Wattstax (30th Anniversary Special Edition)

Wattstax (30th Anniversary Special Edition) Review

I’ll keep this short: The performances in this DVD were extremely well done and moving. Richard Pryor’s comedy was incredibly good, but those obviously drunk and/or high guys in many of the segments got waaay too much time in front of the camera. The quality of the entire film was lessened by the repeated appearances and inane utterances of people who were obviously drunk or under the influence of drugs.

Wattstax (30th Anniversary Special Edition) Feature

• On August 20, 1972, more than 100,000 people attended what came to be known as “The Black Woodstock.” Wattstax – The Special Edition is the 30th anniversary release of the film that documented that historic event and includes the once-lost original ending featuring Isaac Hayes’ performances of “Theme From Shaft” and “Soulsville.”Running Time: 103 min. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: MUSIC DVD

Wattstax (30th Anniversary Special Edition) Overview

On August 20, 1972, more than 100,000 people attended what came to be known as “The Black Woodstock.” Wattstax – The Special Edition is the 30th anniversary release of the film that documented that historic event and includes the once-lost original ending featuring Isaac Hayes’ performances of “Theme From Shaft” and “Soulsville.”

DVD Features:
Alternate endings:Original 1973 ending, performed by Isaac Hayes
Audio Commentary:Audio commentary by Chuck D, and music historian Rob Bowman Cast and crew commentaries including Isaac Hayes
DVD ROM Features:Links to Wattstax website and related sites
Theatrical Trailer:Original 1973 theatrical trailer 2003 Special Edition trailer

Wattstax (30th Anniversary Special Edition) Specifications

They called Wattstax the “black Woodstock,” but there are many differences between that seminal hippie event and the 1972 concert documented in this 30th-anniversary special-edition reissue. Woodstock was all about peace, love, and music. Wattstax, held three years later in Los Angeles, had those elements as well; but as this 103-minute film reminds us, it was a more socio-politically charged event, with its emphasis on black pride and the simple opportunity for African Americans to assert that, in opening speaker Jesse Jackson’s words, “I am somebody.” There’s also a good deal less music in this film than in the Woodstock movie. As the title suggests, a host of great Stax Records artists (including Rufus and Carla Thomas, the Bar-Kays, the Staple Singers, Albert King, and show closer Isaac Hayes) performed, but much of Wattstax doesn’t even take place inside the L.A. Coliseum, where the concert was held, but rather in the churches and shops and on the streets of Watts itself (music fans would be better off checking out the Wattstax double CD). Wattstax, in fact, is much less a music movie than a chronicle of black life seven years after the Watts race riots, as well as what comedian Richard Pryor (who delivers several hilarious but scathing bits) calls “a soulful expression of the black experience.” –Sam Graham

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