Peter Weir's first film; a cult classic with a distinguished cast. Murky goings-on in the sleepy hamlet of Paris, a death-trap for passing tourists where everyone, from the Mayor down, shares in the grim pickings of car accidents. 1974
Features a possesed Beetle that is covered in spikes and attacks people!
I remember seeing this film on TV when I was about 11yrs old and have been hanging out to see it again!
Check it out.

Steve

Hmmm .... i remember that film.
Weird.

A real 1974 Australian film ....... bit slow

Dont know if i would stay awake - might have to tape it.

That echinda type beetle was cool

Very interesting, atmospheric film. I already have a copy of it on video. You will have to sit through most of the film before the Beetle appears, which is only right at the end.

It was filmed in and around Sofala in NSW. Looking at all the cars on our roads in the early 1970s is good fun. And watch for all the Aussie TV and film star faces you know.

Pretty sure it had John Mellion in it... and some of the wrestlers from WCW the old aussie version.

thanks i have been wanting to see this film again for ages.
the sad bit about it is that if you look it is an oval with spikes fitted to it including the W lid.
supposidly there was a spiked beetle driving around the streets being used as promo car. how cool would that be to have as a driver

Hi

Used to work at Hibicus Motors, a VW dealer at Taren Point (now andrew Short Marine is on the premises I think), we had the promo car in our back lot for years. It was a pretty clean oval as most of them were then, oh too no then, what I know now.

1302Steve

Thanks Steve " as I run for the video machine...."

GRRRRR.....!!!! another thing we have to blame those bloody politicians for!
i was really looking foward to it.

Thanks to ABC giving 24 hour coverage on the war we missed the film but I found a clip of the film in which the vw seems to be the only car to kill someone.

http://multimedia.badmovies.org/movies/carsate1.mpg 

Hi Steve,

Well since it wasn't on TV, how about we show the Cars That Ate Paris at the Nationals on Saturday night after setup? I have a perfect print of it on video.

Otherwise what other VW or car film would everyone like to see? I have quite a lot of them in my collection...

mate wot was the other one you had FJ holden or something //// crusin down roberts rod...

Yes it was called 'The FJ Holden'. Another classic Australian car movie, from 1976 this time. No VWs, but plenty of shots of Bankstown, Greenacre and Panania. Oh - you do get to see a row of wrecked Type 3s in the old All Model Auto Wreckers on Canterbury Rd, opposite where Cloughs used to be.

Another one - what about 'Chain Reaction' from 1979, starring Steve Bisley? he has a hotted-up Kingswood ute and there are a couple of great car chases along the old tin mining roads near Ilford and Sofala.

Another one - Running On Empty from about 1985. Plenty of hottie XY GTs and a blown '56 Chevy. Bad story though.

I also have the first two Mad Max films on video - great car chases in both of them. Bruce Spence's gyrocopter in Mad Max 2 is powered by a VW engine.

in back to the future i dont know which one but its the future one
anyway in the street between all the floating futureistic cars there a 70's beetle, it goes by quick but i did see it
:bounce