Although it now looks rather dated, you must remember that when this movie was made, Australia was a very conservative place. This film broke a lot of new ground in the early 70's. Firstly, it was all Australian. Written, Produced, Directed and Starring. Not an American in sight. Secondly, it contained shots of male and female nudity. Thirdly, it was extremely gory and violent for it's day. But, the biggest thing it had going for it was it's incredible bike stunts.(Have you ever seen a Kawasaki Z900 do a wheelstand?) There's some fantastic locations in and around Sydney, and the funeral procession is spectacular, but the opening 10 minutes, or so, will have you on the edge of your seat. For those of you who are interested, 4 of the actors starring in "Stone" (Vincent Gil, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Roger Ward and Reg Evans) would later appear in George Miller's "Mad Max". It must be something about motorbikes!
39 Reviews
Nice Aussie Nostalgia piece
GIZMO35_PF6 November 2008
I heard of this film about 6 months ago when Tarantino said that "it's the best Aussie exploitation film" i had to see what it was about. I am only a young guy but i appreciated the whole funeral scene on the F3, made me feel like i was actually there and could feel the bridge between the old generation who knew of this film to my generation who know nothing of this film. Sandy Harbutt used whatever he could find to make this film on such a budget could hardly be done now. Action stunts, a tad of gore, nudity and language are expressed in the film as a tad silly and over the top but it's suited for the time-frame the movie was shot in, isn't that what Exploitation is all about? Violence, Sex and Gore/Language? Barely any plot to move a story like this going? Well i thought of it that way since i am into my Cult/Exploitation and Horror, but it's good to see old Aussie films like this gem truly exist for people like us to see. A friend of mine from work knew who the spray painter of the cars was in this movie and still knows him today, so i got more of a profound idea of where this movie was shot, in NSW. Go out and see this film, low on plot and acting but high on emotions and nostalgia, Great work Sandy Harbutt.
Rated R18+ (still) For Violence, Gore, Language and Nudity
Rated R18+ (still) For Violence, Gore, Language and Nudity
A classic slice of 1970s biker exploitation. Raw and uneven, but extremely entertaining.
Infofreak5 March 2003
'Stone' was a labour of love for adman turned actor Sandy Harbutt, a biker enthusiast who took four years to get the script written by he and his pal Michael Robinson (who incidentally plays Pinball in the finished movie) on to the big screen. Many have slammed this movie as laughable, but I say look, it's a low budget exploitation movie with many non-actors in the cast, and if you take that into consideration it's a pretty good effort. Just compare it to an A.I.P. movie from roughly the same period and it's not that bad. The acting ranges from poor to above average, and while much of it is obviously dated and even a little silly at times, it manages to give a fairly realistic look at the 1970s Aussie outlaw bikie scene. It was certainly given the thumbs up by many Australian bikers at the time, and that's good enough for me. A few members of the supporting cast went on to bigger and better things (e.g. Helen Morse, Bill Hunter), but most of the major players were biker pals of Harbutt and have disappeared from the Australian acting industry. Ken Shorter (who looks a bit like the late Bon Scott at times) plays Stone, an undercover cop who joins The Grave Diggers bikie gang to try and find out who is killing them one by one. Shorter is one weak link in the movie. An ex-cop himself before acting he is pretty wooden and dull on screen. Much better is Harbutt himself who plays the Grave Diggers leader Undertaker. Also good is Rebecca Gilling who plays Undertaker's girl. Gilling was something of a TV sex symbol in the 1970s and looks beautiful, and yes, there is some brief but memorable full frontal nudity. The real stand out performance is by Hugh Keays-Byrne as Toad. Keays-Byrne was lured by Harbutt from a touring Shakespeare company and has lived and worked in Australia ever since, later playing Toecutter in 'Mad Max' and appearing in such cult favourites as 'The Man From Hong Kong', 'The Salute Of The Jugger' and 'Mad Dog Morgan'. He is terrific on screen from his opening acid freakout scene to his memorable final moments. Hugh Keays-Byrne I salute you! And I salute 'Stone', one of the most enjoyable movies ever made here in Australia. 'Stone' is a classic slice of 1970s biker exploitation and I highly recommend it.
i still love this
andude-17 November 2006
ah,Stone,,an old chess nut from the seventies,,,with lines like"whoever got you is gunna get got too",the amazing thing is their all riding Kawasaki Z900's as opposed to Harleys,the classic Sydney shots are perfect,its a real time capsule,Ken Shorter was very lame,they could've scripted someone better,Harbutt is excellent&its a pity he didn't continue on,its still a very big cult film today&the ride scene has been recreated several times, Vince gill is another strong actor in the cast, B grade,but still worth a watch! and still a collectible item,recently a Stone jacket sold for close to five hundred dollars on eBay,, imagine that!, this is up there with Mad Max one.
