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Eyes of Fire
Directed byAvery Crounse
Written byAvery Crounse
Produced byPhilip J. Spinelli
StarringDennis Lipscomb
Guy Boyd
Rebecca Stanley
Karlene Crockett
Fran Ryan
Rob Paulsen
Kerry Sherman
Narrated bySally Klein
CinematographyWade Hanks
Edited byMichael Barnard
Music byBrad Fiedel[1]
Production
company
Elysian Pictures
Distributed bySeymour Borde & Associates
Release date
October 21, 1983
Running time
109 minutes (as Cry Blue Sky)
90 minutes (as Eyes of Fire)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1,500,000 (estimated)
Box office$12,000,000

Eyes of Fire (also known as Cry Blue Sky or Crying Blue Sky) is a 1983 American folk horror film written and directed by independent filmmaker Avery Crounse.

Plot

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Set in 1750 during the colonial days of the American frontier. The film is told through the perspective of Fanny Dalton and Meg, who are discovered floating down the river in a wooden cabinet by the French military. Living in a small village, trouble begins when Will Smythe, a traveling preacher, begins an affair with Fanny's mother Eloise while her trapper husband Marion is away on a hunting trip. Enraged by the preacher's blatant adultery, Smythe and Eloise are abducted by an angry mob of villagers, accusing him of corrupting the village. As the mob attempts to hang Smythe, the noose seemingly snaps in two under the intense gaze of Smythe's ward, the seemingly mute young woman known as Leah.

Smythe flees the village along with several of his followers; young couple Jewell Buchanan and Margaret Buchanan; their daughter Cathleen; Calvin and his wife, who goes by the name Sister; and their granddaughter Meg. Traveling further away from the village in a makeshift raft, the group is soon ambushed by a hostile tribe of Shawnee Indians, with Calvin mortally wounded and his wife injured. The remaining members of the group are forced to abandon the raft along the riverbank, using Calvin's corpse as a decoy while they take cover in the woods. At this time, Marion returns home to learn news of what transpired and leaves to find the group. The Shawnee eventually catch up to the group and are about to execute them when Marion, having tracked the group down, intervenes and forces the attackers to flee. After a brief confrontation with Smythe, Marion and the group decide to flee deeper into the woods, as he surmises the Sawnee will return in greater numbers. After wandering a short while, the group comes across an abandoned set of houses that appears to previously belong to a group of French settlers, quickly settling into the area in spite of Marion's hesitance.

Strange events begin to occur as soon as they set up camp, with dark, clay-covered figures appearing outside the camp walls. One day, they all awaken to discover a young Native American girl on the outskirts of their camp. While the others are suspicious, Smythe, who believes the girl's appearance to be a sign of peace by the natives, is delighted at the possibility of baptizing her into Christianity, naming her Little Hope. While hunting in the surrounding woods, Marion discovers a stone marker left by the French settlers, which tells of something sinister that plagued the settlers before their disappearance. The appearance of the spirits hinted to be those of the French setters, begins to increase, culminating in a dispirited Sister disappearing with them into the woods. It is revealed that Little Hope is not who she appears to be, and in actuality, an evil entity corrupting and feeding off the spirits of the dead. Leah begins unraveling more of the mysteries of the forest, her mind and supernatural powers growing daily as she spends more time in the surrounding woods. One night, the entity abducts Fanny, capturing her spirit and placing it into one of the trees. Marion finds her shortly afterward in a coma, her life slowly fading away. Realizing what has happened, Leah instructs Marion to cut down a particular tree, releasing her spirit from her imprisonment. With its true nature revealed, the little girl flees from the camp, disappearing in the outskirts in a burst of smoke and fire.

With his hopes and so-called faith shattered, Smythe becomes increasingly unstable, and falls into despair. Meanwhile, Eloise, having become disgusted by Smythe's cowardice, distances herself from him, rekindling her feelings for Marion Marion. Enraged by the loss of Fanny's captured spirit, the entity attacks Marion, pulling him into the trees. Not knowing what happened to him, the group slowly falls victim to hopelessness as the spectre's increase in their visitations. After a time, with her powers now fully realized after a time, Leah fights back against the dark forces of the forest. Sending the corrupted souls of the settlers after the surviving group, the entity becomes locked in a supernatural battle with Leah as the group attempts to flee. Smythe, choosing to remain behind is tormented by the spirits and the entity until he commits suicide. As the spirits pursue the survivors, Eloise and Cathleen hide Meg and Fanny in a cabinet that was to function as a makeshift raft, which slowly drifts downstream with the two inside. With Leah's help, Marion tears both himself and the entity from the trees. Just as the spirits are about to overtake the survivors, Marion wounds the entity and with her powers, Leah transforms it into a shard of energy which she devours, finally killing it.

