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Movies / On DVD / Car Wash
Car Wash

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Car Wash (1976)

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Reviews Counted:21

Fresh:18

Rotten:3

Average Rating:6.7/10

Runtime: 1 hr 37 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: Director Michael Schultz follows up his critically acclaimed and commercially successful COOLEY HIGH with this hilarious day-in-the-life tale set in modern day Los Angeles. At Sully Boyar's car... Director Michael Schultz follows up his critically acclaimed and commercially successful COOLEY HIGH with this hilarious day-in-the-life tale set in modern day Los Angeles. At Sully Boyar's car wash, a juvenile, motley crew of city dwellers "work their fingers to the bone" waiting on the eccentric and sometimes haughty clientele. Throughout the day, the young men find time to indulge in personal pursuits: one fellow fantasizes about the pretty waitress working at a local restaurant, a militant preaches politics, while more disgruntled workers find a way to justify their laziness. As the day wears on, the many levels of oppression that control each individual's lives gradually become apparent. Luckily, Schultz and screenwriter Joel Schumacher don't dwell on the potentially depressing aspects of their subject matter; proving that sometimes laughter is the best medicine, they stuff their film with enough verbal, visual, and situational humor to keep the audience laughing throughout. This can also be attributed to the performances by the all-star ensemble of performers, including Franklin Ajaye, Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Bill Duke, and Garrett Morris. Cementing the deal is the film's soundtrack, which features the soulful music of diva Rose Royce. [More]

Starring: Richard Pryor, Franklin Ajaye, George Carlin, Irwin Corey

Starring: Richard Pryor, Franklin Ajaye, George Carlin, Irwin Corey, Sully Boyar, Ivan Dixon, Antonio Fargas, Tracy Reed, Richard Brestoff, Bill Duke, Ed Metzger

Director: Michael Schultz

Director: Michael Schultz
Screenwriter: Joel Schumacher
Producer: Art Linson, Gary Stromberg
Composer: Norman Whitfield

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Car Wash

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1 - 20 (sorted by source; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
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There's no plot as such, just a collection of gags, issues and themes...

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
05/24/03
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Highly enjoyable.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Tom Milne
Tom Milne
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
07/26/02
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

No review available.

comment Comment
11/08/02
Brian J. Arthurs
Brian J. Arthurs
Beach Reporter (Southern California)

Critics seemed to like this less than audiences; personally, I had a ball.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
01/01/00
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader

The screenplay and the direction juggle the characters so adroitly, this is almost a wash-and-wax M*A*S*H.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
10/23/04
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
07/26/03
Jules Brenner
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals

Car Wash marks the point at which defiant blaxploitation turned decisively into upbeat crossover entertainment.

Full Review Source: City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul | comment Comment
08/21/09
Rob Nelson
Rob Nelson
City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul

One of the best of its ilk.

comment Comment
07/26/02
Scott Weinberg
Scott Weinberg
eFilmCritic.com

No review available.

comment Comment
06/19/05
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

comment Comment
06/26/03
Edward Havens
Edward Havens
FilmJerk.com

No review available.

comment Comment
08/22/03
Carol Cling
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal

Funny antics with great cast

comment Comment
06/07/03
Jon Niccum
Jon Niccum
Lawrence Journal-World

Surprisingly good ensemble comedy with Antonio Fargas a standout.

comment Comment
08/24/03
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

No review available.

comment Comment
12/13/02
Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies

A cheerful, somewhat vulgar, very cleverly executed comedy...

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/09/05
Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
10/17/02
Jeffrey Westhoff
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

It was both a riot and surprisingly had something poignant to say about race relations.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
01/22/08
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

No review available.

comment Comment
09/20/05
Linda Cook
Linda Cook
Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)

Norman Whitfield's great musical score is integrated into the movement of the scenes to give the film a funky rhythm.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
06/23/08
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by source; UK critics are listed first)
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Latest News for Car Wash

December 12, 2005: Richard Pryor Passes Away at 65
Richard Pryor passed away yesterday morning, and while he's probably best remembered for his incendiary stand-up material (as evidenced in 1979's "Live in Concert,"... More...

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