User reviews

A likable enough film that didn't really grab a hold of me. Chief Dan George, previously seen in Little Big Man, made earlier and Outlaw Josey Wales, made the same year was born in 1899 on a Canadian Indian reservation and here plays an old medicine man seeking to pass on his powers (and responsibilities) to his grandson as he makes his way back to his village for the last time. There are some amazing sequences, notably a hand to hand fight with a black bear and others involving a strange car and a rope and slat bridge high above the rapids. Indeed the Canadian location shooting is ever impressive and if the tale starts to drift towards the end there is enough here to engage those looking for something a little different.

I saw this for the first time recently. Got pulled into seeing this after reading lots of glowing reviews on imdb. I didn't enjoy this film as ther is nothing eerie, spooky or horror bah it.

Generous with a 4 cos the film has some good locations n most of it is shot in broad daylight. It has a creepy snake, a creepy ghost (Jennifer from Masters of Horror lookalike).

The bridge scene cud have been tension filled but they filled it up with shaky cam.

The bear scene is badly done n the bear looked fake as if some human made to act in bear costume.

What the hell are you supposed to do when suddenly one night, during your birthday celebration moreover, your old and physically exhausted grandfather shows up on your doorstep and begs of you to disregard everything and drive 300 miles to bring him back home? You could refuse and put him on a bus, seeing that he also managed to find his way there alone perfectly fine, but – like the cute woman accompanying him already pointed out – he is your grandfather and you just don't do a thing like that. So what other option is there but to politely offer a ride to both gramps and the lady? During the road trip, however, granddaddy reveals he's entangled in a spiritual battle with a ancient witch called Dsonqua and you are involved through your bloodline. A-ha! That immediately explains the eerie hallucinations you're having about wicked witch masks inside the pool and outside your bedroom window! All this is what's happening to Jan-Michael Vincent in "Shadow of the Hawk"; an above average compelling and atmospheric 70's thriller with a good cast and astonishing Canadian filming locations. Especially the first half of the film is more than fascinating to observe, what with all the mysterious Indian mythology and the genuinely creepy images of the witch's frightening mask. Unfortunately the film loses quite a lot of its pace and interest halfway and ends up being a rather dull and unmemorable supernatural hocus-pocus thriller. The most exciting moments of "Shadow of the Hawk" occur during the road trip, like for example the crash into an invisible wall, whereas the long-anticipated climax battle against the witch and her disciples is tedious and disappointing. George McGowan, known from the nature-revolts classic "Frogs", directs with a noticeable disinterest, but luckily the cast is excellent. Chief Dan George and Jan-Michael Vincent (one of my personal heroes of the 70's) are terrific and very believable as the Indian saviors. "Shadow of the Hawk" is quite difficult to track down these days, so make sure you only take the effort in case you're really interested in the film.

Jan Michael Vincent is very good in this role as "Hawk", the grandson of a Native American medicine man, played by the venerable Chief Dan George. The plot? He must return to his tribe to safeguard them from an evil spirit. Along the journey through absolutely beautiful Northwest woods, Hawk, his grandfather and girlfriend must face attacks from both spirit and flesh and blood foes. An exciting and sometimes rather spooky road-trip. I give it ***1/2 out of *****.

Shadow of the Hawk is a film that can be viewed on many levels. It is at once a parable about the use of power and a young man's conflicted response to his vocation. I am speaking of power as it is defined in various North American Indian traditions. Power in such traditions is neither good nor evil in itself. It is the person using it who is good or evil and uses it to those ends. It is in the portrayal of black vs. white magic that the film has serious flaws, introducing non-Native American elements for dramatic effect. Nevertheless, the essential understanding that power has the potential for personal enlightenment or self-destruction manages to come through. There is also the drama of the vision quest operating here. The vision quest, found in the traditions of many North American Indian tribes, is a experience through which one conquers one's fears in a journey which culminates in a crucial aspect of self-knowledge. All of these elements, aided by the entrancing scenery throughout, combine to make this film well worthwhile viewing.