A Great Aussie Cult Film
MARVMOOCOW22 April 2006
What a great little Aussie film,and one of the first Aussie films to be ripped off and unsuccessfully remade by the US studios as STONE COLD. This film had it all, political assassinations,nudity,great action scenes, world class stunts,great scenery.While not in the same league as the later Mad Max films it still showcases an early Australian film industry which would prove later to be one of the best in the world. Some of the stars,stuntmen and film crew went on to bigger and better things, while others faded into obscurity but the film itself remains an ICON to Australian bike clubs and a classic Australian film.Get hold of copy if you can and sit back for an early example of Australian film making at its best!
Stone's got stones to ride with well-hard Grave Diggers
Chase_Witherspoon28 May 2011
After a member (Keays-Byrne) of the well-hard bikie gang known as the Grave Diggers witnesses a political assassination whilst in an LSD induced haze (and consequently fails to recall the event until much later), his companions are systematically murdered. Motorcyle detective Stone (Shorter) is reluctantly accepted to embed with the gang until the culprit is caught. Fearless leader the Undertaker (director, creator, star Harbutt) takes a temporary shine to Stone, allowing him into the gang's inner sanctum where Stone learns their origins and the fabric that binds them in their cause. Meanwhile, sinister interests plot their demise.
Technically creative (the title sequence is a highlight), the performances range from amateurish (e.g. Shorter as the title character) to inspired (Keays-Byrne as the macho Toad) and the supporting cast is peppered with future talent that should be familiar to Australian audiences (e.g. Bill Hunter, Rebecca Gilling, Helen Morse, Garry McDonald, Helen O'Connor). There's an awful lot of bare backsides (male & female) exposed here (which was a feature of Australian movies in the seventies), and in one memorable scene, the gang descends into the waves sans clothes for a mass skinny dip (so expect T&A and a few pickle shots).
At times ultra-violent (a couple of severe beatings and a decapitation) yet strangely sincere, depicting the bikies as essentially loyal individuals attracted to one another through disadvantage and troubled life experiences. Great location work of Sydney will serve as nostalgia for locals, and not necessarily a picture just for motorcycle enthusiasts. I saw the 90-odd minute edit (as opposed to the full 132 minute version) in which a couple of scenes looked chipped and consequently lacked narrative context, but this didn't diminish the overall enjoyment of what is an important film in the maturity of Australia's motion picture industry and probably inspired "Mad Max" a few years later.
Technically creative (the title sequence is a highlight), the performances range from amateurish (e.g. Shorter as the title character) to inspired (Keays-Byrne as the macho Toad) and the supporting cast is peppered with future talent that should be familiar to Australian audiences (e.g. Bill Hunter, Rebecca Gilling, Helen Morse, Garry McDonald, Helen O'Connor). There's an awful lot of bare backsides (male & female) exposed here (which was a feature of Australian movies in the seventies), and in one memorable scene, the gang descends into the waves sans clothes for a mass skinny dip (so expect T&A and a few pickle shots).
At times ultra-violent (a couple of severe beatings and a decapitation) yet strangely sincere, depicting the bikies as essentially loyal individuals attracted to one another through disadvantage and troubled life experiences. Great location work of Sydney will serve as nostalgia for locals, and not necessarily a picture just for motorcycle enthusiasts. I saw the 90-odd minute edit (as opposed to the full 132 minute version) in which a couple of scenes looked chipped and consequently lacked narrative context, but this didn't diminish the overall enjoyment of what is an important film in the maturity of Australia's motion picture industry and probably inspired "Mad Max" a few years later.
Alternative Australian Nostalgia
Filmtribute7 September 2001
The fairly basic plot follows the assassination of an environmentalist MP witnessed by a member of the GraveDiggers `motorcycle club', and the subsequent demise of various bikers as the inept hitman attempts to erase the witness. Unfortunately Stone (Ken Shorter) is not particularly convincing as an undercover cop sent to infiltrate the gang and solve the murders. His first scene ludicrously depicts him riding to meet the GraveDiggers dressed as some kind of white knight, and he fatuously asks the question in the bar `D'ya sell beer here?' The GraveDiggers discuss their philosophy and their own set of rules and when Stone transgresses their code he suffers the gang's bloody vengeance. The level of violence is expected but shown in a clumsy mechanised way firmly rooted to 70's style movie making. For the enthusiast the bikes are given plenty of opportunities to shine, including the highly original Gosford Expressway funeral procession and the low level shots of a street race, and Sydney's suburbs and coastline receive the scenic treatment.
Helen Morse (Picnic at Hanging Rock; Caddie) in one of her earliest film roles, gives one of the more credible performances as Stone's rather sexy high society girlfriend who objects to having to share him with his cause of `fearless gang busting', and she is also credited along with Margaret Ure for the costume designs.
Sandy Harbutt's quirky cult film (he also cast himself as the Undertaker) has obviously dated with its 1970's bikes, fashions, psychedelic rock music and colourful language (`I told you to keep your spanners off our molls'), and its authenticity in depicting `bikie gangs' maybe only slightly more believable than the Hell's Angels in the Clint Eastwood orangutan comedies (especially Any Which Way You Can). The recent report in the Sydney Morning Herald (3/9/01) of the Perth car-bomb killing of a former West Australian policeman embroiled in a dispute with bikie gangs, believed to be an act of retribution, illustrates the true menace. The real life intrigue involved a gang member being shot by a sniper soon after the ex-policeman had evicted him from his hotel, which was subsequently blown up. A spokesman for the NSW police stated that when it comes to organised crime, the bikie gangs are "the single biggest threat" confronting them and the community, and that compared to youth gangs and other crime syndicates, the bikies are "clearly more organised, ruthless, hierarchical and controlled in their organisation."
