NXT Rockumentary Film Series: Wattstax (1973)

Mel Stuart, 1 h 43m

In its first incarnation, Stax Records stood as a testament to the creative power of racial integration. But after Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination shook Memphis to its core, new co-owner Al Bell steered the label toward a mission of African American pride and uplift. The culmination of his vision was a jubilant concert marking the seventh anniversary of the Watts riots, featuring Jesse Jackson and Richard Pryor alongside Isaac Hayes and the Staples Singers. For all its inspirational moments, the show is stolen by prankster Rufus Thomas, who tames an unruly crowd with his irresistible rendition of “Do the Funky Chicken.”

Co-presented with Next Chapter Records.