Nightwing and Shadow Of The Hawk

Native American themes combined with supernatural and eco-gothic elements dominate this Eureka ‘Killer Creature’ double feature, presenting two films from the 1970s on Blu-ray for the first time: NIGHTWING starring Nick Mancuso and David Warner, plus SHADOW OF THE HAWK starring Chief Dan George and Jan-Michael Vincent.

NIGHTWING (1979) was perhaps unjustly promoted as a horror film upon its theatrical release and although it doubtlessly contains elements of horror there is more to it than meets the eye. When Youngman Duran (Nick Mancuso), a deputy on a Hopi Indian reservation in New Mexico, is tasked with investigating a string of bizarre cattle mutilations initial enquiries lead to nothing. However, embittered old medicine man Abner Tasupi (George Clutesi), who raised the inquisitive Youngman following the deaths of his parents, shows the young deputy a so-called Hopi sand painting he’s currently working on – depicting a spell that the universe would end that very night. Dismissing Tasupi’s revelations as the ramblings of a man under the influence of a hallucinogenic plant he is later shocked to learn that the medicine man’s lifeless body has been discovered the following morning, just as a dead shepherd and his flock have also been discovered nearby… all of them drained of blood. Meanwhile, ambitious tribal council chairman Walker Chee (Stephen Macht) is much more interested in a recently discovered stratum of oil shales in the Maskai Canyon, which happens to be the tribes’ most sacred ground. Soon he finds himself at loggerheads with Youngman who doesn’t like the idea that Walker is planning to dynamite the sacred caves in order to unleash the oil whilst the chairman is of the opinion that the future of the Native American people doesn’t lie in hocus-pocus rituals but in wealth and money… which is precisely the reason why he’s eager to hide the recent attacks from the press so he can sell the rights to process the oil to tycoon Roger Piggot (Ben Piazza), head of the almighty Peabody Oil Company.

When British scientist Phillip Payne (David Warner) undertakes his own investigations after having studied bats in Mexico he is certain that the recent attacks are down to vampire bats infected with bubonic plague though Youngman, a man of superstitious tribal beliefs, begins to wonder whether the attacks might have something to do with Abner Tasupi’s prophetic spell. But when Youngman’s girlfriend Anne Dillon (Kathryn Harold) and members of a white missionary group are viciously attacked by killer bats during a camping trip, Youngman knows he needs to join forces with Payne if they want to avoid a complete disaster. Cue for more hallucinogenic shenanigans and a tense finale in a cave during which Youngman, Payne and Anne take on thousands of vampire bats… but could there be a supernatural twist after all?
Although the film was awarded ‘Worst Picture’ in 1979 (Arthur Hiller scored a ‘Worst Director” mention) it has since gained a cult following and the movie certainly has interesting ideas and insightful tribal ceremonies to boot – not to forget Henry Mancini’s eerie score. The film also manages to address topics such as poverty and alcoholism on Indian reservations, with white medical student Anne Dillon forced to run a ramshackle clinic (if you can call it that) on the reservation. Perhaps the film’s biggest flaw is that it cannot make up its mind whether the vampire bat attacks are of a supernatural nature or not, the fact that three screenwriters wrote the script presumably didn’t help. Nonetheless NIGHTWING is an interesting addition to fans of killer creature horror - the cast do their very best with an occasionally confusing plot.

SHADOW OF THE HAWK (1976) is very much a showcase for the late Native American actor Chief Dan George who portrays Old Man Hawk, an ageing shaman arriving in a big Canadian city to ask his grandson Mike (Jan-Michael Vincent) for help – more to the point Hawk wants his grandson to take over from him and become the new medicine man of his small village. Unfortunately Hawk breaks down in the middle of the street and spends the first night in hospital where a well-meaning reporter named Maureen (Marilyn Hassett) agrees to take him to his grandson after the two met at the hospital entrance. Although Mike is pleased to see granddad he makes it clear that he is a rather successful business executive and not exactly interested in the traditional ways of his native ancestors but Hawk’s persistence and Maureen’s curiosity prompt a change of heart and the young man agrees to drive his grandfather three hundred miles across British Columbian territory. Along the way Mike learns that Hawk is engaged in a battle with the ancient witch Dsonqua (Marianne Jones) who is out for revenge after her execution some two hundred years before. Now evil spirits, shape-shifting creatures and black magic spells follow the trio as they try to reach Hawk’s village for help after he was bitten by a snake (of course it was an evil spirit) and Mike finds himself confronted with ever more powerful magical forces summoned by the witch.
The paper-thin plot, is has to be said, is nothing to write home about though John Holbrook and Reginald Morris’ stunning cinematography more than make up for it. It’s hard to imagine the blonde and blue-eyed Jan-Michael Vincent in the role of Old Man Hawk’s grandson what with Chief Dan George being a proper member of Canada’s indigenous population. It’s also interesting to note that in the same year, Chief Dan played alongside Clint Eastwood and Sandra Locke in the far superior ‘The Outlaw Josey Wales’. That said, despite a mixed response ‘Shadow of the Hawk’ was the third-highest-grossing English-language film in Canada of the Seventies.

NIGHTWING & SHADOW OF THE HAWK are presented in an O-Card Slipcase and Bonus Features for both films include audio commentaries, essay plus collector’s booklet.