aged man in a rural Midwestern community who begins a string of serial murders and grave robberies after the death of his mother, a religious fanatic who raised him to be a misogynist. Though based on Gein, the film's title is misleading since Gein never experimented with necrophilia; although a necrophile is also defined as having "an obsessive fascination with death and corpses."

<i>The Last Horror Film</i> 1982 film by David Winters

The Last Horror Film is a 1982 American horror comedy film produced by Judd Hamilton directed by David Winters and starring Joe Spinell and Caroline Munro. Its plot follows a delusional middle-aged New York City taxi driver who, fixated on the idea of being a film director, visits the Cannes Film Festival where he begins stalking an actress he is obsessed with.

<i>The Leopard Man</i> 1943 film by Jacques Tourneur

The Leopard Man is a 1943 American horror film directed by Jacques Tourneur, and starring Dennis O'Keefe, Jean Brooks, and Margo. Based on the book Black Alibi by Cornell Woolrich, it follows a series of violent murders in a town in New Mexico, which coincide with the escape of a leopard from a nightclub.

<i>The Blob</i> (1988 film) 1988 film by Chuck Russell

The Blob is a 1988 American science fiction horror film co-written and directed by Chuck Russell. A remake of the 1958 film of the same name, it stars Shawnee Smith, Kevin Dillon, Donovan Leitch, Jeffrey DeMunn, Paul McCrane, Art LaFleur, Robert Axelrod, Joe Seneca, Del Close and Candy Clark. The plot follows an acidic, amoeba-like organism that crashes down to Earth in a military satellite, which devours and dissolves anything in its path as it grows. Filmed in Abbeville, Louisiana, The Blob was theatrically released in August 1988 by Tri-Star Pictures to generally positive reviews but was a box office failure, grossing $8.2 million against its budget of approximately $10 million.

<i>The Ghost Ship</i> 1943 film by Mark Robson

The Ghost Ship is a 1943 American black-and-white psychological thriller film starring Richard Dix and directed by Mark Robson. It was produced by Val Lewton for RKO Radio Pictures as part of a series of low-budget horror films. The film can be seen as a "low-key psychological thriller", a "suspense drama", and a "waterlogged melodrama"., Russell Wade, Edith Barrett, Ben Bard and Edmund Glover in support.

<i>Motel Hell</i> 1980 US comedy horror film by Kevin Connor

Motel Hell is a 1980 American comedy horror film directed by Kevin Connor and starring Rory Calhoun, Nancy Parsons, and Nina Axelrod. The plot follows farmer, butcher, motel manager, and meat entrepreneur Vincent Smith, who traps travelers and harvests them for his human sausages.

<i>When a Stranger Calls Back</i> American Made-for-TV movie

When a Stranger Calls Back is a 1993 American made-for-television psychological horror film and a sequel to the 1979 classic When a Stranger Calls which reunites stars Carol Kane and Charles Durning with director Fred Walton from the original film. It was originally broadcast on Showtime on April 4, 1993.

<i>Terror-Creatures from the Grave</i> 1965 film

Terror-Creatures from the Grave is a 1965 horror film directed by Domenico Massimo Pupillo. The film was an international co-production between Italy and the United States through M.B.S. Cinematografica, G.I.A. Cinematografica and International Entertainment Corp.

<i>Shortbus</i> 2006 film by John Cameron Mitchell

Shortbus is a 2006 American erotic comedy-drama film written and directed by John Cameron Mitchell. The plot revolves around a sexually diverse ensemble of colorful characters trying desperately to connect in an early 2000s New York City. The characters converge in a weekly Brooklyn artistic/sexual salon loosely inspired by various underground NYC gatherings that took place in the early 2000s. According to Mitchell, the film attempts to "employ sex in new cinematic ways because it's too interesting to leave to porn." Shortbus includes a variety of explicit scenes containing non-simulated sexual intercourse with visible penetration and male ejaculation.

<i>Possession</i> (1981 film) 1981 film

Possession is a 1981 psychological horror drama film directed by Andrzej Żuławski and written by Żuławski and Frederic Tuten. The plot obliquely follows the relationship between an international spy and his wife, who begins exhibiting increasingly disturbing behavior after asking for a divorce.

<i>Angst</i> (1983 film) 1983 Austrian film

Angst is a 1983 Austrian horror film directed by Gerald Kargl, who co-wrote the screenplay with cinematographer and editor Zbigniew Rybczyński. It follows a psychopath recently released from prison and is loosely based on real-life mass murderer Werner Kniesek. Though relatively obscure, the film was acclaimed for its camera work, score, and Erwin Leder's performance. It was banned in many European countries on its release for its depictions of extreme violence.

<i>Just Before Dawn</i> (1981 film) 1981 American slasher film directed by Jeff Lieberman

Just Before Dawn is a 1981 American slasher film directed by Jeff Lieberman and starring Chris Lemmon, Gregg Henry, Deborah Benson, Ralph Seymour, Jamie Rose, and George Kennedy. The film follows a group of hikers who travel into a mountainous region of Oregon to visit property inherited by one of them, only to be hunted by a ruthless backwoods killer.