After hearing their tale, the French Commander orders his men to take Fanny and Meg away, believing them to be insane. As the soldiers escort the two away, they both see a vision of Leah who reassures them that everything will be ok as it is revealed that one of the soldiers is possessed by one of the spirits under Leah's control.

Cast

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  • Guy Boyd as Marion Dalton
  • Karlene Crockett as Leah
  • Rebecca Stanley as Eloise Dalton
  • Dennis Lipscomb as Will Smythe
  • Sally Klein as Fanny Dalton
  • Kerry Sherman as Margaret Buchanan
  • Rob Paulsen as Jewell Buchanan
  • Caitlin Baldwin as Cathleen Buchanan
  • Erin Buchanan as Meg
  • Fran Ryan as Sister
  • Will Hare as Calvin
  • Rose Preston as Orphan Girl
    • Russell James Young Jr. as The Witch

Production

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Development

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Eyes of Fire was written, directed, and produced by still photographer and independent filmmaker Avery Crounse with development for the film beginning in early 1982.[2][3] Crounse had attended film school while enrolled at Tulane University in New Orleans, and was fascinated with the medium. After dropping out, Crounse used his remaining tuition funds to purchase a Bolex, which he then began experimenting with through still photography, intending of returning to filmmaking later on.[4][2] For several years, Crounse worked as a photographer, gaining international recognition for his technique of combining negatives as well as altering the color schemes of prints, creating other-worldly scenes.[4][3][2] In 1981 when the photo market began to suffer from the economic recession, Crounse decided to return to filmmaking, founding the independent production company Elysian Pictures alongside his wife Chris.[3] Eyes of Fire was the first of several films produced by Elysian, with its estimated budget quoted as being $1.5 million.[4][3]

Developing the story and script for the film proved to be particularly challenging for Crounse, who had no prior experience writing screenplays, later recalling that his original draft contained long, drawn-out scenes that were later abandoned.[3] The film's basic storyline, which incorporates elements of fantasy, was intended early on by Crounse, as he would later explain in an interview, "I wanted a story where I could use fantasy elements". Inspiration was gathered from the various myths and legends of the Colonials and Native Americans in the 1700s.[2]

Casting

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The film's cast was comprised of performers who were largely unknown at the time, with Crounse describing the film's cast as featuring 'people on their way up in the field'.[4] For the lead role of Marion Dalton, American character actor Guy Boyd[3] (sometimes misspelled as Guy Bond) was hired.[4] Boyd, who started his acting career in theatre,[5] gaining some popularity starring in several films directed by Robert Altman.[6] The film would be the actor's second role in a horror film, having previously starred in a minor role in Ghost Story (1981).[7]

Rob Paulsen, who would later become a prolific voice actor, would star in the film as Jewell Buchanan in his live-action film debut.[citation needed] Kerry Sherman, who previously starred in Satan's Cheerleaders (1977), and 48 Hrs. (1982), would portray Jewell's wife, Margret.[8] Veteran performers Will Hare, whose career spanned over three decades before staring in the film,[9] and Fran Ryan, known for her role as the character Aggie Thompson on The Doris Day Show (1968),[10] were cast in the minor roles of Calvin and his wife.[11]


Filming

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Image:Lake of the Ozarks State Park

Principle photography began in 1982, at Lake of the Ozarks State Park, Missouri, chosen for its relative remoteness, and forested landscape.[6][12][3] Prior to the start of filming, Crounse had cast members rehearse their scenes at Elysian Pictures' studio in Hollywood, Los Angeles, later traveling to the shooting locations once rehearsals were satisfactory.[12] The film was shot on 35mm film,[13] with Wade Hanks serving as the film's cinematographer.[11] The remoteness of the shooting location and adverse conditions were particularly challenging and, while principal work was completed within four weeks, the entire shoot lasted a total of nine weeks.[3] Crounse later described the shooting experience as challenging, recalling troubles with the local wildlife "we fought bugs, insects, and even copperheads on the set."[3]

Makeup and special effects artist Annie F. Maniscalco was responsible for creature designs and special effects.

Post-production

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Post-visual effects

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Editing

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Music

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The film score was composed by Brad Fiedel.