However, Stone remains an interesting piece of Australian nostalgia and justifiably a classic for its subject and style, rather than as a polished thriller, with youthful performances by some of Australia's seasoned actors.
The ScreenSound (Australia) Shop has commercial copies of the video for sale.
Helen Morse (Picnic at Hanging Rock; Caddie) in one of her earliest film roles, gives one of the more credible performances as Stone's rather sexy high society girlfriend who objects to having to share him with his cause of `fearless gang busting', and she is also credited along with Margaret Ure for the costume designs.
Sandy Harbutt's quirky cult film (he also cast himself as the Undertaker) has obviously dated with its 1970's bikes, fashions, psychedelic rock music and colourful language (`I told you to keep your spanners off our molls'), and its authenticity in depicting `bikie gangs' maybe only slightly more believable than the Hell's Angels in the Clint Eastwood orangutan comedies (especially Any Which Way You Can). The recent report in the Sydney Morning Herald (3/9/01) of the Perth car-bomb killing of a former West Australian policeman embroiled in a dispute with bikie gangs, believed to be an act of retribution, illustrates the true menace. The real life intrigue involved a gang member being shot by a sniper soon after the ex-policeman had evicted him from his hotel, which was subsequently blown up. A spokesman for the NSW police stated that when it comes to organised crime, the bikie gangs are "the single biggest threat" confronting them and the community, and that compared to youth gangs and other crime syndicates, the bikies are "clearly more organised, ruthless, hierarchical and controlled in their organisation."
However, Stone remains an interesting piece of Australian nostalgia and justifiably a classic for its subject and style, rather than as a polished thriller, with youthful performances by some of Australia's seasoned actors.
The ScreenSound (Australia) Shop has commercial copies of the video for sale.
You had to be there...
triumph130 March 2006
The seventies hold a special place in time for me. 1974 was all about (in no particular order) Motorcycles, beer, LSD, marijuana, underground comics (freak brothers), Hawkwind, my girlfriend Karen and of course Stone (the movie).
Outlaw Motorcycle clubs were a lot different in Sydney back then, riding motorcycles (and drinking beer) was our only purpose in life. Back then only an idiot would ride a Harley and the dream bike was the Kawasaki Z1 900 that had only just been released. So imagine a film like Stone blasting it's way onto the screen resplendent with custom painted Kawa 900's! We were mesmerized, personally I remember seeing it 6 times at the local cinema.
Watching it today opens the gates to memory lane, those that use the F3 freeway north of Sydney will appreciate the shots of the road in the funeral procession scene; the road was brand new then! And the shots of the lower North Shore and Pittwater are truly a piece of Sydney's history. Note the absence of traffic.
Forget the acting, when you're 18, off your nut on drugs and that Z1 starts up with the baffles removed at the beginning of the movie, it's mind blowing!!! Non bikers can turn off here :O) Midnight's black Kawa 900 was my favorite, come to think of it, how many indigenous Aussies had a real part in a movie before this? Not many I'd say...
I've now been riding bikes for 35 years now and Stone still holds a special place in my heart. 10 outa 10 for Sandy.
Cosmic flash, and there ya go...
Mick.
Outlaw Motorcycle clubs were a lot different in Sydney back then, riding motorcycles (and drinking beer) was our only purpose in life. Back then only an idiot would ride a Harley and the dream bike was the Kawasaki Z1 900 that had only just been released. So imagine a film like Stone blasting it's way onto the screen resplendent with custom painted Kawa 900's! We were mesmerized, personally I remember seeing it 6 times at the local cinema.
Watching it today opens the gates to memory lane, those that use the F3 freeway north of Sydney will appreciate the shots of the road in the funeral procession scene; the road was brand new then! And the shots of the lower North Shore and Pittwater are truly a piece of Sydney's history. Note the absence of traffic.
Forget the acting, when you're 18, off your nut on drugs and that Z1 starts up with the baffles removed at the beginning of the movie, it's mind blowing!!! Non bikers can turn off here :O) Midnight's black Kawa 900 was my favorite, come to think of it, how many indigenous Aussies had a real part in a movie before this? Not many I'd say...
I've now been riding bikes for 35 years now and Stone still holds a special place in my heart. 10 outa 10 for Sandy.
Cosmic flash, and there ya go...
Mick.
True classic '70s drive-in fare
Groverdox10 April 2016
Warning: Spoilers
"Stone" has everything you expect from a '70s drive-in style cult classic: low budget, anti-social characters, sex, violence, drug use, and of course, motorbikes.
