Review: Stone (1974)

Spaced-out biker Toad (Hugh Keays-Byrne) witnesses the assassination of a politician at an environmental rally, and as a result, members of the Grave Diggers bikie gang (which Toad belongs to) start getting bumped off. The gang reluctantly allows undercover cop Stone (Ken Shorter) to join so that he can better investigate the murders and hopefully apprehend the killer. But only after he saves the lives of a few of their brethren from a gunman. He looks enough like a hippie biker to begin with that his police colleagues think he’s a weirdo. Sandy Harbutt turns up as The Undertaker, the leader of the gang. Vincent Gil is the bizarre Dr. Death, Helen Morse is Stone’s worried girlfriend, and Roger Ward plays bikie Hooks. Bill Hunter turns up in a small role as a bartender. Future “Mother and Son” sitcom star (and the future Norman Gunston) Garry McDonald plays a mechanic, in one scene.

This 1974 Aussie biker movie from director (and co-star) Sandy Harbutt is pretty cheesy and slow-moving but no worse than any of the American biker movies of the 60s or 70s. In fact, it’s better than many of them (and I’m not alone in making that proclamation), and worth a look if you’re into the genre or landmark Australian films of the 70s.

However, the performances are pretty lousy in a cast full of familiar faces of Aussie film and TV, and Shorter’s title character is not terribly interesting, convincing, or even likeable. Harbutt, meanwhile, makes for a charisma-free bikie leader. Keays-Byrne, although typically bizarre, is not nearly as effective here as he would be a few years later as the spaced-out Toecutter in “Mad Max”. Gil is absurd as the weirdo biker Dr. Death. The ‘Heyyy, man. Who called the fuzz?’ dialogue is admittedly part of the problem, not convincing out of the mouths of Aussies, I’m afraid. Speaking of unconvincing (and unnecessary), I found the inclusion of Satanism (or faux-Satanism, really) to be utterly ridiculous. Also, like most biker films (even the best ones like “Hell’s Angels on Wheels”) most of the time is eaten up by endless drinking, drugging, and other assorted dull partying type stuff. There’s a terrific opening scene, though and the funeral procession, stupid as I personal found it, is a cult classic (featuring 400 real bikers as extras), like the film itself, which made a healthy return back in the day. Memorable, violent ending, too deserving praise for being uncompromising at the very least.

 

“Mad Max” lovers should note that it features several cast members from that film (Gil, Keays-Byrne, and Ward all appeared in the first “Mad Max” film). Other than that, it’s best left to lovers of biker movies, who will forgive its sins. I could take or leave the film, to be honest.

Rating: C+