WATTSTAX is being shown on PBS right now!

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fuck i love this movie. richard pryor, bar-kays, isaac hayes, rufus thomas

― joseph pot (STINKOR™), Saturday, 11 September 2004 01:33 (twenty-one years ago)

bad time to not have the cable installed...

― frankE (frankE), Saturday, 11 September 2004 01:40 (twenty-one years ago)

was fortunate enough to have seen it in a theater a few years ago when the only surviving print of it was being shown around. I guess it's been restored now.

it's on the Bar-Kays part now. jesus they were crazy. Andre3000 is a just a poor imitation.

― joseph pot (STINKOR™), Saturday, 11 September 2004 01:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Apparently it will be coming out on DVD anyway. I think I saw it slated for upcoming release on an Australian DVD website(?)

― herbalizer12 (herbalizer12), Saturday, 11 September 2004 16:37 (twenty-one years ago)

I saw this on PBS the other day. It was funny: They bleep all the swears, but leave in all the uses of "The N-word."

― Doobie Keebler (Charles McCain), Saturday, 11 September 2004 16:41 (twenty-one years ago)

I've only ever seen clips of this -- I'm looking forward to the DVD release.

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 11 September 2004 17:03 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.wattstax.com/
you can watch the trailer here.

― joseph pot (STINKOR™), Saturday, 11 September 2004 18:48 (twenty-one years ago)

According to Amazon, it came out on DVD this past Tuesday.

I watched this on PBS a few days ago, and was surprised to hear a few Public Enemy sample sources.

― Vic Funk, Saturday, 11 September 2004 20:21 (twenty-one years ago)

it's on the Bar-Kays part now. jesus they were crazy. Andre3000 is a just a poor imitation.

my thoughts exactly. the white afro must if been a GIANT WIG?

― kephm, Tuesday, 14 September 2004 17:10 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.wattstax.com/wattstax_images/ImageJPGs/BarKays480.jpg

― joseph pot (STINKOR™), Wednesday, 15 September 2004 01:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Watch closely for the guys dancing in the stands with the funny hats. They're the Lockers, the godfathers of breakdancing. Details: http://babelogue.citypages.com:8080/pscholtes/2003/10/23

― Pete Scholtes, Wednesday, 15 September 2004 03:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Stuart-Wolper? John A. Alonzo? What an odd pedigree!

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Wednesday, 15 September 2004 07:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, and the bartender from The Love Boat, too! God I want to watch this again...
http://babelogue.citypages.com:8080/pscholtes/2003/07/25

― Pete Scholtes, Wednesday, 15 September 2004 13:44 (twenty-one years ago)

"On September 18, the comedian will celebrate the music and culture of New York by throwing the Dave Chappelle Block Party, an old-fashioned neighborhood jam that'll include musical performances from an all-star lineup of his favorite hip-hop and R&B artists. Kanye West, Lauryn Hill, Talib Kweli, the Roots, Mos Def, Erykah Badu, [Jill Scott,] Common and Dead Prez and are slated to take part, with Chappelle serving as master of ceremonies for the event.
"The party will be shot by acclaimed director Michel Gondry for a potential DVD release. Chappelle is hoping to re-create the vibe of Wattstax, a 1972 concert and subsequent film set in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles that featured performances by funk, soul and gospel artists like Isaac Hayes and the Bar-Kays.
"Sources say Chappelle conceived the project by himself and is funding it out of his own pocket. He has sworn everyone involved in the project to secrecy on its location and other details of the event. Fans who register online are being bussed to a secret location in Brooklyn from another secret location elsewhere in the city. The concert is expected to take place [from noon to at least 9pm.]"
Tickets are sold out.

― Comme personne (common_person), Wednesday, 15 September 2004 15:51 (twenty-one years ago)

"I watched this on PBS a few days ago, and was surprised to hear a few Public Enemy sample sources. "

I'm amazed you've never heard this record! Awesome awesome awesome. Chappelle thing sounds interesting, but doesn't nearly have the breadth of talent the Wattstaxx shows had.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 15 September 2004 16:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Ice Cube and Cypress Hill liberally sampled the record as well... I'm sure there's others.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 15 September 2004 16:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Chappelle is hoping to re-create the vibe of Wattstax

but it's impossible to re-create that, hence the beauty of the Wattstax film.

― joseph pot (STINKOR™), Wednesday, 15 September 2004 21:00 (twenty-one years ago)

four months pass...

they showed wattstax again on pbs last night. fuckin' hell, i haven't been that moved by a film since, like, ever. it should be shown in schools.

gah, isaac hayes prowling the stage in a psychedelic day-glo robe, throwing it down like a prizefighter to reveal chains swinging from his completely ripped body, and breaking into "theme from shaft" -- tell me he did not RULE THE WORLD at that moment.

― Nimrod Kovacs (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 3 February 2005 15:06 (twenty-one years ago)

but the richard pryor stuff was weird to watch

― Nimrod Kovacs (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 3 February 2005 15:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Isaac from the Love Boat has the best story about when he discovered he was a "nigger". Some white boys broke the news to his older, light-skinned brother. When they got home, the older brother repeated the information, "[Isaac's] a nigger".

Moms says: "Well, I guess he's my son and you're not, because all my children are niggers."

Plus Isaac has grey tips on a handlebar mustache, pretty badass.

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Thursday, 3 February 2005 15:24 (twenty-one years ago)

I worked with Isaac Hayes on a record a couple of years back and he told me then that he didn't even have a copy of Wattstax the movie! I made him a copy from my ratty 3rd generation bootleg and mailed it to him. Gotta hook Black Moses up, you know?

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Thursday, 3 February 2005 17:16 (twenty-one years ago)

it should be shown in schools.

I actually did see this movie in school (in an African American Cinema class). Unfortunately I don't remember much about it since it was one of those classes where we'd watch two or three movies in a row so it all became a bit of a blur.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Thursday, 3 February 2005 18:40 (twenty-one years ago)

five years pass...

Saw this again the other day. Still great!

― is breads of india still tite (admrl), Thursday, 15 July 2010 15:34 (fifteen years ago)

Finally saw this last night — so great. Rufus calling out the dancing fool with the umbrella, then siccing the crowd on him! That dude's lucky to be alive.

― Jazzbo, Thursday, 22 July 2010 16:32 (fifteen years ago)

^^^YES such a great moment

― Major Lolzer (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 22 July 2010 16:43 (fifteen years ago)

so disappointed that this isnt being shown on PBS tonight

― /\/K/\/\, Thursday, 22 July 2010 22:07 (fifteen years ago)

they projected this film at the bar on my block a few weeks back. still <3 it. rufus is so awesome.

i also like when the guy from the barkays says "we are giving you the opportunity to get funky"

― i am giving you the caesar salad of compliments (Nijoli), Thursday, 22 July 2010 22:09 (fifteen years ago)

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