National Lampoon's has a long movie tradition. They celebrated their greatest success in the eighties when Chevy Chase together with family makes the world less secure with his "Vacations": VACATION / EUROPEAN VACATION or CHRISTMAS VACATION. The last appreciated movie of the distribution and production hotbed was released in 2006 titled RUNAWAY VACATION, where Robin Williams hits the road. With STONED AGE (billboard title: "Homo Erectus") the so far latest flick in this section comes direct to the kind fan’s living room as the US DVD. Only showed in limited US movie theatres (therefore often sold out) it will be released as a direct-to-DVD over here. This should not wonder anyone…

Because the story is again trivial and definitely not longer up to date. Spoofs, taking place in the Stone Age, are fully compensated with ENCINO MAN or with Mel Brooks HISTORY OF THE WORLD. The whole shebang was invented from Adam Rifkin, whose best movie perhaps has been DETROIT ROCK CITY. But also the in 1994 produced movie THE CHASE with Charlie Sheen and Kristy Swanson in the leading roles has become a pleasurable trip. As an aside it should also be said that he staged the rough PSYCHO COP RETURNS under his alias Rif Coogan. Well, Rifkin is not a Mike Myers, what means that his jokes do not come across as they should. However he surprisingly made an ordinary movie to look at with lots of familiar faces: Ali Larter (FINAL DESTINATION 1+2 / RESIDENT EVIL 3) – who made the acquaintance of her fiancé Hayes MacArthur at the set of „Stoned“ -, David Carradine and we are honored by Talia Shire (ROCKY), Gary Busey and B-Heroine Carol Alt in cute short appearances. Not to forget all the Penthouse Bunnies….

In the United States beside the rated R theatrical version the unrated version has been released on DVD. Those indeed is only extended in one scene showing a little more naked skin. Apart from that the theatrical version also features many production values. The special features are almost identical on both disks – the unrated version has the additional unrated video of „Caveman in Love“, a Penthouse shooting and deleted scenes.

74:44 Min.
The only extension of the unrated version consists of more topless bunnys presenting their naked buns to the camera, cleaning up the „filthy“ Ishbo and appearing a little raunchy here and there. All in all rather harmless but for the prudish US citizens stiff nipples are classified stuff.
( 56 sec. )