The Cars That Ate Paris

[MichaelB]

From the latest BFI press release:

25 May: THE CARS THAT ATE PARIS on 4K UHD and Blu-ray

A key film in the Australian New Wave of the 1970s and newly restored by the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), THE CARS THAT ATE PARIS was one of Stanley Kubrick’s favourite films and famously went on to influence George Miller’s Mad Max series. This limited edition two-disc set is available in both 4K UHD and Blu-ray editions and includes Weir’s 1979 rarity The Plumber. The films of Peter Weir will be celebrated throughout April 2026 with a retrospective at BFI Southbank, including screenings of both of these films alongside his Hollywood films such as The Truman Show and Dead Poets Society.

[MichaelB]

Not an official announcement, but I have it on excellent authority that the specs are looking a bit like this:

• Newly recorded audio commentary on The Cars That Ate Paris by Dr Stephen Morgan
• My First Film: Terry Camilleri on The Cars That Ate Paris (2026): newly recorded interview with one of the stars of the film
• Interview with Peter Weir (2003, 11 mins): archive interview with the director about The Cars That Ate Paris
• Guardian Interview: Peter Weir (1985, c80 mins) extensive interview with the acclaimed director, recorded around the release of Peter Weir’s Oscar-winning film Witness
• Three to Go: Michael (1970, 30 mins): made up of three self-contained films, each part was directed by a different filmmaker and focused on a young person facing a momentous choice about their future. ‘Michael’ was written and directed by Peter Weir and would go onto win the top prize at the Australian Film Awards in 1970
• "Nobody Leaves Paris! No One!" (2026, 15 mins): a newly commissioned video essay by Chris O’Neill looking at The Cars That Ate Paris
• Interview with Hal McElroy (2008, 6 mins): an interview with the one of the producers of The Cars That Ate Paris, originally recorded by filmmaker Mark Hartley for his documentary Not Quite Hollywood
• The Plumber (1979, 76 mins): remastered in 2K, Peter Weir’s made-for-television thriller follows an anthropology student and her husband whose lives are disrupted when an over‑familiar plumber begins intrusive ‘repairs’
• Newly recorded audio commentary on The Plumber by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson
• Incredible Floridas (1972, 13 mins): a portrait of Australian composer Richard Meale as he composes and conducts his sextet "Incredible Floridas"
• Interview with Peter Weir (2003, 8 mins): archive interview with the director about The Plumber
• Peter Weir's Dream within a Dream (2026, 17 mins): sparked by the discovery of rare outtakes from Picnic at Hanging Rock, this newly made work by Polish filmmaker Jakub Duszynski offers new insight into Weir’s 1975 masterpiece
• Trailers
• Illustrated booklet featuring a new written interview with Peter Weir, an original review and essays on The Cars That Ate Paris by Dr Stephen Morgan and on The Plumber by Tara Judah

[ethel]

I saw this at the 1974 Melbourne Film Festival. I clearly remember the audience booing (and hissing!) the masturbatory scene near the end of a car repeatedly smashing into a yokel inside a barn. Must’ve been some comment about Aussie car culture, but this failed to wash with the sophisticated film festival audience.

The dystopian Australian country town in the film is called Paris. The American distributor wished to spare American audiences the distress of being lured to the film by this modest bit of humour, so he changed the name to THE CARS THAT ATE PEOPLE. This was before Peter Weir was Peter Weir.

[MichaelB]

Full specs (formally) announced:

THE CARS THAT ATE PARIS
A film by Peter Weir
4K restoration
Limited Edition 2-disc sets

Released on BFI UHD and Blu-ray, Apple TV and Amazon Prime on 25 May 2026

Peter Weir’s (Dead Poets Society, The Truman Show) debut feature from 1974, a genuine cult classic only previously available on DVD in the UK, is a biting satire of small-town life. It was also one of Stanley Kubrick’s favourite films and a direct inspiration for George Miller’s Mad Max series. Newly remastered in 4K by the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, The Cars That Ate Paris leads a limited edition two-disc set, released by the BFI on both UHD and standard Blu-ray on 25 May, that also includes Weir’s psychological thriller The Plumber (1979). Extras include audio commentaries on both features, a newly filmed interview with Terry Camilleri and rare early short films by Peter Weir.

While travelling across Australia in search of work, two brothers are involved in a car accident. The sole survivor is taken in by the residents of the nearby town of Paris, but the inhabitants’ strange behaviour – and the alarming number of road accidents in the area – quickly unsettles him. It soon becomes clear that the town’s feral youth rule the streets at night in souped-up cars, and the local hospital is overflowing with brain-damaged crash victims.