Release

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Distribution

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Following Eyes of Fire's completion, Mike Genovese

Theatrical screenings

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Eyes of Fire was given a limited theatrical release in 1984

Home media

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Eyes of Fire received a very limited home media distribution after its brief theatrical run. Vestron Video would release the film of VHS on June 26, 1987,[14] featuring alternate artwork for its VHS box art. This would be the film's only home media release for the next three decades, with the film mostly fading into obscurity during this time.[15]

After decades of being scantly available on home video, it was announced on August 24, 2021, that Severin Films would be releasing Eyes of Fire on Blu-ray, featuring a new 4K restoration from the original film elements, in addition to the uncut Cry Blue Sky version of the film.[16][17] The restoration would debut on December 7, 2021.[18] Severin included the film on Blu-ray in "All the Haunts Be Ours," a limited edition Blu-ray set, featuring twenty international feature films in the folk horror genre.[15] On January 1, 2022, the restored and uncut versions of the film were made available on the video streaming platforms Shudder[19][20][21] and on Apple TV+.[22]

Alternate cut

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Alternate Version

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The film was originally screened with a 108-minute runtime under the title Crying Blue Sky. After seeing the film with an audience, Avery decided to make significant cuts, eventually releasing the film under the title Eyes Of Fire with an 86-minute runtime. Crouse explained in a 2021 interview with author Stephen Thrower, that he "cut it down to something that didn't necessarily make much sense..." and added 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."[23] Since its release, several commentators have expressed a preference for the longer cut, which includes more characterization and a completely different opening and closing.[24][25]. 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.[24] 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.[26]

Reception

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Initial response

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Eyes of Fire was largely overlooked by mainstream critics during its initial theatrical run in 1983, with the film not receiving wider attention due to its limited release. Reviews from critics during this period were mixed to negative. In his book The Psychotronic Video Guide To Film, Michael Weldon commented that cinemagoers at the time of its release did not understand the film, seeing it as "too arty".[27]

The plot was criticized as being "thin", and "muddled".[28] Caryn James of The New York Times opined the film's story as being sidelined by its own horrific imagery, writing, "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".[29] The Palm Beach Post's Kathryn Buxton felt it was "difficult to figure what this movie was about", also stating that the film "goes in a lot of different directions at the same time".[30] Giving the film two out of four stars, David Inman of Courier Journal said of the film's story, "[it] isn't clever or distinctive enough to make it much above average", also critcizing it for being too generic.[31] In their 1987 review, Cinefantastique would criticize the plot, noting "the plot takes too long to get started and is leisurely paced throughout". The reviewer would further criticize the plot as 'defying description'.[32]

The film's special effects and visuals were simultaneously praised as technically impressive but criticized as undermining the film's characters and story. Louisiana newspaper The Town Talk's Rick Bentley had mixed feelings towards the effects, praising some as "handled with a masterful touch", while further noting that other effects were highly flawed and noticeable by the film's slow pacing.[33] Of the film's imagery and special effects, which she notes shows director Crounse's "extraordinary" visual imagination, James felt the human story was overwhelmed by the onslaught of imagery and special effects.[29] Kenneth Pilarski of the Hattiesburg American praised the film for its visual and technical effects, which he noted, added an eerie feel to the film with "the right touch of surrealism".[28] In their yearly Video Movie Guide, Mick Martin and Marsha Porter called the special effects "above-average".[34]

Reviews of the performances were also mixed, with some criticizing it as being "unmemorable" and "unbelievable".[29] Cinefantastique would lambaste the performances as subpar, calling the dialogue (at times) "indecipherable".[32] While reviewing on the film, Buxton felt there were too many characters, detracting away from the film's (admittedly) flawed story.[30] Alternately, Bentley felt that the performances of Karlene Crockett and Dennis Lipscomb were particularly good, but decried the film's storyline which did not give the actors much to do.[33] Crockett's performance, in particular, was highlighted by Pilarski, "brings a special excitement, exuberance, and a wonderful earthy quality to her role", while also praising Boyd's role for its "rugged individualism".[28] Inman would also commend the film's performances, in particular, those of Crockett, Klein, Lipscomb, and Stanley.[31]

Modern reassessment

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In the years following its release, Eyes of Fire has garnered a more positive reassessment by some modern-day critics, who now acknowledge it as being a seminal example of folk horror.[35] It has further gained a cult following over the years and is now considered by fans to be a cult classic.[citation needed]

