The Cars That Ate Paris – 1974 (Peter Weir)
BFI Blu Ray and 4k UHD
An Australian horror, satirical black comedy containing elements of science fiction and fantasy played out like a thriller, with a Western parody sequence, are the makeup of this quirky seventies film from Peter Weir. Its cars reminded me of J.G. Ballard and Cronenberg’s Crash (still to come) whilst its young punk drivers are lined up, in the main street to resemble the villains in Once Upon a Time in the West. All heady ingredients for the kind of cult film, which was once a regular late night movie for Scala cinemagoers that has cheekily weathered the passage of time. The Cars that Ate Paris is early B picture Weir and more original and inventive than some of his later bigger acclaimed Hollywood films.
Paris is a fictional town. The film was shot in Sofala, New South Wales. Its inhabitants arrange fatal accidents to visitors driving through, pillage the car’s belongings and survivors are taken to the town’s hospital for medical experiments. Meanwhile as the wrecked vehicles mount up the youth of Paris transform them into bizarre looking cars bent on destruction.
Into Paris drive Arthur Waldo (Terry Camilleri) and his older brother George Waldo (Rick Scully). George is killed. Arthur survives intact and is taken into the family of the mayor of Paris, Len Kelly (John Meillon). Kelly’s two daughters have been adopted after being orphaned from motor accidents. And Arthur is now to be Kelly’s son. “We’re keeping him.” is what the mayor chillingly announces at a committee meeting. Though Arthur is conflicted (He’s responsible for the deaths of two people because of his driving) his attempts to leave town are not only thwarted by the residents but a heavy sense of guilt: when Arthur says he knocked down and killed an old man Len blithely says, “These old pedestrians are a real problem.”
Given all the genres that The Cars That Ate Paris inhabits its greatest strength isn’t as a parody of the western or horror film but as a biting satire on small town conformity. Parts of the film’s plot appear implausible, or just un-explained: the injured, now “veggies” for the hospital, isn’t developed enough nor is the young versus the old Parisian inhabitants’ conflict. However the film’s fancy dress ball sequence works brilliantly in depicting a complacent community ignoring an encroaching reality of unrest and revolt.
This is a hilarious and splendidly staged dance of death. To the plodding musical accompaniment of a middle-aged lady pianist couples awkwardly shuffle round to be drowned out by the noisy attack of the cars. The building collapses under their onslaught. It’s death to the warped community but ironically freedom for Arthur. For after continually bashing a car into another car, with its injured Paris driver, until he’s dead, Arthur experiences liberation. The third most potent line in the film is delivered, “I can drive again.”
Deluded perhaps over his release from his guilt Arthur escapes from Paris which is now an apocalyptic landscape.
This beautifully done Blu Ray and 4k UHD comes with lots of good extras and most significantly contains Peter Weir’s 1979 thriller, The Plumber. Maybe the script does underline too much the class antagonism but it’s clever, well acted, directed and funny: numerous absurd twists and turns in a story where a Dylanesque folk singer, but mostly intimidating plumber, with a chip on his shoulder about education, not only wrecks a resident’s bathroom and toilet but creates friction in a marriage. In its hyper-realist tone The Plumber is as satirical as the mad The Cars That Ate Paris, making for an exciting double bill of Aussie anger from the BFI.
Alan Price©2026.
The Cars That Ate Paris – 1974 (Peter Weir)
BFI Blu Ray and 4k UHD
An Australian horror, satirical black comedy containing elements of science fiction and fantasy played out like a thriller, with a Western parody sequence, are the makeup of this quirky seventies film from Peter Weir. Its cars reminded me of J.G. Ballard and Cronenberg’s Crash (still to come) whilst its young punk drivers are lined up, in the main street to resemble the villains in Once Upon a Time in the West. All heady ingredients for the kind of cult film, which was once a regular late night movie for Scala cinemagoers that has cheekily weathered the passage of time. The Cars that Ate Paris is early B picture Weir and more original and inventive than some of his later bigger acclaimed Hollywood films.
Paris is a fictional town. The film was shot in Sofala, New South Wales. Its inhabitants arrange fatal accidents to visitors driving through, pillage the car’s belongings and survivors are taken to the town’s hospital for medical experiments. Meanwhile as the wrecked vehicles mount up the youth of Paris transform them into bizarre looking cars bent on destruction.
Into Paris drive Arthur Waldo (Terry Camilleri) and his older brother George Waldo (Rick Scully). George is killed. Arthur survives intact and is taken into the family of the mayor of Paris, Len Kelly (John Meillon). Kelly’s two daughters have been adopted after being orphaned from motor accidents. And Arthur is now to be Kelly’s son. “We’re keeping him.” is what the mayor chillingly announces at a committee meeting. Though Arthur is conflicted (He’s responsible for the deaths of two people because of his driving) his attempts to leave town are not only thwarted by the residents but a heavy sense of guilt: when Arthur says he knocked down and killed an old man Len blithely says, “These old pedestrians are a real problem.”
Given all the genres that The Cars That Ate Paris inhabits its greatest strength isn’t as a parody of the western or horror film but as a biting satire on small town conformity. Parts of the film’s plot appear implausible, or just un-explained: the injured, now “veggies” for the hospital, isn’t developed enough nor is the young versus the old Parisian inhabitants’ conflict. However the film’s fancy dress ball sequence works brilliantly in depicting a complacent community ignoring an encroaching reality of unrest and revolt.
This is a hilarious and splendidly staged dance of death. To the plodding musical accompaniment of a middle-aged lady pianist couples awkwardly shuffle round to be drowned out by the noisy attack of the cars. The building collapses under their onslaught. It’s death to the warped community but ironically freedom for Arthur. For after continually bashing a car into another car, with its injured Paris driver, until he’s dead, Arthur experiences liberation. The third most potent line in the film is delivered, “I can drive again.”
Deluded perhaps over his release from his guilt Arthur escapes from Paris which is now an apocalyptic landscape.
This beautifully done Blu Ray and 4k UHD comes with lots of good extras and most significantly contains Peter Weir’s 1979 thriller, The Plumber. Maybe the script does underline too much the class antagonism but it’s clever, well acted, directed and funny: numerous absurd twists and turns in a story where a Dylanesque folk singer, but mostly intimidating plumber, with a chip on his shoulder about education, not only wrecks a resident’s bathroom and toilet but creates friction in a marriage. In its hyper-realist tone The Plumber is as satirical as the mad The Cars That Ate Paris, making for an exciting double bill of Aussie anger from the BFI.
Alan Price©2026.
By Alan Price • added recently on London Grip, film • Tags: Alan Price, film