Car Wash (1976)

23Sep08

Car Wash IMDB Link

Directed By: Michael Schultz

Written By: Joel Schumacher

Starring: Ivan Dixon, George Carlin, Richard Pryor

When I moved out to L.A. I was pretty surprised at how many car washes there were. After a month of realizing that the smog builds up into a sort of wax it made a lot more sense. The great thing is you can get an outstanding car wash for only twelve bucks. I’m talking they hand wash, machine wash, clean the interior and wax that shit up. And I don’t even mind the whole waiting since it gives you an excuse to sit around on a bench spying on people without the creepy factor. My only problem is the end of the whole transaction where I turn into George Costanza. The panic attack begins as I realize the whole tipping situation has begun. Do I have bills? Does this guy think I’m gonna tip him shit because I drive a homo erotic Rav 4? Is this guy going to share with the others because I mean he only dried my car.

Regardless, a car wash isn’t the first thing that pops into people’s heads when they think of a new and exciting place to set their movie. To sound like a horrible producer, Car Wash feels like Major League and Whose the Man mixed together. It’s a crazy buncha guys cracking jokes, pulling pranks, living life in a car wash. Like I mentioned before, Shultz seems determined to deliver a fun movie and the pattern of bumpin music, over the top characters and a breezy lack of seriousness is what Car Wash is all about.

One device that Shultz used that was prominently featured in M.A.S.H. was the use of the radio host represented as a old megaphone looking speaker to drive things along giving the thin story a extra layer. I also think one of Shultz’s best qualities as a director is giving his characters a real sense of ease amongst themselves. When people are arguing or fighting you can sense it’s in a friendly “we have a history together” sort of way. There are also some great connected but not connected story linese that I thought helped make it more robust. There is a hooker character who probably only says two lines throughout the movie but you get a real sense of who she is.

And of course what’s a car wash movie without cars. Richard Pryor rolls up as Daddy Cool in a sick limousine and the annoying white bitch from Beverly Hills comes in a beige mercedes . Judging people on their cars is an essential part of life and it’s nice to know it went on back in the day. I know when I see a guy in a BMW refusing to use his turn signal I think “Oh, so your too rich to use your turn signal huh?” Oh god what do people think when they see me?

Man my Rav 4 is lame.

Filed under: Classic/Old, Comedy   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: Car Wash, George Carlin, movie review, Richard Pryor