It's portrayal of a bikie gang still feels surprisingly realistic, and the obvious limitations of the shoot largely don't work against the movie. These are low life characters, so Oscar-worthy cinematography isn't really needed. The acting is, mostly, adequate - be on the look out for legendary Australian character actors Bill Hunter (RIP) and Garry McDonald.
There is, however, one ridiculous scene where a nightclub owner tells the hero about his love of the bikie gang featured using so many dated slang terms it's as though he's getting paid per colloquialism. It sounds so awkward coming out of his mouth that these terms must have been embarrassingly old hat even in 1974.
That scene, and one amusingly over-the-top motorcycle decapitation scene aside, and "Stone" is exactly what you expect it to be; in fact, it may even be a little bit better.
It's portrayal of a bikie gang still feels surprisingly realistic, and the obvious limitations of the shoot largely don't work against the movie. These are low life characters, so Oscar-worthy cinematography isn't really needed. The acting is, mostly, adequate - be on the look out for legendary Australian character actors Bill Hunter (RIP) and Garry McDonald.
There is, however, one ridiculous scene where a nightclub owner tells the hero about his love of the bikie gang featured using so many dated slang terms it's as though he's getting paid per colloquialism. It sounds so awkward coming out of his mouth that these terms must have been embarrassingly old hat even in 1974.
That scene, and one amusingly over-the-top motorcycle decapitation scene aside, and "Stone" is exactly what you expect it to be; in fact, it may even be a little bit better.
Maybe it was good back in the day; now its a waste of time.
paulclaassen8 July 2022
Before Mad Max, there was 'Stone'. When reviewing a movie, I always take into consideration when it was made, and the technology at their disposal at the time. Made almost five decades ago, there were no CGI, and everything had to be done practically. Some of the stunts were really good. I believe 'Stone' could be quite amazing with a modernized remake, and a rewrite.
When a member of the GraveDiggers motorcycle gang witnesses an assassination, a rival motorcycle gang, Black Hawks, starts killing members of the GraveDiggers. Stone (Ken Shorter), a policeman, approaches the GraveDiggers and offers to help them find the killer. Initially against the idea, the members vote in Stone's favour and he joins the gang.
Apparently, 'Stone' was written as an episode for a TV series. Personally I think it would have worked better as a TV episode instead of a feature film. Short on story, the film adds many scenes that should have ended on the cutting room floor. We knew very little about Stone, and there was very little character development - or any characterization for that matter. The film has the most annoying score, and a dissatisfying ending. Ken Shorter's acting was also rather dull as the protagonist.
In general, I found 'Stone' a waste of time.
Would I watch it again? No.
When a member of the GraveDiggers motorcycle gang witnesses an assassination, a rival motorcycle gang, Black Hawks, starts killing members of the GraveDiggers. Stone (Ken Shorter), a policeman, approaches the GraveDiggers and offers to help them find the killer. Initially against the idea, the members vote in Stone's favour and he joins the gang.
Apparently, 'Stone' was written as an episode for a TV series. Personally I think it would have worked better as a TV episode instead of a feature film. Short on story, the film adds many scenes that should have ended on the cutting room floor. We knew very little about Stone, and there was very little character development - or any characterization for that matter. The film has the most annoying score, and a dissatisfying ending. Ken Shorter's acting was also rather dull as the protagonist.
In general, I found 'Stone' a waste of time.
Would I watch it again? No.
A cool classic of the 70s
skullsplitter1 July 2002
This picture is excellent. It's a slice of the rougher side of Australian life in the 70s. Everything fits together and the whole is a great hour-and-a-half Aussie yarn. I recent managed to catch a screening on the big outdoor Moonlight Cinema screen in Sydney. It fantastic to see it up on the big screen. Take the trip
D'Ya sell beer here?
nogodnomasters7 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
The film takes place in Australia in the 1970's. Following a political assassination, the Grave Diggers bike club become targets, Stone (Ken Shorter) a cop joins the group in order to find the killer. They know he is a cop.
The film spends a lot of footage of guys riding bikes with a bad soundtrack. This production was directed, written, and starred Sandy Harbutt and has become a cult classic in his native Australia. It was been compared to "Mad Max" but I failed to see any significant similarity, a comparison I would suggest was created by the promoters and blindly followed by fans.
I thought this was just another era biker's film, nothing special Guide: F-word, nudity.
The film spends a lot of footage of guys riding bikes with a bad soundtrack. This production was directed, written, and starred Sandy Harbutt and has become a cult classic in his native Australia. It was been compared to "Mad Max" but I failed to see any significant similarity, a comparison I would suggest was created by the promoters and blindly followed by fans.
I thought this was just another era biker's film, nothing special Guide: F-word, nudity.
I can't imagine bikies liking it...
ksaelagnulraon5 February 2002
Warning: Spoilers
Apparently a "cult favourite" all over the world, STONE is a low-budget crime-thriller centred around a bikie gang whose members are being murdered one-by-one by a political assassin (that's not a spoiler because we're told this during the opening sequences). Before seeing this film, I expected this to be a true bikie cult classic - instead it's rather soft, with very few expletives, sex scenes, and not much violence, particularly given that it's rated "R". Unfortunately, the film became more of a "let's make the bikies accessible to everyone else" film, as they were portrayed as misunderstood alternatives (thank goodness for the climax!!). The film COULD have been a "cult favourite" but somehow I find it hard to believe that it is... Rating: 5/10
A classic
devojpn7 July 2000
If you're looking for the all purpose Coca Cola Universal film then this isn't it. This is a film rooted in context.
