Synopsis

A lone man is trapped in a bizarre, nightmarish world where he appears to be enslaved and watched over by members of Kansas dressed as guards. As he struggles to escape, the imagery grows increasingly surreal, involving strange rituals, a mysterious woman, a giant insect, and an ominous fire. The band performs amid flames and theatrical effects, while the captive's resistance builds toward a climactic confrontation. The ending reveals the ordeal as a dream, with Kansas members gathered around him as he awakens.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was made to promote Kansas' 1983 single "Fight Fire with Fire," from the album "Drastic Measures."

• Actor Dan Shor plays the central character. He was known at the time for appearing in "Tron," and later became familiar to television audiences through roles including "Cagney & Lacey" and "Star Trek."

• Rather than making the band members carry the entire narrative, the production used Shor as the story's lead and placed Kansas in supporting roles within the fantasy.

• The clip was filmed at the A&M Soundstage in Los Angeles. Production used 16mm film, Kodak 7291 stock, multiple zoom and wide-angle lenses, and extensive lighting effects.

• The effects combined practical fire with an animated fireball. The production also used film-based optical work and other visual treatments to heighten the deliberately exaggerated, dreamlike atmosphere.

• A special industry screening was held at the American Film Institute before the video began airing on MTV in the summer of 1983.

• The film negative was transferred to videotape for editing. The completed piece was later enlarged to 35mm and shown in movie theaters as a trailer, including screenings with Francis Ford Coppola's "Rumble Fish."

• "Fight Fire with Fire" reached No. 3 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart and No. 58 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving the video a prominent promotional role during Kansas' early-1980s transition into a more polished hard-rock sound.

• Guitarist Rich Williams later recalled that the red hat he wears in the clip was made specifically for the production.