It is terribly sad that this film and its soundtrack are nowhere to be found these days. I have looked on various websites including the sites of Amazon,Sam Goody,and even selected music shops for this album which was released back in the early 1970's. But as for the movie is concern, this is a picture that needs to be seen again and I wonder what is the holdup on getting it released on video. They say its something else,but from other people's minds I don't dig it since it has been in commercial tie-ups lately with studio executives and its director,Mel Stuart who has been pushing hard to get this movie out on video. I got the chance to see this seldom seen picture only once when they showed it on Cinemax back in the early 90's. This is a movie and a concert documentary that showcased some of the biggest and baddest as well as some of the soulful groups and R&B singers of their day. This is also a true picture about US as a people too when we didn't act so CRAZY,and it shows. The overall beauty of this film is at the impact of seeing our beautiful brothers and sisters when we had some dignity as well as pride about ourselves and our culture plus we have a lot of soul and self respect in being what we were. We were one with our own music and we were able to express that individuality by feeling what was deep inside us. Wattstax was based on a two day event which was the Woodstock for African-Americans that was held in 1972 at the L.A. Coliseum. This was the kind of show that made you stand up and dance up a storm if you wanted to and also to express yourself. Some of the people that are in this are a very youthful and radical looking Rev. Jesse Jackson who was incredible to watch and he gave various speeches as well as providing laughs from a young looking Richard Pryor. The acts that performed was straight up soul-kicking entertainment and it shows. You had acts that included The Staple Singers,The Emotions,Carla Thomas,Rance Allen,Johnnie Taylor as well as one of the greatest acts ever...the incredible Issac Hayes. Like the title of the group The Dramatics used to say,"What You See Is What You Get",and it shows. It a crying shame that we lost two of Stax's greatest entertainers that were featured..the late Rufus Thomas and the late great Johnnie Taylor as well as Pop Staples. It remains to be seen.