Basically this kind of film was shunted aside in the hunt for respectability of Australian film which shunned actual Australian contemporary Austraian life in favour of a white blossoming dressed vision of a genteel 100 years ago. Analyse this as you may but this vision dominated for another decade at least. MAd Max just squeaked in here.
The bikes themselves were very much of their time yet still very exciting even now. The bikers though clunky are not entirely off the mark. The plot itself has its own charm and if there is any question of its legacy 40,000 riders showed up for the 25th anniversary Stone ride.
Again this is nothing for the great Universal film like Titanic but it is still a very tasty slice of 70's Australian culture.
Basically this kind of film was shunted aside in the hunt for respectability of Australian film which shunned actual Australian contemporary Austraian life in favour of a white blossoming dressed vision of a genteel 100 years ago. Analyse this as you may but this vision dominated for another decade at least. MAd Max just squeaked in here.
The bikes themselves were very much of their time yet still very exciting even now. The bikers though clunky are not entirely off the mark. The plot itself has its own charm and if there is any question of its legacy 40,000 riders showed up for the 25th anniversary Stone ride.
Again this is nothing for the great Universal film like Titanic but it is still a very tasty slice of 70's Australian culture.
It depends
petegallows9 July 2022
Pros: the scenery - their hangout spot is nice, bits of 70s Sydney, motorbikes (of all colours, I will count it as a good thing, many people do like skittles), all the gangsters wore helmets, mostly full faced, so it's educational and promotes road safety, most of the bikes had windscreens, again, the gangsters were being very smart and wanted to be comfortable and aerodynamic - science people! Even the plot is actually OK, for what it is.
Cons: the acting is atrocious. Mainly the main character. Actually, pretty much everybody else is more believable than "Stone" - as far as his dialogues go. He just doesn't look real, when talking to people. There's probably 4-5 people in this movie, who did kind of OK in that regard.
A bunch of attributes were randomly inserted into the dialogues, just to make Stone look more macho - his partner compliments him on being well.."yeah, why are you wasting your time with these bikers, Mr. BIG" - paraphrasing, but not really. This would have been cute if that was the only time she was made to develop the character just by saying random things. She also calls his superior (it's just her on the phone, you can't see or hear his boss in the scene, or in the movie) and tells him that Stone is a very good tennis player and asks whether he was assigned to this job, because he's got a university degree...instead of showing him play tennis for 5 seconds and making him look good, or having an intelligent discussion with someone at some point during the movie, to show he's "like smart and stuff", they will simply tell you "so this character went to Uni, he's like really big where it counts and probably should be a professional tennis player, but he chooses to be a cop, because he's a good guy".
Stone looks like he could be tough, but he rather behaves like your friendly real estate agent.
He's jovial, simple, caring..he is shown as tough a few times though - he's a good rider, he can fight and he doesn't mind pulling a gun, even at his comrades, because what's right is right. But his demeanor is otherwise very calm, cheery and very naive (to the very, very end...).
I guess this is a cult movie, because there weren't many other movies like that at that time - especially set and filmed in Australia. If you make the only biking action movie in a decade and it's filmed in Sydney, people will come and see it and if you're young, or there's just nothing else to see, it leaves an impression on you. Fair enough.
Watching this movie almost 5 decades later and for the very first time, it just doesn't hold well enough compared to many amazing films from the 70s.
Probably the biggest issue of this film is the low budget. It looks like they just couldn't pay a proper actor to play the part, or at least write the dialogues in a way, this guy could make them his own. They also couldn't film some scenes to help the plot. This could have made it into a good movie.
With that being said, if you like watching some guys sitting, drinking, doing drugs, fighting, riding and firing a few shots, plus some nudity - if that's all you want from a movie, you'll probably love this one and give it a 10/10, because that's pretty much it.
Cons: the acting is atrocious. Mainly the main character. Actually, pretty much everybody else is more believable than "Stone" - as far as his dialogues go. He just doesn't look real, when talking to people. There's probably 4-5 people in this movie, who did kind of OK in that regard.
A bunch of attributes were randomly inserted into the dialogues, just to make Stone look more macho - his partner compliments him on being well.."yeah, why are you wasting your time with these bikers, Mr. BIG" - paraphrasing, but not really. This would have been cute if that was the only time she was made to develop the character just by saying random things. She also calls his superior (it's just her on the phone, you can't see or hear his boss in the scene, or in the movie) and tells him that Stone is a very good tennis player and asks whether he was assigned to this job, because he's got a university degree...instead of showing him play tennis for 5 seconds and making him look good, or having an intelligent discussion with someone at some point during the movie, to show he's "like smart and stuff", they will simply tell you "so this character went to Uni, he's like really big where it counts and probably should be a professional tennis player, but he chooses to be a cop, because he's a good guy".
