Movie Description
Director Mel Stuart battled for years to get the clearance to release this film on video. Lucky for us, because even today, it is an incredibly moving portrait of a community coming together in the aftermath of the violent Watts riots. The emotion conveyed in the music and subjects of the film culminate in a revealing portrait of a strong African American community that resonates today.
The film centers on the Watts Summer Festival concert at the Los Angeles Coliseum in August, 1972. Unique performances from Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers, Rufus Thomas, The Bar-Kays, and a host of others, are intercut with interviews with Watts's residents. Some of the residents are celebrities and future celebrities, such as Richard Pryor well before he became famous, and THE LOVE BOAT'S Ted Lange. The film captures not only the sound and sentiment of a community, but depicts a rare panorama of 1970s Los Angeles. WATTSTAX is an electric, enlightening, and unforgettable cultural time capsule.
| Credits | | Producer: | Larry Shaw, Mel Stuart |
| Details | | Edition: | 30th Anniversary Special Edition |
Notes
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
(unspecified) - English
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentaries - 1. Chuck D - Rapper, Activist, and Rob Bowman - Music Historian
2. Cast and Crew
Trailers - 1. Original 1973 Theatrical Trailer
2. 2003 Special Edition Trailer
DVD-ROM Features:
Links to Websites (Including WATTSTAX Site), WATTSTAX was originally released theatrically in 1973.
Re-released theatrically by Columbia Pictures on May 5, 2000.
The film was not available on video before the theatrical re-release, making it a hot property for bootleggers and soul music fans alike.
Editorial Reviews
"[T]his 1972 concert a the Los Angeles Coliseum was arguably more remarkable than its hippie predecessor."
Rolling Stone - Aaron Cohen (09/30/2004)
"It's a testament to the music, a mix of funk, gospel, and soul, that the prevailing mood is one of devotion, compassion, and hope, which Stuart captures in full."
Film Comment - Nicole Armour (09/30/2004)
"[Y]ou are getting a great concert film and a decent slice-of-African-American-life doc for the price of one."
Entertainment Weekly - Chris Willman (09/17/2004)
"This is more than just a concert film; it's a retrospective commemoration of the 1965 Watts riots, punctuated by a gut-busting Richard Pryor, just beginning his tenure as the funniest man alive."
USA Today - Mike Clark (09/17/2004)
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