The Devil is in the Trees: EYES OF FIRE (1983)

There's nothing more wonderful than finding an intriguing movie you've never heard of before by random chance and having your highest hopes come true.  Eyes of Fire is in the Top Three Random Finds for me (along with the priceless Paperhouse), and not only is it one of my favorite horror films of the 80's, it's one of my Top Five Favorite Horror Movies, period.  Never before or since have I seen a movie that so seamlessly blends fantasy, horror and history with as much skill, enchantment and tension, and the sad thing about it is that I've never met another person who's seen it.  It doesn't even have a legitimate DVD release (save for a suspicious-looking Brazilian release that may as well not exist for how much I don't want to waste money on it), and you'd think that with it being an 80's horror movie only available on VHS the horror tape crowd would have said something by now.  Get ready for a run through the woods, because it's going to be freaky.

Set in the Appalachians around 1750, the film is told via flashback, a story told by two young Colonies girls who were found wandering through French Territory with no parents.  They were among a group of people who left their village with the charismatic and smug "preacher" Will Smythe (Dennis Lipscomb, Retribution).  He was accused of polygamy and was strung up to hang, but the mysterious, red-haired Leah (Karlene Crockett, Dallas) appears to free him by breaking the rope with magic powers.  His "followers" set off down the river on a patchwork raft, and all seems well until the party is attacked by the local tribe, as they're on Native land.  They're met by Marion Dalton (Guy Boyd), the father of the young girls who was previously out hunting, and I won't dare spoil his entrance (and you won't guess it in a hundred years).  At first they have no destination in particular, until they see this:

It's at this tree where the Natives stop - they believe it's a sign that the land is possessed by evil.  Marion is wise enough to heed their fears, but Will Smythe won't let that get in the way of Manifest Destiny.  They also ignore another bad sign, an abandoned fort in the middle of a field, and they make it their new home.  And then the strange things start to happen, things that I can barely even describe without spoiling the shock and wonder they inspire.  Perhaps the broken tablet they find in a river describing the unspeakable horrors that descended on the previous residents of the fort have something to do with it, or maybe the little girl who appears in their camp one day with no speech capacity or recognizably human qualities.  Maybe the naked people who appear and disappear have something to say, but the sounds that come from their mouths seem more like pained wails.  Or perhaps the answer lies in the Native legend Marion tells his family about how the Devil isn't a human-like being but rather a condensation of death and evil that grows out of nature - as Marion puts it, "The Devil is in the trees."

While these descriptions may seem vague, you should know that the latter half of this film is defined by fascinating concepts, mounting insanity and mind-blowing special effects.  The writer and director is Avery Crounse, a native of Kentucky who has only directed two other films as of now (the excellent Cries of Silence and the vomitous, made-for-a-paycheck The Invisible Kid*).  It's easy to see his photographic experience in the film, as the compositions and lighting are fantastic and the special effects utilize simple, recognizable photographic tricks to incredible effect.  Mostly shot in the Missouri countryside, the movie's forsaken woods are dark and enveloping, fractalling into corners we'd rather not explore.  The setting of pre-Declaration America is fresh and inviting, opening up interesting doors not just confined to horror**.  Eschewing conventional violence entirely, the terror is drawn from the dark magic and sheer presence of its villain, a truly original and intimidating monster that continues to surprise throughout the film.  The film collages disparate mythological tropes, bridging gaps of legend and magic for an utterly fascinating, self-contained world.  The soundtrack swings between Celtic folk music and hair-raising tape effects, blending seamlessly with the imagery to rip you into the action.  The performances are exemplary for the mostly no-name cast, especially from Leah's actress - her character alone could have made the movie, and Karlene Crockett can make a cocked eyebrow and quivering lip into a force to behold.

All of this is told through fractured narration from a bewildered child, and so some things in the movie may seem confusing at first view.  Fuggedaboudit.  Eyes of Fire is more than the best campfire story ever - it's a singular sight-and-sound experience that begs for repeated viewings.  There's so much detail and passion on screen that the proceedings nearly fall apart under their own Weight of Awesome.  The film's limited theatrical run and under-the-radar video release four years later have kept it from the spotlight, and I'm a little stunned it hasn't been picked up for a DVD release by now, what with Shout! Factory running wild with 80's horror in the past few years.  The VHS tapes are out there if you're interested, but you don't even have to bother - somebody uploaded the whole shebang to YouTube at this convenient link.  It's the kind of movie that inspired me to search for the Great Unknowns in the first place, a daring feat of imagination and the most accomplished debut horror film since The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  You've still got time to plan for a viewing, so let it inspire you this Eve, and watch out - this Devil grows out of the Earth itself, and could take you when you least suspect it.  From View from the Paperhouse, Happy Halloween.

~PNK

*Please, PLEASE don't watch it, even if you like bad invisible man comedies.  Just don't.

**Is The Blair Witch Project really the only other horror movie to make use of early America?  For shame.