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Wattstax (1973)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Release Date:
23 November 1973 (West Germany)
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Genre:
Tagline:
A soulful expression of the living word... more
Plot:
Documentary about african-american singers like Isaac Hayes and Rufus Thomas. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Singer
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African American
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1970s
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Stadium
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One Word Title
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Awards:
Nominated for Golden Globe.
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NewsDesk:
(3 articles)
Soul Power - UK Trailer
(From LateFilmFull. 17 June 2009, 6:29 AM, PDT)
Whitey Helms Block Party
(From ioncinema. 30 January 2006)
(From LateFilmFull. 17 June 2009, 6:29 AM, PDT)
Whitey Helms Block Party
(From ioncinema. 30 January 2006)
User Comments:
Good Times!
more (17 total)
Cast
(Credited 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 |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
98 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Eastmancolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Cameo by Fred Berry dancing during 'Rufus Thomas (I)''s first song, "The Breakdown"
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Movie Connections:
Featured in TV in Black: The First Fifty Years (2004) (V)
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Soundtrack:
I May Not Be What You Want
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (17 total)
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| News articles | IMDb Documentary section | IMDb USA section |
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WATTSTAX (dir. by Mel Stuart) Late one night when I was a kid, I was watching TV by myself like I did almost every weekend in the wee hours (I still can't sleep). I came across "Wattstax" one night and it blew me away. I had never heard of the Watts Riots. I certainly had never heard of the Wattstax concert. It was a totally eye-opening experience.
Now over 30 years later, "Wattstax" is finally out on DVD and it's beautiful. It's probably the best music documentary ever made. Seven years after the riots in Watts, a concert was thrown at the LA Coliseum where 100,000 people came out to remember the event. The film covers the concert with amazing sound quality and some of the only live footage I've ever seen by amazing groups like the Staples, the Emotions, the totally amazing Bar-Kays… You also get the criminally underrated Carla Thomas with one of the greatest voices of all time coming through crystal clear in this new digital release.
Along with the music you get the classic between song banter with Rufus Thomas and the audience, you get Richard Pryor at his peak, you get Melvin Van Peebles doing his thing and you get Jesse Jackson hosting. Most fascinating to me, however, are the many interviews with just regular folks in Watts. Completely engrossing, the comments are sad, funny and let you emotionally know what the concert was about.