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Hawk the Slayer: Revisiting the UK Star Wars + Mark Meer Interview
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ต.ค. 2022
- While the sword and sorcery genre dominated genre cinema in the first half of the eighties, thanks to the influence of Conan the Barbarian, one film predates this trend. That movie is - Hawk the Slayer! If you’re based in the UK, you might be saying to yourself, “oh man, Hawk the Slayer rules,” or maybe, “Hawk the Slayer sucks.” But, if you’re outside English, you’re probably thinking, WTF is Hawk the Slayer?
This is a big-budget UK attempt at a blockbuster that arguably owes more to the influence of Star Wars (mainly its box office) than anything else. It was meant to start a blockbuster film saga, but underwhelming box office and withering reviews meant this was a one-off. The brainchild of writer-director Terry Marcel, the film stars John Terry (later famous as Jack’s dad on Lost and a one time Felix Leiter in The Living Daylights) as a heroic warrior named Hawk (very much in the Luke Skywalker mode) who goes up against a masked baddie Darth Vader) played by the great Jack Palance. While a bit of a flop, the movie maintains a solid cult following, especially in the UK, as writer-narrator Jessica Dwyer explains in this episode of Fantasizing About Fantasy Films (edited by Bill Mazzola). She also has an exclusive interview is Mass Effect voice artist Mark Meer (Commander Shepard), who explains how this film kicked off a lifelong obsession with all things sword and sorcery. So please sit back, relax and let us tell you all about this little-known UK adventure.
For more Hawk the Slayer love - check out an interview Jessica Dwyer did with the director, Terry Marcel: bit.ly/3Vol5VK
Have you seen Hawk the Slayer? Let us know in the comments!
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#hawktheslayer #johnterry #markmeer
In 1983, when I was 9 years old, I can remember waking up at 6am on a Sunday morning just to watch Hawk The Slayer on Cinemax! It became one of my favorite films as a kid. Right up there with Flash Gordon and Escape from NY. It isn't as good as those films, but I certainly watched it as many times as them.
Lol, I'm a fee years older but you and I shared some childhood similarities. Loved this movie and watched it multiple times on cable.
There's a really funny clip from the show Spaced, where someone says Hawk The Slayer's rubbish, and Bill Bailey punches him in the face
that’s why i’m here…that spaced reference is all i know about this movie 😂
Good on you Mr. Bailey!
Everything Bill Bailey does is funny.
@@BigSausageTits ditto
@@tigerbread78
‘ave a banana!
It's funny how low budget the special effects were in this movie, and how great the movie turned out. Just goes to show if you have a good script, director, and actors, you can do a lot. I loved this movie.
This was immense as a child. The Disco/Fantasy soundtrack. Jack Palance as the baddie, a dwarf and an elf. Going back to it, I appreciate Annette Crosbie and Bernard Bresslaw.
I remember this! It has Jack Palance as the villian.
One of my very favorites. I’m always happy when someone else has seen it. That and the sword and the sorcerer, dragonslayer, krull. It was a magical time, no pun intended
Love the elf in this movie ....he was how i imagined Eol the dark elf looked when I read the silmarillion .
It's a movie that balances beautifully betwixt the best worst movie ever made or the worst best movie ever made.
This, Krull, Ralph Bakshi's LOTR, and Dark Crystal were required viewing before every Red Box D&D session when I was a kid. It was one of thr first films I literally watched to death on scratchy VHS, wearing the tape down to nothing. But - and I shall never feel ashamed to admit this - I *still* have it. A worn out, beaten Asda 180 minute cassette in a vault, ready to be *burned* with me when I'm cremated and take it with me to Valhalla.
The joy of watching this movie is the shared palpable joy that the cast who are unabashedly enjoying themselves, even though they know it's a B-movie pantomime. It's like a troup of the Royal Shakespeare Company went to LARP in the woods, and as an after thought, brought along a film crew and a dry ice machine.
But it's always been a wonder to me that MST3K never *ever* got their hands on this. They were made for each other.
RiffTrax did one of it so close enough :)
"Hawk the Slayer" had fantastic bangs!!!! 🗡️!!!
AMAZING hair!
Yes I was one of those children's of the VCR and cable.
I feel like this movie was only ever watched in PAL format.
I've seen movie countless times over the last 40 years and watched it again tonight. What I'd never caught before was how strongly it riffs on spaghetti westerns. Every fight is like a Mexican standoff and even the soundtrack sounds like a Sergio Leoni film. Doesn't make it any less awesome. Just marvel at how I continue to find new things to love about this.
That was a very good movie. Very memorable, fun to watch, and highly underrated. Great story.
Great interview!
