Wattstax (1973)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Mel Stuart

Release Date:

23 November 1973 (West Germany)

Genre:

Documentary | Comedy | Music

Tagline:

A soulful expression of the living word...

Plot:

Documentary about african-american singers like Isaac Hayes and Rufus Thomas.

Plot Keywords:

Singer | African American | 1970s | Stadium | One Word Title

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

James Alexander	...	Himself
Rance Allen	...	Himself
Raymond Allen	...	Himself
The Bar-Kays	...	Themselves
Andre Edwards	...	Himself
The Emotions	...	Themselves
Isaac Hayes	...	Himself
Luther Ingram	...	Himself
Jesse Jackson	...	Himself (as Rev. Jesse Jackson)
Erik Kilpatrick	...	Himself
Albert King	...	Himself
Ted Lange	...	Himself
Little Milton	...	Himself
Richard Pryor	...	Himself
Mavis Staples	...	Herself (as The Staples Singers)
Roebuck 'Pops' Staples	...	Himself (as The Staples Singers)
Johnnie Taylor	...	Himself
Carla Thomas	...	Herself
Rufus Thomas	...	Himself
Kim Weston	...	Herself

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Watts, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Stax Records

Trivia:

Originally 'The Bar Kays' were going to enter the L.A. Coliseum riding in horse-drawn chariots. However, when the executives of Stax Records heard what the group had planned they ordered them not to do it. It turned out that the reason they didn't want the group to do it was so that they wouldn't upstage the concert's headliner, Isaac Hayes.

Movie Connections:

Featured in TV in Black: The First Fifty Years (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

I May Not Be What You Want

phenomenally soulfull

Back when being black , meant being proud .Melvin"Sweet Sweetback's Baaaadass song"Van Peebles came along with Wattstax. This was the Woodstock for soulbrothers and soulsisters held in 1972 at the L.A. Coliseum.This was the kind of show that made you wnat to jump out your skin and dance up a storm. Rance Allen's "Lying on the Truth" makes a man wanna go to church. Unfortunatly this movie hasn't made its way out on DVD or even VHS as of yet.The only way we can hear the legendary performances is to get the Wattstax soundtrack on cd.There is actually more than one soundtrack out, Wattstax and Wattstax 2. The first one made the leap to cd..while its latter partner in crime is stuck in vinyldom. I can say I have Wattstax 2 and it makes me thank Gd for a turntable...soulfully decadent.