WATTSTAX is a stirring chronicle of the all-black benefit concert sponsored by Stax records and the Schlitz Brewing Company, that was held at the LA Coliseum for the community of Watts, California, in the summer of 1972. Featuring performances by Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers, and others, the film devotes equal time to candid interviews with residents of Watts discussing racial issues, as well as some hilarious monologues by Richard Pryor.
The film begins with a montage set to The Dramatics singing "What You See Is What You Get," which includes footage of the 1965 ghetto riots in Watts, resident interviews, street scenes, and a Richard Pryor monologue about how...
Released:
1973
Rated:
R
Length:
102 mins