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SLIFF 2016 – Missouri-Shot Horror EYES OF FIRE from 1983 Screens November 8th

By Tom Stockman | October 19, 2016

EYES OF FIRE screens Tuesday, November 8th at 7:30pm in 35mm at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 E Lockwood Ave,) as part of The St. Louis International Film Festival. The screening will be introduced by We Are Movie Geeks own Tom Stockman

A few years back, Cinema St. Louis by chance came into possession of a 35mm print of EYES OF FIRE, an unjustly forgotten horror film shot more than three decades ago in the backwoods of the Missouri Ozarks. It was the directorial debut of experimental photographer Avery Crounse. For the 25th anniversary of the St. Louis International Film Festival, Cinema St. Louis feels duty-bound to give a respectful nod to their celluloid past — every other work in the fest screens digitally — by cracking open the film cans and offering a rare opportunity to view this criminally underseen gem in glorious 35mm. The event takes place at 7:30pm on Wednesday., November 9^th at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 E Lockwood Ave,). EYES OF FIRE will be introduced by We Are Movie Geeks own Tom Stockman, Ticket information can be found HERE

Set in mid-18^th century, EYES OF FIRE is an unforgettable blend of horror and mysticism within a mid-America setting. Will Smythe (Dennis Lipscomb) is a hypocritical, but charismatic preacher new to the small settlement of Dalton’s Ferry. Traveling with him is Leah, a strange young girl who seems to possess magical abilities. Her mother, suspected of being a witch, was burned alive. While residing in the settlement, the reverend sleeps with the wife of Marion Dalton (Guy Boyd), a trapper who spends most of his time away. The settlers disapprove of Smythe’s extracurricular activities and attempt to hang him, but he’s rescued by both Leah and a small group of the settlers who flee the township hoping to find their own personal “promised land” in which to settle down. Eventually forced into a valley by marauding Indians, Smythe promptly declares it to be the sanctuary they’ve been seeking. As they begin to start a new life, little do they know that this place is already inhabited by a demonic witch and her ghastly minions.

LA’s Cinefamily, which held its own screening of EYES OF FIRE earlier this year, aptly describes the film as a “supernatural battle between good and evil, rife with impressively fantastical set pieces — from trees with faces and a mysterious naked forest-dwelling sect to rains of skulls and bones — all swung on a shoestring budget.”

In spite of a low budget, the period setting of EYES OF FIRE feels authentic. You never once believe that these people aren’t living in the colonial days. The all-encompassing isolation, the lack of modern weapons or technology and the endless amount of rich history are all elements which are positively ripe for tales of the macabre. Most of all, though, there are the superstitions and folklore which were so rampant back in those days. This continent was still a relatively unknown place then, none of the settlers really having a clue as to what they might encounter. I don’t think here is anything more terrifying than the unknown, so what better time than the days of the unknown to tell a story of this nature? Crounse certainly realizes this, as he milks the period setting and atmosphericc mythology for all that they’re worth.

The special effects in EYES OF FIRE are not only perfectly believable, but quite well-done at that. The hideous look of the witch herself and the surprisingly numerous explosions and arrow battles are especially impressive. On the acting front, Lipscomb plays slimy as if it were second nature to him. Boyd is strong in the role of foil, while Kathleen Crockett steals the show as Leah, a character that could have fallen into camp if not played correctly.