Motorcycles will soon arrive at Dubbo for a celebration of an Australian cult hit film that's also honouring the man who made it.
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Dubbo Westview Drive-In is hosting the Stone / Sandy Harbutt Memorial Weekend from Friday to Sunday.
The man who wrote, directed, produced and starred in the 1974 movie died last year while in talks about a screening at the city's huge outdoor cinema that's undergone a revival.
Drive-in operator Jason Yelverton said he had since worked with Harbutt's friends to plan a fitting tribute.
"His mates actually said, because it was in the middle of COVID... not a lot of people could go to his funeral, and they said could we hold this event at the drive-in as a memorial to Sandy, and I said I'd be honoured to," Mr Yelverton said.
There were people coming from as far away as Cairns, Melbourne, Adelaide and "everywhere in between", he said.
The Saturday night screening of Stone has sold out, but there are other chances for fans of the film and motorbikes to gather.
The drive-in will screen Stone Forever, a documentary about the making of the film, at a coffee cruise event on Friday.
On Saturday morning there will be an official Stone Memorial Run, which will be led by original cast member John Ifkovitch, who played Zonk, Mr Yelverton said.
"Hopefully...people will be able to get to see a lot of nice bikes in Dubbo over that weekend, and it should fill up a lot of motels and coffee shops and it will be a really good thing for Dubbo," he said.
Hopefully...people will be able to get to see a lot of nice bikes in Dubbo over that weekend, and it should fill up a lot of motels and coffee shops and it will be a really good thing for Dubbo.
- Drive-in operator Jason Yelverton
"They're actually talking now of wanting to do it on a more regular basis and make Dubbo a place where it happens regularly.
"I think they really like the concept and I've worked really to make sure they understand that for me this is not about just putting on a movie, it's about honouring something that is more than just a movie, it's a way of life for a lot of people."
Mr Yelverton said the R-rated Stone "created a lot of waves" at the time of its release.
It had also opened doors for other movies and a lot of the cast went on to be in the original Mad Max, he said.
"It's about bike culture and the theme is a lot of people came back from Vietnam and didn't quite fit into society, and this movie is about a bikie gang of ex-Vietnam veterans, who created their own brotherhood," he said.
"The skull and the slouch hat that was made for the movie has actually been handed on to the Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Club, so that's there actual logo now."
The Kawasaki Z900 features in Stone, and Mr Yelverton attributes its popularity to the movie.
"I think what a motorbike does, it gives people a sense of freedom and that mateship and camaraderie, you don't have to be part of a motorcycle club or anything, you can just get out on your motorbike and the sense of freeness you feel from it," he said.
"So hopefully we get a lot of people together over the weekend who want to experience that...
"Get it out of the shed, dust it off, and enjoy it, and enjoy it with some people who are also as passionate about it."
People wishing to go to the Friday night event or Saturday morning Stone Memorial Run are asked to go to the Dubbo Westview Drive-in to register.
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