Eyes of Fire (film)
Encyclopedia
Eyes of Fire is a horror film
written and directed by independent filmmaker Avery Crounse, originally circulated in theaters in 1983 through the company Elysian Pictures, though the film had no official contract for VHS release until 1987 under the with Vestron Incorporated. Currently, there are DVD editions available through Brazilian
and Thailand
markets. Though the film was unsuccessful in theaters, the film received positive reviews and was moderately more successful during the VHS release in the late 1980s.
days, before the United States
declared its independence
. A group of pioneers narrowly escape persecution when their preacher is accused of adultery
and polygamy
. The preacher, Will Smythe, is accused of having an affair with a married woman, Eloise Dalton whose husband is away hunting for food, and another woman, Leah, who is insane. Also among their group is Eloise's daughter Fanny Dalton, the couple Jewell Buchanan and Margaret Buchanan along with 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 the 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 affair 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 lest 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 into the valley, knowing that if the Shawnee were to return, they would not follow the pioneers into the valley because of various Native American superstition some of the tribes have in regards to this particular valley.
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. And 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 afterward, and her body is later found by Marion, with the help of Leah through her abilities and visions, though Fanny appears to be in a coma
. Only when Fanny awakens do they realize that the warnings to stay away from the valley are founded on more than just mythology, coupled with the frightening revelation that the orphan girl is more than what she seems when the group is terrorized by an evil spirit that desires to make them all its living captives.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
written and directed by independent filmmaker Avery Crounse, originally circulated in theaters in 1983 through the company Elysian Pictures, though the film had no official contract for VHS release until 1987 under the with Vestron Incorporated. Currently, there are DVD editions available through Brazilian
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
markets. Though the film was unsuccessful in theaters, the film received positive reviews and was moderately more successful during the VHS release in the late 1980s.
Plot
The film takes place in the year 1750 on the American frontier during the colonialColonial
Colonial or The Colonial may refer to:* Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony* Colonial history of the United States, the period of American history from the 17th century to 1776, under the rule of Great Britain, France and Spain...
days, before the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
declared its independence
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
. A group of pioneers narrowly escape persecution when their preacher is accused of adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
and polygamy
Polygamy
Polygamy is a marriage which includes more than two partners...
. The preacher, Will Smythe, is accused of having an affair with a married woman, Eloise Dalton whose husband is away hunting for food, and another woman, Leah, who is insane. Also among their group is Eloise's daughter Fanny Dalton, the couple Jewell Buchanan and Margaret Buchanan along with 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
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
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
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
to provide their protection. All the while the others are unaware that Leah is using magic the 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 affair 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 lest 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 into the valley, knowing that if the Shawnee were to return, they would not follow the pioneers into the valley because of various Native American superstition some of the tribes have in regards to this particular valley.
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
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an 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
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. Aside from Will, it seems the others in the group are unnerved by the orphan girl's presence. And Leah, who has an extraordinary connection to the supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
, 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 afterward, and her body is later found by Marion, with the help of Leah through her abilities and visions, though Fanny appears to be in a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
. Only when Fanny awakens do they realize that the warnings to stay away from the valley are founded on more than just mythology, coupled with the frightening revelation that the orphan girl is more than what she seems when the group is terrorized by an evil spirit that desires to make them all its living captives.
Cast
- Guy BoydGuy Boyd (actor)Guy Boyd is an American character actor. He has starred in over fifty films from the late 1970s to the present. He is probably best known for his role as Detective Jim McLean in Brian De Palma's thriller Body Double...
as Marion Dalton - Karlene Crockett as Leah
- Rebecca Stanley as Eloise Dalton
- Dennis LipscombDennis LipscombDennis Lipscomb is an American actor.Lipscomb's first feature film was Union City . From the early 1980s to the 1990s, Lipscomb appeared in key roles in various motion pictures including Eyes of Fire , WarGames , The Day After , A Soldier's Story , Amazing Grace and Chuck , Sister, Sister , The...
as Will Smythe - Sally Klein as Fanny Dalton (Narrator)
- Kerry ShermanKerry ShermanKerry Sherman is an American actress most notably recognized for her role as Amy Perkins Wallace on NBC's soap opera Santa Barbara. She portrayed the role from 1984 to 1986....
as Margaret Buchanan - Rob PaulsenRob PaulsenRobert Fredrick "Rob" Paulsen III , sometimes credited as Rob Paulson, is an American voice actor, best known as the voice behind Raphael from the 1987 cartoon of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Yakko Warner and Dr...
as Jewell Buchanan - Caitlin Baldwin as Cathleen Buchanan
- Erin Buchanan as Meg
- Fran RyanFran RyanFran Ryan was an American character actress featured in television and films. She was born in Los Angeles, California....
as Sister (Calvin's Wife) - Will HareWill HareWill Hare was an American actor who appeared on television and films, often playing old crusty figures and father/grandpa roles.Hare was born in Elkins, West Virginia, the son of Frances Laetitia and George Thomas Hare.-Career:He had appeared on stage, screen, and television since he was 17...
as Calvin - Rose Preston as Orphan Girl (Cry Blue Sky)
- Russell James Young Jr. as Evil Spirit (Orphan Girl's True Form)