Stone looks like he could be tough, but he rather behaves like your friendly real estate agent.
He's jovial, simple, caring..he is shown as tough a few times though - he's a good rider, he can fight and he doesn't mind pulling a gun, even at his comrades, because what's right is right. But his demeanor is otherwise very calm, cheery and very naive (to the very, very end...).
I guess this is a cult movie, because there weren't many other movies like that at that time - especially set and filmed in Australia. If you make the only biking action movie in a decade and it's filmed in Sydney, people will come and see it and if you're young, or there's just nothing else to see, it leaves an impression on you. Fair enough.
Watching this movie almost 5 decades later and for the very first time, it just doesn't hold well enough compared to many amazing films from the 70s.
Probably the biggest issue of this film is the low budget. It looks like they just couldn't pay a proper actor to play the part, or at least write the dialogues in a way, this guy could make them his own. They also couldn't film some scenes to help the plot. This could have made it into a good movie.
With that being said, if you like watching some guys sitting, drinking, doing drugs, fighting, riding and firing a few shots, plus some nudity - if that's all you want from a movie, you'll probably love this one and give it a 10/10, because that's pretty much it.
Great movie, but you probably haven't seen it all.
Alecto-32 October 2005
I'd just like to add that the version of this movie shown on TV and available on VHS and DVD is cut, the original movie was about 20 minutes longer but was cut for it's American release and was only ever shown in full during it's original 1974 release at Australian theater's. Seeing the full original version ties in some of the loose ends, but as far as I know the full version has never been released for commercial sale, though it was available for purchase at the 25'th anniversary Stone run in Sydney back in 1999, which I attended. The actual Kawasaki Z900's featured in the movie were offered for sale at theater's during the original 1974 release, when I saw the movie at the local drive-in back then there were three of them on display in the refreshment kiosk being offered for sale.
The Biker Plan 9 from Outer Space
ferdinand193226 March 2009
Stone is one of the worst movies ever made: inept direction; bad (funny) dialog, low production expertise and values, bad editing and endless boring sequences of motorcycles as if a bike on a road is interesting cinema. Yes, there is a big stunt, but that does not make a film.
The movie is a boring and unintentionally funny, ridiculous counter culture trip that owes much to Easy Rider without a Hopper or Nicholson.
Stone's special sentimental place in Australia must be due to the audience's thrill at seeing their own on film. Some movies should be banned to save a country total humiliation - and Stone is one of them.
The movie is a boring and unintentionally funny, ridiculous counter culture trip that owes much to Easy Rider without a Hopper or Nicholson.
Stone's special sentimental place in Australia must be due to the audience's thrill at seeing their own on film. Some movies should be banned to save a country total humiliation - and Stone is one of them.
A true classic with fond memories
david-42729 June 2007
Stone is for me one of those moments in time that is etched into my mind in 1973 at the age of 22 I moved to Sydney after a weekend pop festival at the nations capital Canberra the first to be held there in those days. Biker life was much like it was portrayed in Stone yet brutally real, With to much to drink and the wind in our hair we left the music of that festival to ride to our next adventure as we passed the prime minsters lodge the equivalent to the white house my mate riding with me flipped off the federal guard at the gate next thing we had a ford falcon 351 Cleveland bearing down on us, With us on two bikes and one cruiser the math was simple! go different directions mine was Sydney town non stop I never saw my mate again, In need of work I stopped at small chopper shop in the suburbs of Sydney it turn out to be owned by the Sydney Hells Angels(who rebuilt all the Z1's and consulted on and participated in the movie). I was my good fortune to work on and be part of the movie Stone yes a low budget movie and for the most part the acting is mediocre yet it is truly a classic Aussie film, Raw and naive and some of the blood was real as was my experience!! Enjoy this diamond in the rough.
Yeah, nah.
bombersflyup1 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Stone is a watchable biker gang flick, but I don't see the appeal.
Living free and loving motorcycles is one thing, but mostly it's just a mob like group you can't touch, acting immature. This Stone bloke looks so much like James Hird, hah. It was obviously a mistake to let them know his address, that was really stupid. He could of just followed them, didn't need to become one and he would of been able to see the assassin coming, but that's not the point of the film now is it.
Living free and loving motorcycles is one thing, but mostly it's just a mob like group you can't touch, acting immature. This Stone bloke looks so much like James Hird, hah. It was obviously a mistake to let them know his address, that was really stupid. He could of just followed them, didn't need to become one and he would of been able to see the assassin coming, but that's not the point of the film now is it.
In Australia, the ultimate "cult" movie!
uds311 November 2001
Back in '74 the tag line for STONE was "Take the Trip!" By the time the critics had finished savaging this bikie saga, not that many people DID and STONE was headed for cinematic 'Boot Hill.' A funny thing happened though - somewhere along the line it was never fully erased from the collective public conscience and in due course the "legend of Stone" was created - to such an extent that now it is regarded as the "Bikie's bible" and sits proudly in the "70's Hall of fame" of Aussie film-making.
