Stone Forever (1999) User Reviews

A cool and informative retrospective documentary on the Aussie biker cult favorite "Stone"

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 28 November 2008]

This nifty 63 minute documentary offers an interesting and illuminating portrait of "Stone," a funky little independent Australian biker picture that was a huge hit in its day back in 1974 and has since become an enduring cult classic. Among the things we learn is that "Stone" star/co-writer/director/producer Sandy Harbutt was a really down-to-earth and approachable guy on the set of the film (alas, Harbutt never made another feature in the wake of "Stone" 's monumental success), bikers who are Vietnam war veterans find the depiction of their lifestyle in the movie to be honest and accurate, a real-life biker gang played the rival club the Black Hawks (these guys were paid with beer for their contribution to the flick!), lead actor Ken Shorter was an ex-cop who designed his own clothes, 400 bikers showed up to participate as extras in the famous highway funeral procession sequence, actor Vincent Gil did double duty as a grip, the movie received largely poor reviews from critics, but still proved to be a massive box office smash, a biker club called the Stone Social Club was formed in tribute to the film, and Harbutt and several other "Stone" folks stormed the Cannes Film Festival in 1980 in order to secure international distribution for the picture. Of course, such "Stone" cast and crew members as Hugh Keays-Byrne, Rebecca Gilling, editor Ian Barry, Roger Ward, Helen Morse, cinematographer Graham Lind, and Bindi Williams are all interviewed as well. Essential viewing for all you hardcore "Stone" aficionados out there.