<i>Who Can Kill a Child?</i> 1976 Spanish horror film

Who Can Kill a Child?, released theatrically as Island of the Damned in the US, and Would You Kill A Child?, Death Is Child's Play and Island of Death in the UK, is a 1976 Spanish horror film directed by Narciso Ibáñez Serrador. The film follows an English couple who find an island inhabited by maniacal children.

<i>Zombie Holocaust</i> 1980 Italian film

Zombie Holocaust is a 1980 Italian horror film directed by Marino Girolami. The film is about a team of scientists who follow a trail of corpses in New York to a remote Indonesian island where they meet a mad doctor who performs experiments on both the living and dead in his laboratory. The team face both zombies and cannibals in an attempt to stop the doctor. The film was re-edited and released theatrically in the United States in 1982 under the title Doctor Butcher M.D.

Jack the Ripper is a 1959 film produced and directed by Monty Berman and Robert S. Baker. It is loosely based on Leonard Matters' theory that Jack the Ripper was an avenging doctor. The black-and-white film stars Lee Patterson and Eddie Byrne and co-stars Betty McDowall, John Le Mesurier, and Ewen Solon. It was released in England in 1959, and shown in the U.S. in 1960.

<i>The Boogens</i> 1981 American film

The Boogens is a 1981 American monster film directed by James L. Conway and starring Rebecca Balding, Fred McCarren, Anne-Marie Martin, Jeff Harlan, John Crawford, Med Flory, Jon Lormer, and Scott Wilkinson. The title refers to scaly turtle-like monsters that are released from an abandoned and boarded-up silver mine, and begin to wreak havoc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Severin Films</span> American film production and distribution company

Severin Films is an American independent film production and distribution company known for restoring and releasing cult films on DVD and Blu-ray. It is considered a boutique Blu-ray and DVD label.

<i>Blood and Lace</i> 1971 film by Philip Gilbert

Blood and Lace is a 1971 American exploitation horror film directed by Philip Gilbert, written by Gil Lasky, and starring Gloria Grahame, Melody Patterson, Len Lesser, and Milton Selzer. The film follows an orphaned teenager (Patterson) who arrives at a remote orphanage run by a madwoman (Grahame) and her handyman, both sadists and child murderers.

<i>Witchtrap</i> 1989 American film

Witchtrap is a 1989 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Kevin S. Tenney and starring James W. Quinn, Kathleen Bailey, and Linnea Quigley. The film follows a team of parapsychologists who attempt to exorcise a haunted inn with the help of a device designed to lure in and trap evil spirits. Despite the film's title, its central villain is a male witch also known as a warlock. Witchtrap was released direct-to-video.

References

  1. "Eyes of Fire Man Gives 3 years of life to Making film". The Town Talk. May 24, 1985. p. 23 via Newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 3 "Eyes of Fire Blu-ray". Severin Films . Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  3. Young 2000, p. 202.
  4. 1 2 Crounse, Avery (2021). "The Secret Is In The Trees — "Nightmare USA" Author Stephen Thrower Interviews Avery Crounse". Eyes of Fire Blu Ray Special Features (Interview). Interviewed by Stephen Thrower. Severin Films.
  5. James, Caryn (April 4, 1986). "FILM: 'EYES OF FIRE,' A MORALITY TALE". The New York Times. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  6. Schwartz, Dennis. "eyesoffire". Sover.net. Dennis Schwartz. Archived from the original on December 13, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  7. "Film Review: Eyes of Fire (1983)". HorrorNews.net. HorrorNews. January 22, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  8. Ryder, Steven. "Eyes of Fire – Review **** – Critics Associated". Critics Associated.com. Steven Ryder. Archived from the original on September 24, 2018. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  9. Bansak 2003, p. 524.
  10. Amazon.com: Eyes of Fire [VHS]: Dennis Lipscomb, Guy Boyd, Rebecca Stanley, Sally Klein, Karlene Crockett, Fran Ryan, Rob Paulsen, Kerry Sherman, Caitlin Baldwin, Erin Buchanan, Will Hare, Ivy Bethune, Wade Hanks, Avery Crounse, Michael Barnard, Andrew Reichsman, Chris Baldwin, Philip J. Spinelli: Movies & TV. ASIN   630026341X.
  11. Squires, Jon (August 24, 2021). "[Exclusive] Severin's Folk Horror Box Set Fully Detailed With 20 Films Including Long Out-of-Print 'Eyes of Fire'!". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  12. 1 2 Godwin, Kenneth George (February 12, 2022). "Avery Crounse's Eyes of Fire (1983)". www.cageyfilms.com/. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  13. McKelvey, John W. (January 31, 2022). "Eyes of Fire, Back On the Map!". www.dvdexotica.com. Retrieved November 8, 2023.

Sources