A Fascination with 1% Biker Clubs and Stone
Something that has always fascinated me is motorcycle clubs, particularly the 1% groups. I can’t get a motorcycle to move so membership is not in my plans but to study and learn about them and their culture certainly is. It’s that culture that fascinates me the most. I’ve heard it said that bikers live the life that most people want to live and are just too afraid to live. Stone from 1974 is a biker movie filmed in Australia and it shows a lot of this culture. Let’s talk about this vintage look into an outlaw MC.
Stone Fortress Full of Bikes and Bikers
Early into this movie, I was concerned that I wasn’t going to enjoy it, but it turns out that I was very wrong. Stone is slow but very consistent. Unfortunately, there is a good bit of filler too. The movie follows a cop who infiltrates a club to try and learn who has been murdering their members. He isn’t undercover per se because the members know he is a police officer and allow him in to help them. Stone, named after the officer, takes the viewer through graveyards, pubs, fortresses, and towns. All of this in 1970s Australia – it is a fun ride.
About that “fortress” that you get to see. The biker’s hang-out is in an old fort built in 1871. This was strategically placed so that it could defend Australia against incoming ships. The name of this fort is Middle Head. You can read more about this location here. It is now a historical preserve in Sydney Harbor. There’s a great YouTube video that includes a tour of this location and others that you can watch here.
Nostalgia From a 1970's Australia
Let’s talk about nostalgia. Repeating myself here but everything is cool because it was made in the 70s in a different country so, everything is old and cool. First, I thought it was odd that the bikers rode what appeared to be Kawasaki bikes and not Harley Davidson. The only Harley Davidson that I noticed was a chopper and it was driven by the only Hells Angel that I noticed in the film. Volkswagen is frequent in this movie. One biker is reading a Phantom comic book and in one scene they are hanging out in a pub complete with old pinball machines. One of my favorite things about Stone was that it just felt like the 70s. Stone’s girlfriend is wearing a long one-piece dress, a lot of rings, and her hair is long and straight. 1970s vibes radiate from this movie.
Stone Offers a Glimse Into Biker Culture
Diving into biker culture questions some more, Stone presented some ideas I’m going to investigate. As mentioned, someone is killing members of the gang so there are some funeral scenes with customs worth mentioning. First, the procession for one of the members is hundreds of bikers riding in a pack along an Australian highway. I’m sure that this is customary. The pack leader has the casket of the biker attached to his bike almost like a sidecar. I don’t imagine this really happens. Finally, they bury the man standing up. This one was odd. While I did find an article about a man being buried on his Harley that you can read here, I couldn’t find anything about this custom. Recently, I talked to a man who mentioned the occult and motorcycle clubs. Stone presented this idea too. I looked around for research on this but couldn’t find anything substantial.
Artisict View of Stone
This movie is worth watching for the scenery alone. The countryside of Australia and the oceans are beautiful no matter what but factor in the awesomeness that was the ‘70s and you’ve got something to look at. Stack on retro pinball machines, pubs, and hand-painted tank art, and things are really getting exciting. From this senary, I drew many ideas and screenshots to paint. For instance, there are a couple of scenes that take place in a graveyard complete with paths and overgrown flowers that I think are Black-eyed Susan. These are among my favorite flowers. One biker spits blood on a gravestone featuring a death angle. Photoshop has a date with this scene but, she doesn’t know it yet.
A Snake is Always A Snake, Stone's Ending
Stone’s ending is the most significant. Anyone who investigates MC culture will quickly learn a couple of things. One is that brotherhood is valued above all else, especially in 1 %er groups. Another is that these fellows are serious and don’t play games. Both points are illustrated in the finale of Stone well. The finale scenes remind me of the story that the Native American tells in Natural Born Killers, the theme of which is that a snake is always a snake. Stone, the detective, is beaten within an inch of his life by the group. It’s almost as if he had forgotten just what he was dealing with. Even though, he refuses to let his girlfriend call the police. Here, it’s as if he has internalized their code himself.
This Blog on Stone is Riding Into the Sunset
Stone is certainly one that I would watch again. The scenery is great, the story is fun, the biker culture is prevalent, and it oozes the ‘70s. Stone’s title art is something I pay attention to and this one’s title is great. The art is very clean, smooth, and creative. Stone’s soundtrack has some interesting cuts on it too. Anyone into ‘70s vibes, MCs, or cool old movies should add this one to the list. Probably already said but, the only drawback is that there is a good bit of filler. This one is currently on Tubi for free.
If you’re digging around on the internet for something to do, I would love for you to read more of my blogs, view my artwork, check out my photography, and more. You can do all of that here. Also, like and share this page and my social media. If you have any comments on this movie or MC culture, feel free to leave them below. I would love to hear from a biker their view of this movie.