The material's often questionable, the characters often stereotypes, but the results are pretty darn funny. Nearly all the scenes erupt at an LA car wash where boisterous Black workers and colorful street characters bounce off each other. There're a few subplots but no real story. We get to know the guys and gals over the 90-minutes, usually as they show themselves in humorous situations and not through dialog. It's a distinguished line-up of name comics, with Carlin and Pryor leading that list if not the screen time. Instead, the focus wheels around from one episode to the next like a laughing merry-go-round. At times, more serious pieces intrude like boy-girl problems or just keeping the fun-loving guys at their work. Some might object to what amount to Black stereotypes-Pryor's churchman huckster, the sexy street hooker, the angry Black Muslim, et. al. Then too, some of the humor is time-bound, like Mao's Little Red Book that the White guy wannabe waves around. But that hardly matters when the luscious Mona pours coffee.True, the movie may be a matter of taste since the humor does cut across racial lines. Nonetheless, as a White guy, l got a big bunch of laughs from the loony goings-on. Thanks be to Universal for taking a chance on the tricky material.

"Car Wash" is about a close-knit group of employees who one day have all manner of strange visitors coming onto their forecourt, including Richard Pryor as a preaching 'wonder-man' who is loved by most but loathed by one, and a man who looks like a bomber by the way he is holding his bottle.Dear children of the 1990s, before there was "Empire Records" or "Clerks", there was "Car Wash". If you like watching a group of slackers who run into interesting situations without having to leave their work place, this is the film for you.You should probably be sold on it just because Richard Pryor and George Carlin are in it. But if that is not enough, it is just a fun and funny little picture. Perhaps the theme song is played one too many times, but at least it is one of the better disco songs of the era.

One of the most pleasant surprises I had as a kid was seeing CAR WASH; it was smart and funny and when I left the theater, I felt that it had been time well spent. Well-written, with interesting (and believable) characters and boasting some great music, CAR WASH was beautifully directed by Michael Shultz. I haven't seen it in its entirety since its initial theatrical release, but I DO occasionally hear some of the unforgettable music and it brings back fond memories. A lot of the people I grew up with never would've bothered to go see a comedy about regular folks working in a car wash, but I grew up working in warehouses, factories and service stations, and I could relate to the working-class characters in this movie. A ten on a scale of ten for sheer entertainment value alone.

After so many years of only reading about this movie, I finally watched Car Wash on Netflix Streaming. Richard Pryor has an amusing cameo as a reverend with The Pointer Sisters providing accompaniment and George Carlin is a taxi driver looking for the hooker who stiffed him but the real stars are the ensemble employed at the title place. Among them are: Franklyn Ajaye, Garrett Morris, Melanie Mayron, Antonio Fargas, Clarence Muse, Bill Duke, and Ivan Dixon in a rare acting role during this decade since he was busy as a director of such films like Trouble Man and The Spook Who Sat by the Door. Joel Schumacher's script isn't always hilarious but there are moments that do provide genuine laughs. Michael Schultz' direction keeps things on an even keel. And don't you just dig the cool songs written by Norman Whitfield and sung by Rose Royce especially the title tune? So on that note, I recommend Car Wash.