The Cars That Ate Paris/The Plumber [DVD]

This first effort from acclaimed writer/director Peter Weir is set in the secluded rural town of Paris, Australia, where the chief source of income is provided by the orchestration of automobile accidents -- which frequently claim the lives of passing tourists, though those who survive are usually subjected to bizarre brain experiments by a loony local surgeon. One such unfortunate survivor is young Arthur, who remains in Paris after his recovery to work in the hospital, unaware (at first) of the circumstances which brought him there. Although there are many amusingly weird moments, this black comedy is a bit too deadpan for its own good and may be too talky and meandering for horror fans. A condensed version was released in the U.S. under the title The Cars That Eat People.~Cavett Binion