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Originally posted in Movie Tab II 11-18-2009
Stone (Sandy Harbutt, 1974)
I've been wanting to see this since stumbling across the UK dvd (pictured) in Fopp a few months back. Reading up on the film I discovered it to be a cult Australian biker movie which bore some influence on George Miller's 1979 classic Mad Max. As a huge fan of Miller's film this got me more than a little curious, as not only is Stone considered a minor classic of the 'biker movie' sub-genre, but also features two cast members from Mad Max; namely Roger Ward (unrecognisable in a small role) and most notably the wonderful Hugh Keays-Byrne (better known as villainous biker leader Toecutter from Miller's flick).
Stone refers to the title character played by Ken Shorter (pictured below left); an unorthodox looking (but nevertheless whiter than white) cop who goes undercover with a satanic biker gang called The Gravediggers, after an an unknown assassin starts bumping them off. This is the result of one of the gang (Byrne), who witnesses a sniper assassinate a local politician whilst stoned out of his mind on LSD. The rest of the film revolves around Stone's induction into the Gravediggers' culture, his struggle for acceptance, and the mutual respect that gradually develops. A burgeoning respect ultimately tested during the inevitable showdown with the killer/s...
I loved this film. It's as much about idealism as it is about violence and roaring engines, as director Harbutt (who also stars as Gravediggers' leader, Undertaker) focuses heavily on the ethos behind the biker way of life, and the larger than life characters who populate it. Much of the film plays out in a stoned out haze of psychedelic music, gang fights, bike races, marijuana (something Shorter's character continuously refuses), and anti-establishment philosophy. It's very low budget, but Harbutt injects some visual style into proceedings with the aid of Graham Lind's creative photography, and conjures that same weird (all be it much colder) atmosphere that so permeates Miller's later Mad Max. Stone is far from perfect though. The plot for example is very simplistic and predictable; some of the supporting performances are amateurish to say the least (though Byrne is fantastic - especially the scene in which he playfully intimidates a couple of suits drinking in the Gravediggers' local bar), but the film nevertheless remains compelling, charming and oddly effecting. This is cult stuff through and through, and the influences on Miller's film are undeniable. The funeral procession/convoy pictured above was homaged in Mad Max after the death of the Nightrider, and the scenes between Stone and his girlfriend at home feel very familiar indeed. Though you could also make obvious comparisons to earlier biker films like The Wild Angels, and Easy Rider.
Elsewhere there's a generous helping of gritty 70's violence, most of which is confined to the second half of the film, and is relatively tame by today's standards; though the downbeat climax is satisfyingly gruesome. Overall I'd recommend this to anyone into cult cinema willing to look beyond the obvious flaws and see Stone for what it is; a highly watchable film, filled with endearing rough and ready characters, and made with a lot of love. Take the trip.
Stone (Sandy Harbutt, 1974)
I've been wanting to see this since stumbling across the UK dvd (pictured) in Fopp a few months back. Reading up on the film I discovered it to be a cult Australian biker movie which bore some influence on George Miller's 1979 classic Mad Max. As a huge fan of Miller's film this got me more than a little curious, as not only is Stone considered a minor classic of the 'biker movie' sub-genre, but also features two cast members from Mad Max; namely Roger Ward (unrecognisable in a small role) and most notably the wonderful Hugh Keays-Byrne (better known as villainous biker leader Toecutter from Miller's flick).
Stone refers to the title character played by Ken Shorter (pictured below left); an unorthodox looking (but nevertheless whiter than white) cop who goes undercover with a satanic biker gang called The Gravediggers, after an an unknown assassin starts bumping them off. This is the result of one of the gang (Byrne), who witnesses a sniper assassinate a local politician whilst stoned out of his mind on LSD. The rest of the film revolves around Stone's induction into the Gravediggers' culture, his struggle for acceptance, and the mutual respect that gradually develops. A burgeoning respect ultimately tested during the inevitable showdown with the killer/s...
I loved this film. It's as much about idealism as it is about violence and roaring engines, as director Harbutt (who also stars as Gravediggers' leader, Undertaker) focuses heavily on the ethos behind the biker way of life, and the larger than life characters who populate it. Much of the film plays out in a stoned out haze of psychedelic music, gang fights, bike races, marijuana (something Shorter's character continuously refuses), and anti-establishment philosophy. It's very low budget, but Harbutt injects some visual style into proceedings with the aid of Graham Lind's creative photography, and conjures that same weird (all be it much colder) atmosphere that so permeates Miller's later Mad Max. Stone is far from perfect though. The plot for example is very simplistic and predictable; some of the supporting performances are amateurish to say the least (though Byrne is fantastic - especially the scene in which he playfully intimidates a couple of suits drinking in the Gravediggers' local bar), but the film nevertheless remains compelling, charming and oddly effecting. This is cult stuff through and through, and the influences on Miller's film are undeniable. The funeral procession/convoy pictured above was homaged in Mad Max after the death of the Nightrider, and the scenes between Stone and his girlfriend at home feel very familiar indeed. Though you could also make obvious comparisons to earlier biker films like The Wild Angels, and Easy Rider.
Elsewhere there's a generous helping of gritty 70's violence, most of which is confined to the second half of the film, and is relatively tame by today's standards; though the downbeat climax is satisfyingly gruesome. Overall I'd recommend this to anyone into cult cinema willing to look beyond the obvious flaws and see Stone for what it is; a highly watchable film, filled with endearing rough and ready characters, and made with a lot of love. Take the trip.