The genre is sci-fi, action, adventure (but not that much of sci-fi actually). This movie was on TV in the early 80s, so most likely it’s from the 70s. It was a very simple, moderate budget movie without any special effects. It was in color, I think.
A young man comes to a provincial seashore town having in his possession a piece of a metallic plate, decorated with strange symbols. As far as I recall they look like Phoenician alphabet. However, this is just a small piece of a bigger artifact, so this guy is looking for the rest of it. I really do not know why he comes to this particular town, most likely he has info that another piece is located somewhere around the area.
Also there are other people looking for the same artifacts and they are in a competition. The movie is pivoting around this search and confrontation between the groups. So it’s mostly an action movie.
I remember this scene at the very end of the film, this is how the movie ends. The protagonist and his opponent are fighting on the beach, the hero overcomes his enemy and a wave carries out the pieces of the artifact into the sea. The protagonist is walking sadly along the shore and suddenly finds both pieces thrown ashore by the wave. So he takes these two pieces and moves to some different location continuing his search. The end has this feel of the Incredible Hulk TV series.
I remember asking my father about these metallic plates and their meaning. He said something like: These were parts of an artifact left by extraterrestrials who visited Earth in ancient times, the text on the plates revealed the date of their return.
However, I’m not sure whether he was joking or not.
“The Phoenix”(1981)? It was a pilot movie and then a short lived television series(6 episodes).
Hmm… Perhaps it’s “Man From Atlantis”. There were four television movies and then one season.
Probably not “The Phoenix”, nor “The Man From Atlantis”. Thank you for your input nevertheless! This movie was on TV and had this “The Incredible Hulk” feel about it’s ending, however, it’s a stand alone movie, most likely originally done for the cinema. I’m wondering whether it was American or something European and dubbed. It looked like something Jess Franco could have done.
Found it! It’s “Search for the Gods”(1975), a tv movie about a man and some others looking for an ancient alien medallion in 9 pieces. The end shows him finding 2 pieces in the water and later shows him hitchhiking down a highway like in “The Incredible Hulk”. Is this it? You can watch the whole movie on youtube, please confirm if this is the one.
YES! Thank you so much!
Good job Livinghead!
Thanks, and a big thanks to avb_073 for the confirmation!