Pretty tepid Native American spirits and shamans nonsense. Very little makes any sense, and understanding the tale being told is challenging. The film comes across more as a series of disturbing images than a coherent storyline. Jan Michael Vincent and Chief Dan George give it their best, but to little avail. Cars crashing into invisible walls, snakes catching on fire, and an ugly spirit mask appearing throughout, simply can't hold interest because of the extremely muddled script. One plus is the Canadian scenery, which is outstanding. Ultimately the film will disappoint, and it's a shame because with a tighter script this could have been quite effective. - MERK

Although somewhat forgotten over time, this is an entertaining film combining drama, suspense, supernatural horror, and American Indian mysticism. Jan-Michael Vincent plays Mike, the Westernized grandson of a veteran Indian medicine man, Old Man Hawk (Chief Dan George). The old man makes a very long trek to the city to enlist the grandsons' help in defeating an ancient, vengeful entity terrorizing the old mans' tribe. Marilyn Hassett plays Maureen, a freelance reporter looking for a story and who gave the old man some assistance.

There are some effective moments in this little picture, especially the harrowing one with Vincent, Hassett, and George on a rickety wooden bridge. It's also impressive when the old man erects an "invisible wall" into which a car crashes. It all takes place among some magnificent British Columbia (Canada) scenery, and is accompanied by majestic music composed by Robert McMullin. Mike will have to ultimately face the demonic Dsonoqua (played by the alluring Marianne Jones) on his own, as well as her minions and one persistent black bear. The presence of a mystery figure, who wears a creepy mask, is another solid touch, and this figure will repeatedly appear in Mikes' visions. Although, as I said earlier, Mike is very much a Westernized character, he *will* end up embracing his heritage and his heroic destiny.

Vincent is solid in one of the vehicles from the peak period of his career, when he hadn't fallen victim to his own demons. Hassett doesn't get much to do that's actually interesting, but she is likeable as well. Chief Dan George is excellent as the mystical elder who knows all the right things to do and say, and who knows that being laid up in a hospital being treated with ineffective Western medicine will do him no good.

Overall, this is a decent little picture, spooky when it needs to be and consistently atmospheric. It's worth a look.

Seven out of 10.

Why a blond actor was chosen for the role of mixed race half being American Indian is beyond me. They darkened Jan-Michael Vincent's hair a bit, but no way could he be convincing in his role as Chief Dan George's grandson.

Vincent is your upwardly mobile successful yuppie and Dan George has come to visit him in the big city. It seems as though a demon spirit who was slain years ago by an ancestor is reeking some havoc on the tribe. Vincent may not look like an Indian let alone a tribal shaman. But he's got the bloodlines and his grandfather to teach him the trade.

Along for the ride in all this is freelance reporter/writer Marilyn Hassett. She likes the story she might get and she sure does like Jan-Michael Vincent.

Shadow Of The Hawk has some good moments, but the horrible casting of Jan-Michael Vincent kind of spoils it for me.

We get Jan-Michael Vincent encountering some bad juju, nice. It doesn't surprise me to see something this audaciously unusual and spectral coming from the 1970s. In spite of some out-there moments (phantom car & at times an obvious bear costume in a one-on-one), you can still count on "SHADOW OF THE HAWK" to deliver the premise with such a slight, straight-face. And it pays dividends, as this helps achieve such an underlining eeriness to its atmospherics (accompanied by a spookily experimental natural sounding FX) of a young man accepting his Native American ancestral fate.

Old Man Hawk (Chief Dan George) is the native shaman of his tribe, but he finds himself at the mercy of a spirit of an ancient sorceress (Marianne Jones). The only way he can defeat her, is for his grandson Mike (a steadfast Jan-Michael Vincent) who lives and works in the city, to return back to the village to harness his power as the heir of the shaman. Hesitant at first, he has a change of heart and is persuaded by a freelance reporter (a sympathetic Marilyn Hassett) who tags along.

The superstitious framework is your typical black and white power struggle between two forces; good versus evil. It's literally a journey, both physical and spiritual, in what plays out like a mind over matter initiation of one's identity. Sometimes ponderous and Hassett's character felt like nothing more than a pawn, yet the mystical intrigue and stout performances help its momentum. Throughout danger is always felt, as the sorceress watches, animating objects and animals, causing strange, lethal accidents. The dangling rope bridge was a neat touch. Her disciples also get into the act too. I found the most effective scenes revolved around the sorceress' spirit donning a creepy white mask while terrorizing Jan-Michael Vincent's character. This is even before the trek hits the forlorn wilderness. George McCowan's low-key direction is competent without doing anything truly special.

