Hawk the Slayer

Hawk the Slayer is a 1980 sword and sorcery adventure film directed by Terry Marcel, and starring John Terry and Jack Palance. The story follows two warring brothers who fight to gain control of a magical sword. A brave warrior, the titular Hawk, assembles a small force of fighters to help him rid the land of a powerful and devious enemy. Marcel had been working with Harry Robertson when they realized that they both were fans of the sword and sorcery genre. Marcel has stated that it was not intended to include magic at all, and was supposed to be a historical film. In the course of writing the script, he then introduced the magical mind stone, changing the overall nature. The film had an initial negative reception but has since developed a cult following. Sequels were planned, but never produced. Plot Voltan infiltrates his father's castle and demands the key to the ancient power but is denied. The wicked Voltan mortally wounds his own father when the latter refuses to turn over the magic of the "last elven mind stone". As the old man lies dying, another son, Hawk, enters the castle, and is bequeathed a great sword with a pommel shaped like a human hand which attaches itself to the mind stone. The sword is now imbued with magical powers and can respond to Hawk's mental commands. Hawk then vows to avenge his father by killing Voltan. Voltan torments the whole countryside. Some time later a warrior, Ranulf, is struggling to run away from Voltan's forces. Ranulf arrives at a remote convent. Ranulf tells the nuns that he survived Voltan's attack on his village and his people, which resulted in the brutal deaths of women and children. Ranulf is seriously injured and nursed back to health by the nuns, losing a hand in the process.