This 1980 Fantasy Movie With A Cult Following Is Waiting To Be Seen On Tubi

When George Lucas’ “Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope” became a huge hit in 1977, Hollywood responded by producing over a decade of effects-heavy sci-fi and fantasy movies of all levels of quality. Special effects were slowly becoming unbound, and more and more money was being devoted to fantastical visuals than ever before. Some of the fantasy movies of the early-to-mid-1980s were exciting and memorable, and they’re referred to with fondness by Gen-X kids who grew up watching them (the George R.R. Martin favorite “Dragonslayer,” Jim Henson and Frank Oz’s “The Dark Crystal,” etc.).

But for every beloved fantasy epic, there were 100 low-budget sword and sorcery flicks that some semi-resourceful producers threw together and shot out in the woods. One such example was “Hawk the Slayer,” Terry Marcel’s zany British tale of knight errantry starring Jack Palance. “Hawk the Slayer” was made on a very modest budget, most of which probably went to Palance, the film’s big “get” in terms of a Hollywood star. “Hawk” also features a few recognizable and prolific character actors, including Roy Kinnear (“Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”) as an innkeeper, Patricia Quinn (“The Rocky Horror Picture Show”) as a blind witch, Patrick Magee (“A Clockwork Orange”) as a priest, and W. Morgan Sheppard (“Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country”) as the unforgettable character Ranulf.

Meanwhile, the title character is played by John Terry, who’s had a respectable enough acting career despite never becoming a Hollywood leading man. “Hawk the Slayer” was kind of his big break, although it wasn’t a huge hit. Indeed, the film is so silly and cheap that it’s now mainly admired by seekers of cinematic cult oddities, which explains why it’s currently on Tubi. It’s slow-moving, but if you’re tipsy with a few buddies, it’s a hoot.

The story of “Hawk the Slayer” is, when written as an outline, clear and serviceable. Hawk and the evil Voltan (Jack Palance) are brothers. At the beginning of the movie, Voltan slays his own father, hoping to secure access to something called the Mind Stone. Hawk, also present, finds the Mind Stone, which attaches itself to his sword thanks to the weapon’s hand-shaped hilt. (Hawk can control his sword with his mind.) Voltan then takes over the kingdom and begins a terror campaign for no clearly stated reason.

From there, the action shifts to Ranulf who is injured during Voltan’s raids. A helpful nun points him in the direction of Hawk and, through some unclear plot machinations, they end up joining forces. The duo eventually accrue a team of warriors in order to fight Voltan and his army, including a giant named Gort (Bernard Bresslaw), a dwarf named Baldin (Peter O’Farrell), and Crow (Ray Charleson), an elf who is skilled at archery.

Both Hawk and Voltan have access to different sorceresses who aid them in their respective endeavors. Hawk is teleported to a needed locale thanks to a glowing pair of hula hoops. Amusingly, three of the magical special effects in “Hawk the Slayer” are achieved with day-glo items one might have found in a Toys “Я” Us. In addition to the teleportation hula hoops, there is a magical spell that is clearly just a can of Silly String, sprayed right in a villain’s face. Moreover, when Hawk and his team finally break into a convent, a door flies open and hundreds of magical glowing particles spray inside. The particles are clearly just Super Balls. Incidentally, hula hoops, Silly String, and Super Balls were all famously distributed by Wham-O Toys.

But “Hawk the Slayer” is not as whimsical as all that. Rather, it’s a smoky attempt to tell a real adult story. The misty photography and ethereal performances indicate that this is not on the same level as 1987’s then-upcoming “Masters of the Universe.” (We can debate if it’s better or worse than the 2026 “Masters of the Universe” movie.) The film also tries to be sporadically light and frothy, like a proper picaresque adventure, but its attempts at humor fall very, very flat. There’s a painfully long, very unfunny scene wherein Gort, about to tuck into a chicken dinner, is tricked by Baldin into giving him the first few bites.

But the corniness and nonsensical editing elevate “Hawk the Slayer” from mere mediocrity into something kind of fun. More than anything, the movie is enjoyable for Jack Palance’s ridiculous performance. He wears a big silly helmet and screams and cackles like Skeletor. “Hawk the Slayer” itself was filmed in Buckinghamshire (via The Guardian), so Palance might have regarded the whole thing as a fun weekend for a paycheck.

By the 2010s, a cult had most assuredly gathered around “Hawk the Slayer.” Rifftrax released a commentary track for the film in 2014, and ideas were floated for a Kickstarted-backed sequel titled “Hawk the Hunter” shortly after (although it never came to pass). Then, in 2023, the folks at Red Letter Media watched it for their “Best of the Worst” review series, further raising the movie’s profile.

Again, “Hawk the Slayer” is on Tubi, in addition to the always-great Shout! Factory channel. Like me, it’s just waiting for a Friday night and a Negroni.