Michael (Jan Michael Vincent, perhaps best know for appearing in the TV series "Airwolf"), who is part Native American, receives an unexpected visit from his grandfather Old Man Hawk (Chief Dan George), who is a Shaman and asks that he return to the Reservation 300 miles away. Along with a female news reporter the three embark on the road trip, encountering evil forces along the way. Shot in Canada the wilderness scenery around Vancouver is stunning, unfortunately this is offset with giggles of laughter when Mike can be seen wrestling with what is obviously a man in a bear suit! A good stunt scene sees the three crossing a high rope bridge that starts to sway violently and fall apart but JMV's stuntman stand in is obvious. There are plenty of supernatural shenanigans going on but it just looks like an average made for TV movie. Mike works in computing and it was interesting see see those huge and ancient looking IBM plus having Chief Dan George in the cast was cool but overall this little known adventure/horror flick failed to impress.

I would classify this as a horror/suspense movie. It deals with Native American black magic in the beautiful Canadian forests of British Columbia. Jan Michael Vincent plays Mike, or young "Hawk" (which is funny since in Airwolf he's HAWKE too!) who has to come to terms with an old Indian curse which is troubling his grandfather. Arriving in Vancouver(?), his grandfather persuades him and a journalist, Maureen, to drive him back to his Indian village. Meanwhile, Jan has been haunted by a really spooky, white-faced, grotesque mask that freaks him out at night and in the pool with his girlfriend. Apparently an ancient Indian witch is trying to destroy his grandfather, and now him! There are some really creepy moments in this movie. There's a Stephen King like 50's car with blackened windows that appears and reappears eerily. Weird things happen to Jan's 70's style SUV while driving - the breaks go out, a tire almost falls off. In the forest, a bear tries to kill JMV. Just a a lot of black magic evil abounds!! Anyway, Jan eventually comes to terms and confronts the evil in the Indian village after going through a 'ritual' of sorts. I think the scenery is the best part about this film. It has that 'X Files' look of spooky Canadian forests - just stunning mountain vistas. The movie is effective enough to keep you creep-ed out. This is a great Jan Michael Vincent role for his early career. I wouldn't call is great acting, but he does maintain his 'cool' while still showing skepticism and caution at all the strange happenings around him. Plus, he looks great! That's probably the best reason to see this movie - for JMV fans especially!

SHADOW OF THE HAWK is a low budget rural US horror dating from 1976. Although long forgotten by modern audiences, it's a spooky little adventure that makes great use of its British Columbian locales. Certainly as a slice of rural horror it ticks the same boxes as the likes of RITUALS and THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK.

The story is a simple one in which a Native American finds himself subjected to a curse by a terrible female demon. His estranged grandson finds himself plagued by equally horrific visions and sets off on a journey to rescue his grandfather and beat the curse, but many supernatural enemies stand in their way.

For a low budget film, this is efficient stuff with some truly memorable moments, like the bear attack and the car accident which is achieved with some excellent in-camera trickery. Director George McCowan had previously handled horror with the cult B-movie FROGS so he knew his way around the genre. Jan-Michael Vincent (AIRWOLF) is the erstwhile protagonist, but the main actor of note is Chief Dan George, who achieved fame of sorts thanks to his role in Eastwood's THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES.

I recently watched the Canadian film 🇨🇦 Shadow of the Hawk (1976) on Tubi. The story follows Mike, a man of Native American descent, who returns to Vancouver to reconnect with his ancestral roots. Upon arrival, he learns that he's inherited the responsibility of protecting his people from evil spirits lurking in the nearby woods. Reluctantly, he takes on the task, facing supernatural threats to save his community.

This film is co-directed by George McCowan (Frogs) and Daryl Duke (The Silent Partner) and stars Jan-Michael Vincent (The Mechanic), Marilyn Hassett (The Other Side of the Mountain), Chief Dan George (The Outlaw Josey Wales), and Bruno the Bear (Gentle Ben).

While the storyline had potential, the movie is inconsistent and lacks the impact it could have had. The horror elements are underwhelming, though the masks were a nice touch. The fight scene with Bruno the Bear was unintentionally funny, though it was cool to see Bruno who was popular in '70s films and television series. The scenes meant to feel eerie, like the flashes to random Native American figures, fell flat. Both the action sequences and the finale lacked excitement.

In conclusion, Shadow of the Hawk doesn't stand out and doesn't bring much to the horror genre. I'd rate it a 3/10 and recommend skipping it.

