Eyes of Fire (1983)

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Avery Crounse's Eyes Of Fire is so rare and forgotten that it's only available on YouTube, as far as I could tell, which is saying a lot because my net of sources stretches pretty far these days. It's truly something special and who knows how long that video will be up for. Belonging to one of my favourite sub genres, the horror western, I'm almost convinced it largely inspired 2014's celebrated horror flick The VVitch, as well as a few others over the years. It's a bit of a heartbreak that it isn't more widely recognized or even available (a DVD release seems to be nonexistent). On the American frontier in the 1700's, a creepy minister (Dennis Lipscomb) is banished from a settlement for suspected adultery and witchcraft. The man and his followers venture out into a mysterious, little traversed valley and find themselves preyed upon by... something. The region is haunted by nature spirits who have imprisoned deceased Natives, now phantom spectres who stalk through the trees consuming souls of the living, also controlled by what the clan's children call a 'devil witch'. There's various plot threads involving women in the group, one of whom has a mountain man ex husband (Guy Boyd) who has been living in the wilderness and has intuitive knowledge about the forces there, imparted in a well written, spooky campfire monologue. There's also a Celtic witch (Karlene Crockett) who acts as a force of good against the dark magic. Once the folk start encountering all this though, plot takes a backseat to a spectacular array of very surreal and thoroughly scary special effects, colour filters, hallucinatory nightmares, unnerving musical sound design and all mannered spook-house atmospherics. It's hectic as all hell and the acting sometimes gets super melodramatic, but what wonders of practical effects they've used here, a showcase of prosthetics, eerie photo-negative filters, Wiccan lore, earth magic and terrifying phantasms. Trees have faces, weird charcoal demons plague everyone, all set to a wonderfully warped score that uses experimental white noise, Gaelic thrums, ethereal tones and elemental cues to chill the spine. A hopelessly forgotten gem, but one of incredible value to any fan of unconventional horror.

An atypical '80s American horror film, insomuch that it is set in "olden times", concerning a bunch of travellers who have to contend with wood-demons, assorted spirits, and possession. The film is different enough to be worth a look, and despite a low, low budget, it achieves some remarkably good special effects which put a lot of higher-budgeted offerings from the same period to shame. Sure, a lot of the effects are achieved with little more than camera tricks or a bit of makeup, but they are abundant, and demons themselves are chillingly realised, reminding me sometimes of the monsters in THE EVIL DEAD.A major flaw is the sub-standard level of the acting. The only memorable player is Dennis Lipscomb (RETRIBUTION), although this is due to his rather hammy turn than any special abilities. The rest of the cast are pretty poor, it has to be said, and constantly shout or whine at each other which quickly becomes grating. The loose plot is, however, action-packed, and filled with weird dreams, nudity, scenes of horror, mutilation, and monsters, so it can't all be bad. The film also evokes a dream-like atmosphere which is pretty compelling in places. It's a shame we don't give a hoot about any of the principal characters, but nonetheless this ambitious, partly-realised hope of a film is worthwhile in places.

Eyes of Fire is one of the most visually stunning horror dramas I've seen. The film is masterfully shot and beautifully photographed, which is a shame because I didn't thoroughly enjoy it. The story follows some pioneers forced to leave their village after being suspected of witchcraft. They settle in a valley where not even the native Indians will set foot on. That should have tipped them off to the cursed earth and set them on their way. Fortunately for us, they stay and nightmarish scenes follow. It has a creepy atmosphere and an almost drug-induced imagery. Unfortunately the pace was too uneven. It has long periods of lows and short bursts of highs. That is my main complaint. It just needed to be punched up some more in certain areas. A few characters could have been omitted altogether. I also didn't enjoy the performances. Most of the actors are a bit on the hammy side. But, I can't fault the actors. If anything they add to the overall weirdness of the film. And that is the most positive thing I can say: this is one of the most unusual and outright bizarre movies period. If you're looking for something WAY off the beaten path, check out Eyes of Fire.

This is a little known gem from the 80's. I was amazed that someone else saw it. I watched this the same night as I watched Nomads and was never quite the same since. I do agree the ending was weak, but it was incredibly confusing and creepy at the same time. I recommend this to anyone trying to find something different in horror films. It could be best compared to some of the current western horror films that have come out in the last couple of years. Even with that though, this is different. Most of those films have an outright horror edge and don't build the suspense like this does. The closest I have had the chance to see in the last couple years would have been Legend of the Phantom Rider. Also a highly recommended film.