The Cars That Ate Paris **** (1974, Terry Camilleri, John Meillon, Kevin Miles) – Classic Movie Review 7214

Writer-director Peter Weir’s 1974 directorial calling card movie The Cars That Ate Paris is a tense, eerie and atmospheric tale of Australia’s Outback, where a far-flung small community makes its living causing car crashes and plundering the wreckage for re-sale. It turns out that Paris is not only the capital of France but also a small town in rural Australia, a much less attractive place, apparently.

Weir’s entertainingly different film keeps driving along, helped by the more than competent performances (especially by John Meillon as the mayor), a sense of conviction in its own black comedy horror fantasy story, and its confident ability to be entirely its own thing and not just another genre horror flick.

The Cars That Ate Paris must have been cheap to make, but it is cheerful looking, and, though the VW Beetle with the spikes special-effects car may be cut price, it is still a powerful image.

The cast are Terry Camillieri as Arthur Waldo, the survivor of a car crash, John Meillon, Melissa Jaffa, Kevin Miles as Dr Midland, Max Gillies, Peter Armstrong, Edward Howell, Bruce Spence, Chris Haywood, Max Phipps, Derek Barnes, Charlie Metcalfe, Tim Robertson and Frank Saba.

Peter Weir bases his screenplay on the story by Peter Weir, Keith Gow and Piers Davies.

It runs 91 minutes and 74 minutes in the cut version.

This international hit feature film debut set Weir off on a glittering career. He followed it with Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975).

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7214

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