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Car Wash (1976)

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 4
Fresh: 4 | Rotten: 0

audience

58

liked it
Average Rating: 3.2/5
User Ratings: 7,724

My Rating

Movie Info

Michael Schultz directed this kinetic, hyperventilating comedy (scripted by Joel Schumacher) concerning the crazed events that go on within a single 10-hour period at a Los Angeles car wash. The cast of colorful car-wash employees includes Lonnie (Ivan Dixon), an ex-con; Duane (Bill Duke), a militant black activist; and Lindy (Antonio Fargas), an obnoxious homosexual. Sully Boyar plays Mr. B, the frazzled car-wash owner who has to deal with his screwball employees along with his over-educated

PG, 1 hr. 37 min.

Comedy

Joel Schumacher

Apr 7, 1998

Cast

All Critics (21) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (18) | Rotten (3) | DVD (2)

Uses gritty humor to polish clean the souls of a lot of likeable street people.

June 5, 2008 Full Review Source: Variety | Comment
Variety
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A cheerful, somewhat vulgar, very cleverly executed comedy...

May 9, 2005 Full Review Source: New York Times | Comment
New York Times
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The screenplay and the direction juggle the characters so adroitly, this is almost a wash-and-wax M*A*S*H.

October 23, 2004 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | Comment
Chicago Sun-Times
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Critics seemed to like this less than audiences; personally, I had a ball.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | Comment
Chicago Reader
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Car Wash marks the point at which defiant blaxploitation turned decisively into upbeat crossover entertainment.

August 21, 2009 Full Review Source: City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul | Comment

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

June 23, 2008 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | Comment
TV Guide's Movie Guide

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

January 22, 2008 Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | Comment
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Highly enjoyable.

February 9, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out | Comment

Surprisingly good ensemble comedy with Antonio Fargas a standout.

August 24, 2003 Comment
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Funny antics with great cast

June 7, 2003 Comment
Lawrence Journal-World

There's no plot as such, just a collection of gags, issues and themes...

May 24, 2003 Full Review Source: Film4 | Comment

One of the best of its ilk.

July 26, 2002 Comment
eFilmCritic.com
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Car Wash

Not quite what I expected from what I'd heard about it, but it's a good movie. It has some really funny scenes, and good music.

September 6, 2010
ajv2688

Super Reviewer

One star for five minutes of Richard Pryor! The rest is quite boring.

September 29, 2009
SirPant

Super Reviewer

    1. Lindy: Who you calling sorry looking?
    – Submitted by PW E (5 months ago)
    1. Goody: She got her brains in her lungs.
    2. Slide: Then the bitch must be a GENIUS!
    – Submitted by PW E (5 months ago)

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...

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