It's not even a GOOD flick, either in script, acting or production values. What it DOES offer is high voltage energy and action sequences, mind you the flick is way overlong and quite tedious at times. The plot, such that it isn't, has cop Ken Shorter (at the time riding high on account of his role in YOU CAN'T SEE AROUND CORNERS) infiltrating a bikie gang to see who is knocking off their members with gay abandon. Now Shorter was about as realistic an underground cop as Mark Wahlberg would be playing Harry Potter. What the film DOES offer now in retrospect, is a cast-list not far short of the who's who of seasoned Aussie actors and actresses, all pretty much unknown then. Strictly 70's film-making it paved the way for such as MAD MAX and must be acknowledged for that. Check out the Funeral scene on the Gosford Freeway! - heady stuff!
For me personally, I will always retain a soft spot for this film. I knew Sandy Harbutt and Helen Morse (then his wife) quite well during the making of this film as they purchased my beloved 1952 Riley 2 1/2 litre sedan from me, for the princely sum of $740. (You could add a zero to that today and then DOUBLE it!) Like that beautiful car, the film now remains a classic of its time!
It's not even a GOOD flick, either in script, acting or production values. What it DOES offer is high voltage energy and action sequences, mind you the flick is way overlong and quite tedious at times. The plot, such that it isn't, has cop Ken Shorter (at the time riding high on account of his role in YOU CAN'T SEE AROUND CORNERS) infiltrating a bikie gang to see who is knocking off their members with gay abandon. Now Shorter was about as realistic an underground cop as Mark Wahlberg would be playing Harry Potter. What the film DOES offer now in retrospect, is a cast-list not far short of the who's who of seasoned Aussie actors and actresses, all pretty much unknown then. Strictly 70's film-making it paved the way for such as MAD MAX and must be acknowledged for that. Check out the Funeral scene on the Gosford Freeway! - heady stuff!
For me personally, I will always retain a soft spot for this film. I knew Sandy Harbutt and Helen Morse (then his wife) quite well during the making of this film as they purchased my beloved 1952 Riley 2 1/2 litre sedan from me, for the princely sum of $740. (You could add a zero to that today and then DOUBLE it!) Like that beautiful car, the film now remains a classic of its time!
Someone's knocking off bikers in this old Aussie film
mike_cable12 August 2010
After a biker witnesses the shooting of a political figure during a protest, the offender starts to take out members of his gang one by one. Enter Stone, an undercover cop who tries to find out who's doing it while trying to to protect them, but they prove rather difficult to control as he falls into their culture and becomes one of them.
The film says a lot about the Aussie culture in the seventies, and bikers specifically, as we see what they get up behind closed doors. The film starts with some violent but impressive scenes and later shows drugs and lots of nudity. The scenes involving bikers on the roads will appeal to anyone who has donned a helmet and rode amongst other such enthusiasts, with a very memorable large procession of bikes during a highway funeral sequence.
If you're a motorbike enthusiast then you may like this film a lot, especially the motorbike start sequence opening credits and the suburban race scene.
There's a few classic Australian actors to be found in this cult classic and even Norman Gunstan shows his face as a motorbike mechanic. Most of all though, the actors who played Toecutter and the Nightrider play biker buddies in this film. A lot of the acting is awkward and a bit dramatic and seems like a long episode of a drama TV show, but is worth checking out for the old Aussie era.
The film says a lot about the Aussie culture in the seventies, and bikers specifically, as we see what they get up behind closed doors. The film starts with some violent but impressive scenes and later shows drugs and lots of nudity. The scenes involving bikers on the roads will appeal to anyone who has donned a helmet and rode amongst other such enthusiasts, with a very memorable large procession of bikes during a highway funeral sequence.
If you're a motorbike enthusiast then you may like this film a lot, especially the motorbike start sequence opening credits and the suburban race scene.
There's a few classic Australian actors to be found in this cult classic and even Norman Gunstan shows his face as a motorbike mechanic. Most of all though, the actors who played Toecutter and the Nightrider play biker buddies in this film. A lot of the acting is awkward and a bit dramatic and seems like a long episode of a drama TV show, but is worth checking out for the old Aussie era.
