Wattstax (1973)

"Wattstax" (1973) is an iconic documentary about the legendary concert known as Wattstax. Stax Records organized the event on August 20, 1972, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the 1965 Watts riots. This multilayered film is strong in black culture, idealism, politics, music, style, fashion, language, art, dance, and beauty. Richard Pryor is the host of the film, and there are several excerpts from actors and everyday folks discussing life as a Black American post-Civil Rights.

The music in the film was nothing short of amazing. The concert was six hours long, but the film only showed parts of the entire show, including performances by Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers, Carla and Rufus Thomas, Johnnie Taylor, Jimmy Jones, Rance Allen, Albert King, The Emotions, Little Milton, Luther Ingram, and more! Jesse Jackson also delivered his famous "I'm Somebody" speech, which Kim Weston followed by singing "Lift Every Voice."

This movie is one of the richest experiences of black culture. It was a moment when black people united for a common cause and celebrated with each other. Very few films can capture the essence of the black experience, but "Wattstax" did an excellent job of displaying the most profound aspects of Black Americans—comedy, music, dance, soul, and love.

Director: Mel Stuart

Starring Richard Pryor, James Alexander, Rance Allen, Raymond Allen, The Bar-Kays, Andre Edwards, The Emotions, Isaac Hayes, Luther Ingram, Jesse Jackson, Erik Kilpatrick, Albert King, Ted Lange, Little Milton, Richard Pryor, Mavis Staples, Roebuck 'Pops' Staples, Johnnie Taylor, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, Kim Weston, Jimmy Jones, William Bell

Storyline
In 1972, at the Los Angeles Coliseum, director Mel Stuart captured the performances of the Watts Summer Festival. Stax Records organized the festival as a gathering of musicians and entertainers from the black community, brought together to remember the Watts Riots from seven years prior. Key performances include comedian Richard Pryor and singers Isaac Hayes and Luther Ingram. Stuart also presents shots of the Watts streets, community, and festival footage.

Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993)

"Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit" (1993) is a comedy movie starring Whoopi Goldberg, who reprises her role as a Las Vegas entertainer, Deloris. Directed by Bill Duke, the writers loosely based the story on Crenshaw High School choir instructor Iris Stevenson. In this film, Delores accepts a position as a teacher at St. Francis Academy in San Francisco, where she is responsible for teaching music to a group of unruly teenagers. The movie was highly successful at the box office earning $125 million on a $38 budget. It also introduced Lauren Hill to a broader audience as she was the headline singer in the movie. While she was a member of the Fugees before starring in the film, the group still hadn't reached commercial success. This film was an excellent vehicle for Lauren Hill's career.

This movie follows the formula of the typical inner-city multicultural school-themed films from the 90s. It has a cheesy charm, but it is a Disney film, so expect a lot of fun and feel-good moments. The music is fantastic, with a soundtrack that went gold. It reached #74 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart and #40 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

Director: Bill Duke

Writers: James Orr, Jim Cruickshank, Judi Ann Mason, Paul Rudnick

Starring Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Najimy, Barnard Hughes, Mary Wickes, James Coburn, Michael Jeter, Wendy Makkena, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Robert Pastorelli, Thomas Gottschalk, Maggie Smith, Lauryn Hill, Brad Sullivan, Alanna Ubach, Ryan Toby, Ron Johnson, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Devin Kamin, Christian Fitzharris, Tanya Blount, Mehran Marcos Sedghi

Storyline

In this sequel, Las Vegas performer Deloris Van Cartier (Whoopi Goldberg) is surprised by a visit from her nun friends, Sister Mary Patrick (Kathy Najimy) and Sister Mary Lazarus (Mary Wickes). It appears Deloris is needed in her nun guise as Sister Mary Clarence to help teach music to teens at a troubled school in hopes of keeping the facility from closing at the hands of Mr. Crisp (James Coburn), a callous administrator.