I found this to be a bit of a plodder if I'm honest. More of a stock 70's adventure drama than the horror it is billed as. It does feature a fine turn from a young, lithe Jan Michel Vincent (Mike) though, and Chief Dan George plays, well, Chief Dan George (Old Man Hawk).

Some nice Indian dark magic is on display to antagonise our heroes (Marilyn Hassett as Maureen completes the trio), and things become quite dramatic from time to time. The finale sees the film finally shift up a gear, but it's not quite enough to life 'Shadow of the Hawk' past average. My score is 5 out of 10.

I really liked the first 45 minutes of this one. Usually, films made around this time come across to me anyway as pretty dated and they usually are trying so hard to be 'cool' that they come across as pretty lame. But, this director really sets a nice moody atmosphere which fits the Native American story really well. Very good use of visuals and I loved the soundtrack on this first half and felt that it was very effective.

BUT... from about the part with the guy in the bear suit... Well... that was pretty dang funny. And then they wandered around a lot during the 2nd act. The 3rd act got a bit more interesting where the Chief was preparing his grandson in order to pass his powers on to him. Again, in the cave and towards the end the effects with the faces of the Evil Ones, I thought it was fairly effective.

I'm not familiar with the woman who played the lead, but I was quite impressed with her very naturalistic and pleasant performance. Again, so many times films made during this time the characters were so artificial and irritating, but I think her character was truly one of the very best I've seen from around that time. The old Chief was pretty good too with a nice, natural, earthy style and just a shade of dry humour.

There was a scene where the Evil Witch Woman was doing this ritual to conjure the snake. It actually caught me a bit off guard with how sensual it was in a very naughty way. Many things could have come across as extremely CHEEEEZY in this film, and some do, but I honestly felt that the director particularly (although I don't think I am familiar with his work) had a good sense for what visuals, sound, and timing had the most effect.

The Blu-ray is unusually sharp and the picture quality is superb. The locations and cinematography are lovely. The sound is done very well. I really loved the soundtracks to Horror movies around that time and slightly earlier because they were more heavily used and if effectively done could really added to the mood of a film. A great example is the 1973 Telefilm 'A COLD NIGHT'S DEATH' There are only two actors, Robert Culp and Eli Wallach, and almost all the scenes take place in this one isolated research station in the Arctic. But, the use of sound is so effective that what could have been very static, boring, repetitive shots really came across as extremely dramatic and scary. The first half of this film is like that.

The 2nd half after the guy in the bear suit does start to come across more loosely and not as good. But, there are some good atmospheric moments here and there. If he had been able to sustain the same level of mood and tension in the 2nd half, then I think it would have been a really good film with nice Native American Spiritual overtones. As it is, I basically give it pretty much what the average rating most others gave it. But, overall, if you look past some of the goofier parts, there are some great, effective moments in it. Watch out for that rather sexy ritual part. It just might catch you off guard too : )

Practically, a Half-Indian is forced by his Grandpa to take over his role as a tribal healer. But as the Grandpa teaches him, a mysterious force of evil hounds and tries to stop him.

I do not know about this one. The story is a standard for this voodoo storyline BUT this feel icky in a racist way. The grandfather walking his way to meet his grandson, who seems to be alone. The whole magic Native American theme. The lacks context or explanation of these very convenient plot devices really makes it feel off. Those little things can definitely at least make the world less you trying to fill the gaps with 'conditioned' ideas.

The only really noteworthy thing about it is probably the stunts. It is very well choreographed AND it really feels like there were stakes when they were jumping around those huge boulders. The bear scene though is so funny. They did not even try with that one.

Overall, a cheapo film with not-so good storytelling. Not recommended.

It was good to see Chief Dan George again after his amusing performance in Little Big Man. I remembered Jan-Michael Vincent from xtro 2 and felt like I had seen Marilyn Hassett before but after going through her imdb profile I couldn't put my finger on where. All in all, a fun cast and good movie.

Shadow had that daytime tv movie vibe going all the way through it with a nice 70's score. Some of that old zoomy directing style and a nice special effect where a car crashes into an invisible wall. Pretty neat.

The movie progresses at a pace that is typical for its vintage. Starting off with the group establishing itself in the city in a kind of haphazard way then a car trip out of town where the forces of evil let themselves known by driving around in an old Dodge Mayfair with black tinted windows, creepy af. Being a horror movie buff I can easily appreciate the effort here. Then we get to a bit of action with some old school reservation fights between the forces of good and bad. I had to laugh at the person dressed up in a bear costume but its all good.

