Eyes of Fire

Color, R (sexual situations, mature themes, language), 85 min., DVD $24.98, VHS rental

Street: May 18, Prebook: April 22

DVD: nothing extra

First Run: Video premiere

Cast: Rider Strong (Cabin Fever), Shiloh Strong (Cabin Fever), Christine Lakin (Getting Out), Azura Skye (The Salton Sea), William Russ (Life as a House)

VELOCITY

Story Line: Four teenagers including couple Willy (Rider Strong) and Becca (Lakin) head to the woods on graduation night. They become stranded, and somehow a fire ignites, setting the forest ablaze and infuriating the Ranger (Russ), who proceeds to interrogate them about what happened that night.

Bottom Line: Seemingly three parts Blair Witch Project with one part Rashomon (the story of the fire is told from each character's perspective), Eyes of Fire is actually a fairly light-hearted comedy for the teen set. That said, the movie's original title--Buck Naked Arson--seems more appropriate than the ominous Eyes of Fire. Although fire is a serious matter, and other issues are tackled (there's even an unplanned pregnancy sub-plot), the overall mood is one of humor, with Russ' exasperated Ranger trying to wrest the truth from four teenagers who all blame each other. With so many teen films on the market, and nothing exceptional to make this one stand out, it's hard to say how much business the movie will generate. Just make sure to group it under comedy, as opposed to horror, or you might have some very dissatisfied customers. --Mayna Bergmann

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