Special features
• UHD: 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Blu-ray: Newly restored in 4K and presented in High Definition
• Audio commentary on The Cars That Ate Paris by Dr Stephen Morgan
• My First Film: Terry Camilleri on The Cars That Ate Paris (2026, 21 mins): a new interview with one of the stars of the film
• Interview with Peter Weir – The Cars That Ate Paris (2003, 11 mins)
• The Guardian Interview: Peter Weir (1985, 70 mins, audio only)
• 3 To Go: Michael (1970, 31 mins): three young filmmakers, of whom Peter Weir was one, were commissioned by the Australian Commonwealth Film Unit to each write and direct a half-hour fiction drama on the theme of ‘Youth’. These were combined for cinema release as 3 To Go: Michael was Weir’s contribution to the project
• Incredible Floridas (1972, 12 mins): a portrait of Australian composer Richard Meale
• ‘Nobody Leaves Paris! No One!’ (2026, 15 mins): a new video essay by Chris O’Neill
• Interview with Hal McElroy (2008, 6 mins): an interview with the one of the producers of The Cars That Ate Paris
• The Plumber (1979, 77 mins): newly remastered, Peter Weir’s made-for-television thriller follows a couple whose lives are disrupted when an over-familiar plumber begins intrusive ‘repairs’
• Audio commentary on The Plumber by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson
• Interview with Peter Weir – The Plumber (2003, 8 mins)
• Peter Weir’s Dream Within a Dream (2026, 18 mins): sparked by the discovery of rare outtakes from Picnic at Hanging Rock, this newly made work by Polish filmmaker Jakub Duszynski offers fresh insight into Weir’s 1975 masterpiece
• Trailers
• Image galleries
• Illustrated booklet featuring a new written interview with Peter Weir, an original review, essays on The Cars That Ate Paris by Dr Stephen Morgan and on The Plumber by Tara Judah and writing about his short films by Peter Weir

Product details
UHD: RRP: £32.99 / Cat. no. BFIU0028 / 15
Australia / 1974, 1979 / colour / 88, 77 mins / English language with optional descriptive subtitles / aspect ratios 2.39:1, 1.85:1 // The Cars That Ate Paris: UHD100, 2160p, 24fps, DTS-HD MA 1.0 mono audio (48kHz/24-bit), DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio (48kHz/24-bit) The Plumber: BD25, 1080p, 24fps, LPCM 1.0 mono audio (48kHz/16-bit)

Blu-ray: RRP: £24.99 / Cat. no. BFIB1567 / 15
Australia / 1974, 1979 / colour / 88, 77 mins / English language with optional descriptive subtitles / aspect ratios 2.39:1, 1.85:1 // The Cars That Ate Paris: BD50, 1080p, DTS-HD MA 1.0 mono audio (48kHz/24-bit), DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio (48kHz/24-bit) The Plumber: BD25, 1080p, 24fps, LPCM 1.0 mono audio (48kHz/16-bit)

[jazzo]

Michael, just a quick question regarding this release, if you’re able to answer it.

I know the 4K disc is region free in this edition, but can you confirm the region of the accompanying blu-ray that contains the supplements? The BFI page for the stand alone BR edition states it's region-locked to B, but the 4K page states a general region A/B/C, but doesn't specify whether that's both discs.

Appreciate it in advance.

[MichaelB]

I don't know any more than anyone else, although I'd certainly assume that the Blu-ray discs are identical across both releases. In other words, if they're region-locked for one, they'll be region-locked for both.

[TechnicolorAcid]

I don't know any more than anyone else, although I'd certainly assume that the Blu-ray discs are identical across both releases. In other words, if they're region-locked for one, they'll be region-locked for both.

Speaking of region-locking, when was the last time the BFI released a Region Free Blu-Ray? It’s been at least a year or two, no?

[GaryC]

I don't know any more than anyone else, although I'd certainly assume that the Blu-ray discs are identical across both releases. In other words, if they're region-locked for one, they'll be region-locked for both.

Speaking of region-locking, when was the last time the BFI released a Region Free Blu-Ray? It’s been at least a year or two, no?

I've just had a look through my reviews and the most recent all-regions Blu-ray I can find was 23 Seconds to Eternity, back in November 2023.There have been some all-regions DVD releases since then: two Children's Film Foundation Bumper Box Sets and the most recent set of British Transport Films.

From my review checkdisc, The Cars That Ate Paris Blu-ray is Region B only. The second disc in both editions (The Plumber plus its extras) is also a Region B Blu-ray.