Hawk The Slayer (1980) is a thought-provoking syfy /sword & sorcery drama that's set in the middle ages! The film was made on a shoestring budget ($75,000)' and is considered a cult classic. I wouldn't change a thing about the film --not the casting, not the acting, not the scenes, NOTHING (except **maybe** the spray string, Lol).
I've re-watched this movie many many times since I discovered it several years ago. I've enjoyed it every single time and wished that there was a thought-provoking syfy movie that I could watch next. (Cowboys and Aliens (2011) might have fit the bill if Daniel Craig wasn't in it).
I never really considered the influence of "Star Wars" on this film, but now that you mention it, I see it now. Very interesting blending of genres. As a kid, I just remember how much stories like this appealed to me.
it tries to do for high fantasy what Star wars did for space opera!
Oh my gods, I didn't think anyone remembered this movie besides me. I can't claim it as my first, that'll always be The Magic Sword (from 1962), but it was one of my favorites growing up. I literally watched every and any sword-&-sorcery/dungeons-&-dragons movie I could find. I ate that stuff up like Jack Palance ate scenes. I remember in middle school scanning the TV Guide for broadcasts (usually around 3am, the timeslot reserved for "B movies"). I had a big crush on the elf. I still have a recording of the credits soundtrack on my playlist and consider it my gateway to fantasy/epic/Celtic music. Plus I'm a complete sucker for anything with a decent witch in it. I never got to actually play D&D live. There wasn't anyone around interested in it when I was a kid. It's good to know the classics are still being appreciated.
Hawk the Slayer was fun and I enjoyed your video, my only complaint is @14:21 you mention Darth Vader/Dave Prowse and he can be seen blurry in the background as the creature but fail to mention Grand Moff Tarkin/Peter Cushing who's in full view. :)
So cool! Forgot about this movie since I was little. It was on tv late night and I thought it was very cool but kept falling asleep throughout. Great video!
I love this film, although I put in my top 3 for 'best' sword and sorcery films [1 - Conan, 2 - Beastmaster, 3 - Hawk] it's actually my favourite. Thank you for reviewing it with genuine affection. Too many people aren't willing to see past the effects [or lack of them]. Hawk is my favourite because despite all its flaws Terry Marcel and Harry Robertson made a film with a very unique identity, even if it was one inspired by the many films you referenced. I'm pretty certain it was the first Betamax movie we ever rented and I got to choose it from the rental store. Beyond the film I have such a vivid memory of sitting down with my family as we watched a rented film on our new player for the first time.
Really amazing how interest in this film has developed. I watched it on TV back in the 80's, and over the years have watched it more times. Even bought the Blu-ray recently. I can't put my finger on it precisely why it's so interesting, and has stayed with me. I think first of all was the cast of great British character actors in it. Jack Palance's acting too. The script is like they wrote it while flipping through a Rolodex of "every cheesy cliched line from every sword and sorcery movie ever made". And the soundtrack! It can best be described as "medieval disco"!
Blast from the past! I remember this I was only 3 when it came out but my parents loved it and so we all loved it 😆👍🏻
I think D&D, that was first released in the 70s, was influenced mostly by Tolkien, in particular LOTR, where the Fellowship of the Ring was made up of a mishmash of different races with differing abilities, rather than The Hobbit, with its party of dwarves and one hobbit.
Best line ever, *I loath each breath that keeps you alive". What an insult! Loved Crow.
29:10 Wow! Great impression!
As a Dungeons and Dragons player back in the day I was always wanting to see a film with Swords, Magic, Dwarves and Elves, this was the first one that met the requirements. It was one of my favourite films for years and I never found anyone else who had even seen it let alone liked it.
I just saw Palance in an obscure flick called The One Man Jury (1978). A sort of Death Wish clone but some great performances throughout, also with Nurse Karen from Halloween II (1981) and the Maniac (1980) himself.
Oy, this is another one of my childhood experiences that didn't hold up over time(see my entry about the Sword and the Sorcerer). I have to say though, that I'm so glad that you are doing a series about fantasy films, especially the 80's ones, as they were such a love of mine growing up(sci-fi and horror too!). Another movie that you might want to consider covering was a tv film that I loved called The Archer: Fugitive from the Empire, which came out in 1981. Also, are you going to do one on Dragonslayer?
I saw it and taped this movie on Show time back in 82, I still have it. Also it's the only time I've ever seen a rapid shooting crossbow in a movie, I love this movie.
I love this film. I was so disappointed there was no sequel. Loved the sword. Loved Crow. Love Bernard Bresslaw (more for his Carry ons but he is so good here) Dwarf was fun. Loved this show so much. And Jack Palance WOW !! Role just so suited him. And who holds it together John Terry - Hawk. Amazing.
Old Hawk was in Full Metal Jacket too briefly
As an American child of the 80's and 90's I have never heard of this movie before. Maybe it was a Cinemax exclusive and I only had HBO and Prism (who remembers that cable channel?!)
