The Cars That Ate Paris

The BFI have released director Peter Weir's The Cars That Ate Paris in a limited edition two disc set. It comes in two editions: 4K UHD and standard Blu-ray. The first disc comes with the film and special features. the second disc (standard Blu-ray in both editions) comes with a remastered version of The Plumber, a made for television thriller which Weir directed in 1977.

At the start of the 1970s, Australia's post-war economic boom drove into a brick wall. Internal problems roughly coinciding with the 1973 OPEC oil crisis. Unemployment and stagflation now plague Australia. This is where Weir's parody on car culture and Australian self image is set. Two brothers travel the outback looking for work in the small towns they pass through. Tragedy strikes and one of them is trapped in the dilapidated town of Paris.

The run down nature of Paris is, the chips and scuff marks, rust and disrepair require anything but soft focus. This is where the crispness of the 4K image is important. It brings out all of the scruffy detail. HDR isn't something that enhances most of the film but the action sequences at the end of the film, shot against the black night sky, do benefit from it.

There is the usual array of special features for both The Cars That Ate Paris and The Plumber. The commentaries, interviews and video essay are all informative and sometimes entertaining, but can get a bit samey in content. At about five hours, that is inevitable.

What makes the special features special is the inclusion of four films: Michael; Incredible Floridas; the aforementioned The Plumber; Peter Weir's Dream Within A Dream.

Michael (1970) was part of a series of three short films that showcased new talent, 3 To Go. It dealt with the portrayal of youth culture in the Australian media.

Incredible Floridas (1972) is a short documentary piece on the composer Richard Meale, whose music was characterised by atonality.

The Plumber (1979), a made for television thriller written and directed by Peter Weir. It has been newly remastered in 2K. Jill Cowper (Judy Morris) is at home in a University-owned flat writing up her masters in anthropology. Tensions quickly ramp up between her and the plumber Max (Ivar Kants) intrusively fixing her pipework. This tight feature length film revolves around the clash of cultures between the liberal academic and the white van man.

Peter Weir's Dream Within A Dream (2026) is a documentary about Picnic At Hanging Rock made by the Polish filmmaker Jakub Duszynski. It uses newly discovered outtake footage from the film.

This release of The Cars That Ate Paris stands out for the bonus content. Not only do you get the one of a kind film - nothing else in cinema is quite like it - and five hours of special features, but four additional films.

Reviewed on: 25 May 2026