Australian film hit, a true icon of cinema
PeterMitchell-506-56436430 November 2012
There will never be another bikie film quite like Stone. That highway funeral scene will live on forever in my mind-that all so sad music theme attached. That theme haunts me so, I almost feel reluctant from viewing that scene, every time I watch this great film. The plot is great. A stoned biker, (Hugh Keays Byrne) a true Aussie acting talent, witnesses a political assassination, in the lush green park lands of Sydney. He's spotted by the assassinating party-a mob type figure, who misses his chance at taking him out. That means he's gonna tells his biker friends, The Gravediggers, and they can't have that. We get to view these mob figures, up close, chicken s***ts as they are, in a few sufficient scenes, which for us, as the viewer are greatly appreciated. Heartless scum like these mob guys are, they know the Gravies must all be sacrificed. So one by one they're bumped off. Enter unconventional cop, Stone, (Ken Shorter-a Ted Mulray sort of looking guy) a long haired hippie type guy who looks nothing like a cop. His girlfiend hangs out with her rich socialite friends at this lavish house where the guys play tennis and the women take long sunbathing sessions. Even on his way to meet the Gravies, he's wearing a white coat and pants as if he's off to work at the bakery. He joins forces with The Gravies, who at first show instant animosity to him, but when he prevents the attempted murder of another one of their own, he gets on their good side, and believe me, it's the best side to be on with these terrifying bikers. You wouldn't even want to look the wrong way, mistakingly at this mob, cause that's what it would be, a mistake. They make bikers I've seen in a lot of other bikie films, look like pussies. Even the bikies in Mad Max look tame compared to these. This movie outclasses Mad Max too, one, obviously in terms of realism. I prefer this over Mad Max, two fine actors here who went on to star in that cult classic. I loved the scene where two businessmen, are at a watering hole, the Gravies frequent, as seen a few times in the film are just minding their own business, when they start to become objects of intimidation by Byrne, and are scared off, all because one of them won't answer a weird request, which his bikie is more happy to do. Byrne ends up finishing their drinks, with the bartender (a very young Bill Hunter) saying to The Gravies "You blokes are not really good at public relations, are ya". I'd love to know this bar's locale, as I would the one of their dive, a fortress type place of tunnels by the sea. I have a good idea, but I feel divided in my guesses here. Another funny scene that always cracks me up, is the manager of an Italian restaurant, a victim of the protection rackets praising the Gravies for scaring away the mob, disregarding the little bit of grief these bikies cause him. The film's five letter title, that springs out from the exhaust of a motorcycle, and dominates the screen is great, as is the way the title has been formatted. The creepy awry music at the start is a winner. There's another slightly haunting score when they all go swimming nude. The actors are so believable here as bikers, bringing calm and natural performances, worthy of an ensemble award, and this includes Harbutt, balancing as writer, director, actor, his official signature on it's video cover. The 98 minute running time of this movie so quickly passes, you don't want it to end. It's that good a movie. Some heavy bits of gore, but only when needed, the one at it's finale, the most shocking, where The Gravies exact their own version of swift bloody justice. And believe me it's bloody. This film is a treat for the bikie fan. A goof I noticed in the film is when Stone's in the fish and chip shop, a burger patties unwrapped, thrown onto the grill, but we never see the cook flip the burger over before he hands it to Stone. But who cares, it's just a movie, but a bloody good one at that.
Quintessential Biker Movie
Coventry6 July 2009
Declared by many fanatic and knowledgeable cinema experts – amongst them Quentin Tarantino – as THE ultimate biker-exploitation classic, "Stone" indeed is a quintessential 70's highlight that fully surpassed my already high expectations. In his genre, the movie simply is a lot better than the other and this is illustrated through a non-stop series of powerful and astonishing sequence from the opening credits and onwards. "Stone" is different to watch you expect at first
more stylish, classier and absorbing than you could ever imagine. You anticipate seeing a trashy and savage biker-flick, but you actually get the complete opposite. For example, usually the opening credits in this type of film exist of images of tough bikers riding through desolate landscapes guided by heavy guitar music and loud rock lyrics; am I right? Well, "Stone" does the contrary. The opening credits are serene, with close ups of mechanical motorcycle equipment and no music at all. Simply the distinctness of this particular sequence made a very big impression on me. Then immediately after follow three murder sequences, but not at all gratuitous or unnecessarily violent ones. Almost saddening killings of biker men who – as far as we know up until that moment, at least – haven't even committed any crimes. Someone is targeting the members of the Sydney biker gang The Grave Diggers for elimination. In spite of their hugely different opinions and moral codes, The Grave Diggers – led by the charismatic Undertaker – eventually allow undercover cop Stone to ride with them and thus infiltrate in the harsh world of crime, brotherhood, violence and Kawasaki 900's. The most powerful sequence of the entire film is undoubtedly the phenomenal biker funeral parade. This scene is extendedly shown and discussed in the superb documentary on Australian cult cinema "Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation" and it was the main reason why I desperately wanted to see the film. It certainly doesn't disappoint as I even experienced goose bumps at the sight of more than 400 amateur bikers participating in this event. Inevitably, but understandably as well, "Stone" can't keep up the level of brilliance throughout the entire film. The scenario gradually becomes more talkative and moralistic, but still there are several more flashes of sheer ingenuity, craftsmanship and subject matter expertise (like the downbeat climax, to name just one). "Stone" is the vastly admirable one-man-project of Sandy Harbutt, who wrote and directed the film, composed some of the soundtrack, designed the sets AND plays the complex role of gang front man Undertaker. Even though he never did anything else anymore after "Stone", cult freaks should nevertheless eternally respect Harbutt for what he accomplished here. I'm sure that if "Mad Max" hadn't came along, "Stone" would still be the number one cult movie of Australia. In my humble opinion, Sandy Harbutt's only mistake was the casting of Ken Shorter as the titular anti-hero "Stone". He certainly isn't plausible enough to depict a raw biker – even an undercover one – with his baby face and Prince Valiant haircut.
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