Media entertainment website The Playlist referred to the film as "an unsung classic—where matters of religious propriety collide with wicked things haunting the natural world around them".[36] Susan Leighton of Screen Anarchy favorably compared the film to the works of Sam Raimi and Nathaniel Hawthorne's gothic novel The Scarlet Letter (1850), in its depiction of "offbeat and unusual worlds".[37] While mistakenly identifying it as a horror western, Bloody Disgusting's Meagan Navarro highlighted the film for its "dreamlike" atmosphere, while also noting its low budget.[38]

The Georgia Straight Author Edmund G. Bansak would praise the film as mirroring the works of Val Lewton, calling it "[the] best example of Lewtonesque American-Colonial horror film".[39]

Legacy

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References

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  1. ^ Hischak 2015, p. 233.
  2. ^ a b c d Pollack 1985, p. 180.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Bentley 1985a, p. 23.
  4. ^ a b c d e Hicks 1985, p. 75.
  5. ^ Davies 1980, p. 5.
  6. ^ a b Craig 1984, p. 26.
  7. ^ Mulay 1989, p. 26.
  8. ^ Parish 1990, p. 236.
  9. ^ n.a. (September 16, 1997). "Will Hare, 81, a Founder of Actors Studio". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 4, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  10. ^ n.a. (January 28, 2000). "Fran Ryan; Character Actress, Voice-Over Artist". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Senn & Johnson 1992, p. 166.
  12. ^ a b Marymont 1985, p. 89.
  13. ^ The Paducah Sun 1983, p. 14.
  14. ^ Scheuer & Pardi 1987, p. 248.
  15. ^ a b Squires, John (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 May 8, 2023.
  16. ^ n.a. (n.d.). "Eyes of Fire [Blu-ray] - Severin Films". Severin Films. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  17. ^ Hamman, Cody (August 27, 2021). "Eyes of Fire: 1983 horror coming to Blu-ray from Severin Films". Joblo. Archived from the original on August 27, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  18. ^ n.a. (n.d.). "Eyes of Fire Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  19. ^ Detwiler, Grace (January 2, 2022). "Vile VOD January 2022: New Year, New Titles Streaming". Rue Morgue. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  20. ^ Berkowitz, Joe (March 23, 2022). "How horror streamer Shudder keeps killing with original content". Fast Company. Mansueto Ventures. Retrieved May 19, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ^ n.a. (2021). "Eyes of Fire (1983)". Shudder. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  22. ^ n.a. (2021). "Eyes of Fire". Apple TV+. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  23. ^ 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.
  24. ^ a b Godwin, Kenneth George (12 February 2022). "Avery Crounse's Eyes of Fire (1983)". www.cageyfilms.com/. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  25. ^ McKelvey, John W. (31 January 2022). "Eyes of Fire, Back On the Map!". www.dvdexotica.com. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  26. ^ Cite error: The named reference Severin was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  27. ^ Weldon 1996, p. 194.
  28. ^ a b c Pilarski 1985, p. 11.
  29. ^ a b c James, Caryn (April 4, 1986). "FILM: 'EYES OF FIRE,' A MORALITY TALE". The New York Times. p. 18. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
  30. ^ a b Buxton 1985, p. 44.
  31. ^ a b Inman 1986, p. 15.
  32. ^ a b Harris 1987, p. 50.
  33. ^ a b Bentley 1985b, p. 22.
  34. ^ Martin & Porter 1996, p. 343.
  35. ^ Anderson, Kyle (January 24, 2022). "Explore a Treasure Trove of Folk Horror on Shudder". Nerdist. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  36. ^ Crump, Andrew (October 27, 2021). "The Best Folk Horror Films You Need To Know". The Playlist.net. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  37. ^ Leighton, Susan (September 27, 2021). "Fantastic Fest 2021 Review: EYES OF FIRE, 1700s Style EVIL DEAD". Screen Anarchy. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  38. ^ Navarro, Meagan (April 17, 2019). "The Weird, Wild West: 10 Great Horror Westerns". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  39. ^ Bansak 2003, p. 524.

Sources

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Books

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Periodicals

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Harris, Judith (September 1, 1987). "Film Ratings: Eyes of Fire". Cinefantastique. Vol. 17, no. 5. p. 50 – via InternetArchive.com.

Further reading

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Category:Fiction set in 1750 Category:1983 films Category:1983 horror films Category:1980s Western (genre) films Category:American films Category:American independent films Category:American supernatural horror films Category:American Western (genre) films Category:Films about Native Americans Category:Films scored by Brad Fiedel Category:Films set in the 1750s Category:Films set in forests Category:Films shot in Missouri Category:Films set in the Thirteen Colonies Category:Historical horror films Category:Western (genre) horror films

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