Review of Car Wash

Introduction

There just isn`t enough time in the world. It`s something that watching films has made me very much aware of. Films can be split into four definite categories; films I love and films I hate are two very obvious ones. Less obvious are films that I won`t waste my time on, the majority of films fall into this category. With ten films on average released every week in the cinemas, and a vast catalogue of old titles, its obvious that no one man can watch them all. My final category is for those films that I will make time to watch, someday. These are films that I have no pressing need to watch immediately but go on a list somewhere for when the opportunity arises. I read about films or hear about them in conversation and make a mental note to watch them at the earliest opportunity, but making the time is increasingly difficult. It`s getting to be a long list. I still haven`t seen the Godfather movies, which is apparently blasphemy for a movie reviewer, but there are other titles that I wish to make the time to see, The Fall of The House Of Usher, Lawrence of Arabia, Platoon, Apocalypse Now, Goodfellas, all are films that I will watch, someday. That`s where DVD Reviewer comes in. There is always an eclectic mix of films that has to be reviewed and occasionally a film turns up that I have always wanted to see, someday. Car Wash is one of these films.

Ever since I first heard the Rose Royce title tune when it was re-released back in 1988, this film has intrigued me, and I jumped at the chance to review it. Car Wash captures a moment in time, a snapshot in the lives of a diverse collection of car wash workers in 1970s LA. The film follows a day in the lives of these characters, the relationships, interactions and strange events that occur around this rather mundane workplace all set to a brilliant Rose Royce soundtrack.

Video

Car Wash is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic aspect ratio. After an initial shaky start with a very dirty and scratchy title sequence, the film itself settles down and is very clear and sharp with strong colours. It`s in very good condition for a film made in 1976. Speaking of the seventies, the decade of my infancy comes across in stark relief in the look of this film. The fashions and hairstyles as well as the cars and slang all give this film its style, brought to life by Michael Schultz` snappy direction.

Audio

The sound is available in DD 2.0 English, French, German, Italian and Spanish flavours. All except the Italian (mono) are ostensibly Stereo soundtracks, but I found little to make the English track stand out. It`s a fairly mundane, front focussed track, which keeps the dialogue clear and audible. I would have liked to hear a little more flair in the sound as Car Wash comes with one of the most memorable music soundtracks of any film. Norman Whitfield`s score and great tunes from Rose Royce and the Pointer Sisters give this film its fast pace and will have you bopping along.

Features

Beaucoup subtitles.

Conclusion

Like American Graffiti, Car Wash captures a particular mood in time, a cultural snapshot of a time long gone. There is hardly any plot to speak of, but it`s the characters that drive this movie. A mismatched group of characters come to work in this little microcosm, and we get to see how they respond to working in this rather mundane and uninspiring job. Like many workplaces up and down the country, the radio is the soundtrack to their lives, and this is a singular part of the film as KGYS is an unrelenting presence in their day. It not only is the source of the films outstanding soundtrack, but also is as much as if not more so a character in the film.

As I said, it`s how the characters react to the dull job that is of interest in the film. The boss is cheating on his wife with the secretary, but is being discreet as his son is there to get some work experience. The son, straight from college is enamoured of the working classes so is trying to fit in by leading a Maoist revolution. Antonio Fargas, better known as Huggy Bear is unrecognisable as Lindy, camp as anything. Earl is trying to take pride in his work, much to the amusement and ridicule of his laidback colleagues. Floyd and Lloyd are trying to find fame outside of the car wash, Lonnie is an ex-con going straight and trying to support his family while Abdullah played by Bill Duke is the angry young man that sees the carwash for the depressing drudgery it is and is looking for someone to rebel against. Perhaps the best character is that of TC played by Franklin Ajaye, wannabe superhero, The Fly and who is infatuated with waitress Mona. The real world intrudes on their little universe from time to time, and there are cameos from George Carlin as an aggrieved Taxi Driver and the Pointer Sisters and Richard Pryor as Daddy Rich, a TV evangelist who preaches the glory of greed and whom the workers all esteem. There is also a suspected mad bomber to keep The Fly on his toes.

Car Wash is funny and well written (by Joel Schumacher) and is a great ninety minutes of entertainment. This isn`t so much a movie as a collection of sketches and the haphazard narrative can be a little grating at times, but the characters are well constructed and brilliantly played by an ensemble cast. There is in turn humour and poignancy and this plays well in this movie. Unfortunately this isn`t the whole film as it has been significantly edited in this present version. I know, I checked on IMDB Whole vignettes and characters have been excised to suit the shorter running time, indeed Danny DeVito had a significant role as a jealous husband in the original version of the film and these cuts do tell somewhat in the film that we see on this disc. The longer version of the film is usually seen on television, with what is on this disc accepted as the theatrical version. Surely some deleted scenes as extras could have been possible.

Car Wash is a fun film, but this bare bones disc deserves better sound and some decent extras.