EYES OF FIRE (1983) - A FOLK HORROR GEM

HORROR 101 with Dr. AC

EYES OF FIRE (1983) d. Avery Crounse (USA)

When celebrated photographer Avery Crounse set out to make his feature film debut, he didn’t opt for the simple route of an escaped psycho wielding a butcher knife like so many of his early ‘80s contemporaries. Eyes of Fire is instead an epic venture into the realm of magical realism, following a pair of families in 1750 on the run from their Puritanical community’s torches and pitchforks. As they escape into the wilds of the American Frontier, they encounter not only justifiably hostile Native Americans defending their territory, but also tree demons and tortured spirits bent on taking their lives, stealing their souls, or worse. Crounse’s visual eye is stunning, capturing the struggle between Man and Nature in bold relief, with breathtakingly beautiful tableaus trading beats with ambitious and creative practical effects. Eyes of Fire is a testament to artistic vision realized on a tiny budget, and, after years of obscurity, is thankfully enjoying a renewed wave of awareness, thanks to its inclusion in Severin’s outstanding folk horror box set, All The Haunts Be Ours. Join AC and his awesome panel of guests (Aaron AuBuchon, S.A. Bradley, Alan Tromp, John McDevitt) as they celebrate this hidden gem, now revealed to a new generation of adventurous genre fans looking for something outside the proverbial box. ------------------------------------------------------- AARON AUBUCHON is a film professor and writer, and also an editor, director, motion graphics artist and producer. He is also co-host of the Discover the Horror podcast. S.A. BRADLEY hosts the “Hellbent for Horror” podcast, is the author of “Screaming for Pleasure: How Horror Makes You Happy and Healthy,” and lectured at Webster University and The College of Idaho. His show, “My Horror Manifesto,” played in NYC. JOHN MCDEVITT is a lifelong cinephile who programs two monthly screening series: SUPER-HORROR-RAMA at FACETS and Fetish Film Forum at the Leather Archives & Museum, both in Chicago. John is fascinated by all genres of cinema and appreciates horror most of all for its willingness to explore what makes us uncomfortable and for the compassion it often extends to its characters and the viewer. ALAN TROMP is a golden age Monster Kid, who has published articles in Filmfax, Twilight Zone Magazine, and We Belong Dead publications in the UK. He was scriptwriter for the shot-on-video nightmare, The Soul Eaters. --------------------------------------------------- Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!