I'm Belgium, Europe. Grew up in the same period, pretty much a movie buf, but I also never heard about this movie.
I was one of many that suggested Terry Marcel and Andrew grocock attempt a kickstarter.... I was so sad we didn't make it.
like Krull, Lady Hawke
I'll always remember W Morgan Shepherd as Lawrence Limburger on Biker Mice.
I can still quote this movie! For some reason me and my friends watched this one so many times!
*edit: I love the way you American's pronounce the word "Hawk" as "Hock", and while I'm thinking about it, the words "Thought" as "Thot" and also "Pause" as "Pahs".
"Drogoooo! My son lies dead and yet you live?!"
Interesting and astute takes on this movie. I never really thought much about it. But it really is a western, and also, a lot like the Eastwood spaghetti westerns. Too funny!!! No wonder I loved this movie.
A big, HUGE, slice of 100% 80s cheese but DAMN IT IS SO MUCH FUN!
Hmmm... I gotta check this flick out! Never even heard of it!
Saw this on Canadian TV as a boy and a lifelong love was born.
Perhaps my alltime fav film, certainly a contender...........just so amazing in all the right ways; in all the wrong ways. Sure, it's cheesy, dated and some of the dialogue and acting is stilted and hammy, and it's almost distinctly British in so many ways and distinctly "80s" too; but its charm is literally magical. It's setting is almost more bordering on Medieval, and the look of the people too and yet....there's correlations with Spaghetti Westerns as previously spoken, even in the musical score and the Mexican stand-offs and the way the crossbow fires like a gun and Crow's speed too. Everything is brought to life by those majestic flute sounds that conjure even more of a magical feel. The film feels familiar in its setting; churches, woods and forests etc and carries quite a number of obvious Fantasy tropes, like Elves, Dwarves and swords, bows and arrows and the likes, but there's lots of original elements too, like the creepy wizard and its voice; the weird swamps with snakes and odd creatures bobbing up sporadically, in the dark forest. Crow's running in slo-mo when he's actually running at lightning speed; the rapid-firing crossbow as previously mentioned and Crow himself, jumping up into trees from a standing position - the Woman and depiction of her magic; whirring 'fireballs' etc. Voltan's eerily similar aesthetic to Darth Vader wasn't unnoticed by me before comparisons were even made......there's so much to this movie, it became a cult classic off the back of its popularity, and even though fans have been crying out for more of the story and sequels which were teased even all the way back then, I kinda feel glad it's remained a stand-alone movie, which hasn't tried to be bettered or rivalled by additional films etc (until now), I'm sorry the kickstarter was a failure, but maybe some things are better left as they are..it's just added to the lore of this already mythical mad classic!!
Fascinating. I consider myself pretty geeky and have been since I was a kid in the seventies. Although for me, fantasy was more something 'to tie me over until then next sci fi things comes along', I thought I'd seen them all and I count many of them (Excalibur!!!, Krull!!) among my favourite movies regardless of genre.
I had never heard of this movie before seeing this. At 56, I'm probably the wrong age for a first exposure to end well, and I get the impression that the soundtrack is going to take some getting used to (back in the day, I absolutely HATED how tinny, keyboard soundtracks with synth drums were everywhere), but I now definitely need to check it out. Thanks for the tip! Like I said, I thought I'd seen them all from that age. Missed the one that started it apparently...
Also, I'm trying to remember what other low budget fantasy movie I will have seen the dwarf actor in. There was also an elf-type character (green?) - hang on, I remember something about the premise: woman journalist gets sucked into dimension machine created by mad scientist. She and some handyman (the hero, obviously) appear in a fantasy world where the scientist is now making weapons for the obligatory evil lord (time runs faster in the fantasy world so the scientist, who jumped into the machine minutes or seconds earlier has been there for years).
Journalist woman and hero handyman team up with reluctant midget - same guy as in this movie.
Aaah! The name of that movie!
LOL I JUST acquired this through shady acquisition. And remembered so much and forgot a lot. The elf was my favorite as a kid. Grown up? That dwarf, boy....you wanna.