Needless to say, an enjoyable movie without much in the way of excessive violence or gore. I can't even remember any blood actually. Watchable anytime and pretty much with anyone. Better than expected.

Don't know why this films' rating is so low, it's actually quite good. Pretty much only available as a two-fer alongside the much inferior Nightwing, Shadow Of The Hawk actually deserves a blu-ray special edition of its own.

Set around the mid-seventies, the story centres around Old Man Hawk, played by Chief Dan George, the shaman of his village, who is at odds with a sorceress, who is causing pestilence and death in his village. He alone ventures forth into the big city, but collapses in a city street. It is while briefly hospitalized, that he meets Maureen, played by Marilyn Hassett, who shows a keen interest in helping him seek the aid of his grandson Mike, played by Jan Michael Vincent, to defeat this evil that has been brought upon his village. The film could best be described as a supernatural thriller/adventure film, with a PG rating. There's definitely a sense of creepiness to this film, especially the pale-faced white-haired spirit that the sorceress conjures to try to defeat the characters in various parts of the film.

There's almost a plainness or made-for-tv kind of quality to this film, but in my opinion, the story and performances outweigh these drawbacks. Definitely worth a watch.

This movie like a lot of them made in the 70's contains an interesting plot and some substance. It gives a subtle touch of spirituality and some thrilling scenes of action and even creepiness. The characters seem convincing in their roles and the old man ( played by Chief Dan George) has a lot of personality in which he speaks very little being a very wise powerful medicine man. The other characters seem to pull of f their roles as well with the acting being realistic and not forced or awkward. I found the suspense in this movie to be "real" without all the special effects thrown in to make it look over the top and ridiculous like a lot of action flicks out there today. I guess you can think of this movie as one that leaves you with a good feeling at the end. The score of nine may seem a little high but I feel it really deserves it , due to it's subtle way of telling the story and leaving it up to the person watching the film to exercise their imagination. Also I think being someone who saw this film when it originally was released it brings back some memories and didn't disappoint years later when I watched it again for maybe the third or fourth time. A lot of movies that you had watched growing up appear a little different as you remember them but this one is in good standing. I also think that this movie is my favourite among the Native North American themes.

Jan Michael Vincent ... better known for a TV show to most I reckon. But he also did some odd movies ... literally like this one. It may have some even odder choices (a man in a bear costume, quite obviously in some shots, to name just one - or stunt doubles that look nothing like the people they are supposed to be), but it also is quite fun to watch - maybe not despite but because of those mentioned choices.

The movie is quite fine overall and the effects really hold up (particularly a car crash that looks quite amazing to say the least). So depending on your thresshold or however you watch and perceive certain things, you may quite enjoy this or not ... or maybe have both feelings at once ... like when some very strange girls sort of make out ... but also not. It is difficult to describe what is going on at all times, but if you roll with the flow ... it'll help a lot.

I loved these films as a kid on a Saturday afternoon. Unwilling half Native American agrees to to help his grandfather, spiritual leader and protector of his tribe from the attention of a young reporter. The grandfather is battling the ancient spirit of a woman scorned for using her powers negatively. Will "Little Hawk" accept the challenge to become the protector of his tribe? Good Ssturday afternoon easy film.

Entertaining enough horror thriller starring a young Jan Michael Vincent. When Mike (Vincent) is visited by his Grandpa Old Man Hawk (Chief Dan George) he knows something's not right. He has to go with the old man, back to the wilderness to help the old man fight evil spirits and free his people. Journalist Maureen (Marilyn Hassett) whi has befriended the old man comes along with them to help. It's an enjoyable little watch that whilst not entirely exciting does just about enough to keep the viewer interested. The three main characters are well acted but it's Chief Dan George who deserves the best performance of the film as the Old Man.

The aging Indian medicine man Old Man Hawk arrives in the city to to find his grandson Mike.Old Man Hawk is fighting a magical war with the witch Dsonqua who was executed two hundred years before and is now seeking revenge.Reluctant at first Mike decides to help his grandfather,but during their way to home Dsonqua increases her magical powers."Shadow of the Hawk" is an eerie tale of Native American witchery.The white Indian mask is creepy as hell as are mysterious spells and magic rituals.The scene where black car smashes into the invisible wall is truly chilling and memorable.The demonic Wendigo wind is also a nice touch.9 spells out of 10.An effectively eerie and forgotten horror film.