The Cars That Ate Paris

The film begins with an urban couple driving through the countryside in what looks like a cinema advertisement. The scene comes to a halt with a fatal accident. The rural Australian town of Paris arranges fatal accidents to visitors driving through. Townspeople collect items from the luggage of the deceased passengers while survivors are taken to the local hospital where they are given lobotomies with power tools and kept as "veggies" for medical experiments by the earnest town surgeon. The young men of the town salvage and modify the wrecked vehicles into a variety of strange-looking cars destined for destruction. Arthur Waldo (Terry Camilleri) and his older brother, George Waldo (Rick Scully), drive through Paris with their caravan where they meet with an accident that kills George. Arthur is spared and looked after by the Mayor of Paris, Len Kelly (John Meillon), who invites Arthur to stay in his home as one of his family; his two young daughters—one conspiculously blond, the other conspiculously brunette—have been "adopted" after being orphaned in motor accidents in the town. Arthur unsuccessfully 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 does not seem to be any public transport. Mayor Len gives Arthur a job at the local hospital as a medical orderly. Beneath the idyllic rural paradise of Paris is a festering feud between the young men of the town, who live for their modified vehicles with which they terrorise the town and the older generation. When one of the hoons damages the Mayor's property and breaks a statue of an Aboriginal Australian, the older men of the town burn the guilty driver's car as he is held down. The Mayor appoints Arthur the town parking inspector complete with brassard and Army bush jacket that further 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 young men turns into an assault on the town where both sides attack each other, killing several of the residents. Arthur regains his driving confidence when he repeatedly drives the Mayor's car into one of the hoons who has tried to run him down. The film closes with Arthur and the town's other residents leaving Paris in the night. ==Cast==

• John Meillon as Mayor • Terry Camilleri as Arthur Waldo • Kevin Miles as Dr Midland • Rick Scully as George • Max Gillies as Metcalf • Danny Adcock as Policeman • Bruce Spence as Charlie • Kevin Golsby as Insurance man • Chris Haywood as Darryl • Peter Armstrong as Gorman • Joe Burrow as Ganger • Deryck Barnes as Smedley • Edward Howell as Tringham • Max Phipps as Reverend Mulray • Melissa Jaffer as Beth • Tim Robertson as Les • Herbie Nelson as Man in house • Patrick Ward ==Production==

Peter Weir got the idea to make the film while driving through Europe where road signs on the main French roads diverted him into what he perceived as strange little villages. It originally started as a comedy to star Grahame Bond but later evolved. Piers Davies and Keith Gow also had input. He then took the movie to the McElroy brothers, who had previously worked in a large variety of positions on a number of films. Most of the budget came from the Australian Film Development Corporation with additional funds from Royce Smeal Film Productions in Sydney. Shooting began in October 1973, primarily on location in Sofala, New South Wales. ==Release==

The film had its world premiere at the Sydney Film Festival in June 1974. The movie struggled to find an audience in Australia, changing distributors and using advertising campaigns that pitched it alternately as a horror film and an art film. However it has become a cult film. Shortly afterwards Corman recruited Paul Bartel to direct his Death Race 2000; Bartel had not seen The Cars That Ate Paris but he was aware that Corman had a print of the film. It eventually received an American release in 1976 by New Line Cinema under the title The Cars That Eat People with added on narration and other changes. In 1992, it was adapted as a musical theatre work by Chamber Made Opera. Legendary director Stanley Kubrick included The Cars That Ate Paris on the list of his 93 favourite films. ==Reception==

, the film holds a 65% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes out of 17 reviews. The 10 October 2024 marked the 50-year anniversary since the movie's cinema release and decades later the movie continues to shape the tropes of Ozploitation filming in both "profound and surprising ways". ==See also==