....summer child of the betamax
Back in the seventies I think it was like 76 or 77 that I got into dungeons & dragons and it was a big deal it's like we didn't even have the real books we had copied pages of the book that somebody from the local college print it out and then hawk the Slayer came out and I thought that was a great movie I was just a kid but I still love it to this day it's like I watch it now and I'm like kind of like it's kind of hokey in some spots but I still love it it's still a great movie and I've been into fantasy ever since I mean I have a extensive book collection a fantasy adventure and I not only still play dungeons & dragons but I taught my kids how to play it and now I play it with not just my grown adult children but my grandchildren also are involved in playing d&d and I still watch fantasy I mean there's so many movies that I've watched fantasy adventures that is I couldn't even begin to name all of them but anyways thank you so much for this trip down memory lane LOL you have a great one I really enjoyed the interview listening to you guys talk about how to Slayer and some of the stuff that you were talking about I've never seen or heard of but I'm going to have to look it up because I definitely want to see it all right that's enough I'll talk to you later thank you you have a great day God bless you and maybe we'll talk again in the future your friend from Southern Nevada Nicholas
Best fantasy movie !!! 🎬
An epic western at its heart ❤️
The weapons and how they weild them is insane !!! 😬👍🏻
Crow's gift with a bow is addictive to watch 😬💯👍🏻 Brilliant movie. Acting and actors are amazing 💯😬👍🏻
remember this from my childhood, released the year after I started playing dungeons and dragons and watched many times in the years since
Straight up Love this Movie, it Is Exactly the The Fantasy Sword that Jump Started the 80s in every Good way Possible
Actually saw this in the theater, liked it but had several things i disliked: 1, an american actor that can't even fake an english accent, ( I'm american) 2, cramming in tolkien with nuns and priests in a medieval era, 3, lots of the film is spent doing the "7 samurai" gathering of the warriors. And a guy that's 6 foot 7 inches is a ...uh..."giant". Despite all that, I loved it!!
I can't believe I've never even HEARD of this movie before!! Now I really want to see it! But hey, now that you've mentioned it, why not do some animated movies on the show sometime? Maybe 'Fire & Ice', or 'The Sea Prince and The Fire Child'? Either way, I know sme new characters to use for my next campaign! =)
I love Fire and Ice. Rock and Rule is another great one. I've got a wish list :)
@@JessicaDwyer Two of my favs too! And they're right here on TH-cam as well! =)
Sort of saw this, leading to decades of think there was an actual D & D movie out there and frusrating failing to not only find it, but to get anyone to even acknowledge they knew what I was talking about. It was on TV shortly after it came out for some reason (HBO preview week?) But all I saw was the battle scene in the woods with the elf archer being the 1st live action fantasy elf I'd ever seen. It must've been on at the same time as something pretty good for me to not finish watching it. It wasn't until last month or so since I finally learned it was "just" Hawk the Slayer I had seen ("just" because I had heard of the movie continually over the years, just not seen any recognizable clips or pics). So this movie will always be a disappointment to me for having to compete with my childhood imagination (with filler from the AD&D cartoon and multiple rpg modules)of what the nonexistant D&D movie probably looked like.
If you try to describe this to a newcomer, tell people its like Lord Of The Rings meets The Magnificent Seven.
lol, it's a cross between Willow and Mad Max!
Thanks for doing this movie I was literally thinking about this movie the other day.
I punched a bloke in the face once for saying Hawk the Slayer was rubbish
Hawk The Slayer is a classic. It’s one of those rare film I make sure I watch once a year. Can’t say the same for most if the rubbish Hollywood produces now days.
Great fantasy movie! One of the best!
More like hawk the franchise
The puppets are from the film To the Devil a Daughter
Hopefully you guys still read the messages from old vids. You should have a look at Robin of Sherwood if you like this, 80s UK TV series in a very similar vein.
The hilt on that sword looks like it may have been purchased from one of those "private shops" that have the blacked out windows...
I'm 99% sure that the "creepy little puppets" were recycled from the 1976 Hammer Horror film "To the Devil.... a Daughter".
"I am no messenger, but I do bring a message. A message of DEATH!" Unfortunately, it does feel like a LARP, with production values to match.
39:25 - *THE RESURRECTED (1991) - JOHN TERRY - CHRIS SARANDON
USA needs a blu ray release with bts and reunion panels
Rewatched this recently, the soundtrack is awesome, but it struck me how blatantly similar it is too War of the Worlds.
OMG I loved this!
Such cheesy goodness. One you gotta watch young to actually love lol 😂
Hawk The Slayer is one of those very rare films- it's so bad, and so cheesy, it's BRILLIANT! There are more holes in the plot than a Swiss cheese- eg Jack Palance looked old enough to be Hawk's father, not his brother. Seriously, who would name their child,' Vultan,' or, 'Drogo?' It's just asking for trouble! If I knew anybody who gave such a name to a child, I would be on the phone to Social Services immediately! It's a superb piece of nonsense though.
I once punched a bloke in the face for saying Hawk the Slayer was rubbish…
Is your name Bilbo?
elements of Star Wars, Tolkien, and more
Cool masks
Mark rules
We saw it last friday. It's cringy for todays standards but we enjoyed some of that good old 80's cheese.
Hawk the Slayer's rubbish!....😏
Hawk The Slayer's rubbish!!! *pow!* ;)
Female voice. Red thumb.
40 minutes for this shlocky garbage movie that's a pass.
Star Wars is a British made film! Pinewood baby! Most of the crew were brits!