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Black Shampoo
[VCI]
1976; color
Directed by Greydon Clark
Starring: John Daniels, Tanya Boyd, Joe Ortiz, Skip Lowe, Gary Allen, Anne Gaybis
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Hardly one of the era's most memorable films, Black Shampoo is certainly not for everyone. To be honest, I would probably count myself as among those this film was not meant for but, thanks to the Kommandant's quest to see every film he has a poster for at least once, I've seen it twice. (I fell asleep the first time but when I learned I had to pay attention in order to write a somewhat accurate review I watched it again and made an effort not to. For the record, I was mostly successful.) The movie starts off with one of the more curious opening sequences I've encountered to date. I mean, I've had my hair shampooed plenty of times; albeit never in a dimly lit room with leopard print wallpaper. I've also never been shampooed by a perpetually sneering African American fellow clad in an all white Elvis meets hospital worker ensemble while funk music plays in the background. I've only ever had chicks that crack gum and gossip with their co-workers shampoo my hair when my regular girl Jen isn't available, while the local top 40 station is droned out by other stylists blow dryers and loud talking from the rest of the clientele and staff. (And when Jen is available, we gossip about her co-workers while she shampoos my hair.) Still, I think it's safe to say gettin' your hair did at pretty much any salon in the nation, past or present, is nothing like the treatment you get from Mr. Jonathan. Because, if it were, the hair salon would actually be a front for a brothel and there would be no need for the special sink with the neck hole. A regular ol' sink would suit most whorehouse needs just fine. But I digress. As the "plot" moves "forward" we find ourselves getting somewhat drawn into the story of the relationship between Jonathan and his salon workers. Specifically the one between him and his attractive young receptionist who finds herself getting hassled on Jonathan's home territory by a crony of her mobster ex-lover. So when the two return from a somewhat innocent romantic afternoon of paddle boating (not a euphemism!) to find his salon trashed you best believe our follically focused fella is ready to exact some revenge. After, of course, screwing the lovely young lady in his apartment. From then on it's nothing but more sex, more stereotypes and more racially charged violence, oh my! Oh my indeed. Proceed with caution brothers and sisters.
—Bunny
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