Peter Weir wrote and directed The Cars That Ate Paris, an Australian horror black comedy, produced by twin brothers Hal and Jim McElroy.
Grade: B- (*** out of *****)
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Australian poster
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His first feature was based on his original story, set in the fictional town of Paris in which the inhabitants profit, directly or indirectly, from the results of car accidents.
The tale begins with urban couple driving through the countryside until they get in fatal accident. The rural town of Paris arranges fatal accidents to visitors driving through. Townspeople collect items from the luggage of the deceases, whilst survivors are taken to the local hospital where they are given lobotomies with power tools and kept as “veggies” for medical experiments by the town surgeon.
The young men of the town salvage and modify the wrecked vehicles into strange-looking cars destined for destruction.
Arthur Waldo (Terry Camilleri) and his older brother, George Waldo (Rick Scully), drive through Paris. In an accident that kills George, Arthur is spared and looked after by the Mayor of Paris, Len Kelly (John Meillon), who invites him to stay in his home. His two young daughters have been “adopted” after being orphaned in accidents in town.
Arthur attempts to leave Paris but due to a previous incident where he was exonerated of manslaughter for running over an elderly pedestrian, he has lost his confidence in driving and there is no public transport.
The Mayor appoints Arthur as the town parking inspector, which irritates the young men. The situation reaches its boiling point the night of the town’s annual Pioneers Ball which is a fancy dress and costume party. What was planned to be a “car gymkhana” by the men turns into an assault on the town where both sides attack each other. Arthur regains his confidence when he repeatedly drives the Mayor’s car into his former hospital orderly supervisor.
The film closes with Arthur, and the town’s other residents, leaving Paris at night.
Weir got the idea while driving through Europe where road signs diverted him into strange little villages.
The producers unsuccessfully attempted to get American release with Roger Corman after it was shown with great success at the Cannes Film Festival. Shortly afterwards Corman recruited Paul Bartel to direct Death Race 2000.
The movie struggled to find an audience in Australia, changing distributors and using ad campaigns that pitched it as horror film and art film.
Initially it was a minor success in cinemas, but laater proved very popular on the drive-in circuit. The plot of had been inspired by a press report Weir had read about two young English women who had vanished while on a driving holiday in France.
Weir: Thematic Auteur
With this film, along with the earlier Homesdale, Weir set the basic thematic pattern which has persisted throughout his career. Nearly all his feature films deal with people who face a crisis after finding themselves isolated from society–either physically (Witness, The Mosquito Coast, The Truman Show, Master and Commander), socially-culturally (Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Last Wave, Dead Poets Society, Green Card), or psychologically (Fearless).
It was released in the U.S. in 1976 by New Line Cinema under the title The Cars That Eat People with narration and other changes, in a cut of 74 minutes (shorter by 17 minutes than the original).
Cast
John Meillon as Mayor Len Kelly
Terry Camilleri as Arthur Waldo
Chris Haywood as Darryl
Bruce Spence as Charlie
Kevin Miles as Dr. Midland
Rick Scully as George Waldo
Max Gillies as Metcalfe
Peter Armstrong as Gorman
Joe Burrow as Ganger
Deryck Barnes as Al Smedley
Directed by Peter Weir
Screenplay by Peter Weir
Story by Peter Weir
Keith Gow
Piers Davies
Produced by Hal and Jim McElroy
Cinematography John McLean
Edited by Wayne LeClos
Music by Bruce Smeaton
Production: Australian Film Development Corporation
Royce Smeal Film Productions
Salt Pan Films
Distributed by British Empire Films
Release dates: October 10, 1974 (AUS); June 11, 1976 (US)
Running time: 91 minutes; 74 minutes (US cut)
Budget $250,000
