Customer Reviews

Skid Row (Full Screen Edition)

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4 star:		(2)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

One of the most real and intense looks into the tender underbelly of LA's skidrow. Pras Michael and executive producer Jeremy Goldstein should be honored for their unique vision and relentless courage shown in the filming of this project.

Eye-opening documentary about homelessness in Los Angeles. From a bird's-eye view, grammy winner Pras gives a first-hand account of a situation of violence and desperation within a forgotten population of American society.

Luke 4:18, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised."

We all need to help and have compassion even for those who claim they want to live this life drug and alcohol abuse. Those people are captives of the enemy and need to be set free. If only we could educate those millionaires and billionaires of these situations and turn there hearts of stone back to flesh (address the problem instead of putting a band aid on it) ... More recovery/alcohol addiction homes need to be created, more deliverance ministries( many of these people actually are demonically possessed or oppressed)...We could all make a difference.

"most" people who have no homes have NOT "made their bed" -- the growing face of homelessness since the early 80's is families. just because Skid Row shows homelessness in one large pocket of this nation's homeless population, it doesn't mean that's the "typical" image. In fact, the average age of a homeless person in America is now 9 years old! [...] to find out if your city, county, state or region has a ten-year plan to end & prevent homelessness & find out how you can help. Homelessness affects an entire nation. It will take an entire nation to affect homelessness. ANYone can become homeless. The causes are as varied as anything else. It's not all on the individual. When a Community doesn't offer safe, decent housing that's affordable to all the incomes in it or doesn't offer jobs that pay wages that people can live on ... When various businesses, practices, etc. exploit people & work to take their income or trap them in debt, etc. ... When policies at the local, state and/or federal level tie the hands of those who offer help or hold down those who need help ... ALL of it works together to contribute to the poverty and homelessness in our nation!

I wasn't sure how I would like this film. There are parts that are tough to watch and I found myself wanting to turn away. Yet that's exactly what we middle-class folks do when it comes to the homeless! LA's problem is much worse than I thought, however you can find this situation in most cities around the world. Drugs, mental illness and a society that just doesn't give a darn feed into the problem! I live in a big city and see these types on a regular basis. You learn to ignore them. However this film gives amazing insight into their plight.

This is a brilliant little documentary made, as the reviewer above comments, by courageous and committed people. The plights of some of the street people who populate the film--black, white, brown--as well as the struggles of those who attempt to work with them, are sure to make viewers reconsider this ever-growing problem in our country. The film deserves much more recognition.

In the 1st day, Pras made around $20 in a short time begging. Pras has gotten the art of begging down and was getting into the hang of begging. Pras seems to have a natural talent for begging. But that should not really be a surprise as it takes a certain talent in begging & salesmanship for Pras to rise to the top of his field. You can tell how proud Pras was of his begging skill from the gleam in his eyes. I would not be surprise that he was thinking after this movie shooting was over, he would probably dress up in bums clothes and go out begging again to keep his begging skill in shape. Unfortunately for Pras, his begging career will be short live.

The Beggar Clan did not like Pras muscling into their territory so they reported him. Thus a black & white stop by and gave him a warning. As Pras is not organized like the Beggar Clan, Pras did not have a police lookout and must stop begging.

In the next couple of days, you will see a couples of criminal activities being committed and not reported. One man was being assaulted and so was another woman. Of course you have the illegal activities of drug uses.

A University study shows that 2 out of 3 of the homeless are convicted criminals. And with Skid Row being around 1 miles South of the twin tower jail, quite a few of these homeless are criminals release from twin tower jail nearby with no where to go and that is why they are out there on Skid Row.

Pras forgot that these are criminals he is dealing with, got careless and got his tent stolen and he had no place to stay. By the time he got his tent stolen, the Beggar Clan figures out who he is and they stay away from him and his crew. The homeless on the street did not show him the rope so he ends up staying at one of the Homeless Mission. He slips and that is how they figure out who he is. Can you see where he slips?

After the beggar clan figures out who Pras is, all the criminal activities observed previously just disappear from the camera as when you shine lights on cockroaches, they will just scatter & disappear. The rest is just boring propaganda through deception, ruse & staging that you would see normally on television.

But propaganda is to be expected. As you can't tell people to give you moneys for your Mission so you can pay yourself & your crew 6 figures and provide place for criminals to stay while they commit crime against the people to support their drug habits. If you listen carefully, you will notice that it was stated that some of the homeless, beggar clan, are able to generate $30,000 a months through criminal activities to support their drug addiction. Don't get puzzle if you did not notice the part about how some of these street/skid row people makes $30,000 a month the first time watching the video. I heard about it 20 years ago so I pick it up the first time watching the video.

In the end, Pras was never shown the rope and will not see that side of the beggar clan since they figure out who he is.

Don't quit your day job to work undercover or intellegence Pras. As you will just blow your cover real fast or provide inaccurate intelligences and start another Iraq war by assserting that Iraq has weapon of Mass Destruction when you can't even recognize a weapon of Mass Deception.

20/20, 60 Minutes and the History Channel had programs that had better undercover work & investigative news reporting than this DVD about Skid Row.

Note: In 2009, during the recession, Americans gave $304 billions to charities. At the same time, the Mexico drug war that killed as many people as the Iraq war generated $32 billions. Mathematically it proves that propagandas, deceptions, ruses & stagings are 9.5 times more effective than violences & killings (304/32=9.5).

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Update 09/14/2010

I recently notice that there is a new campaign in homeless charity having to do with children. Donations are asked to help homeless children.

But under the law, it is illegal for minor under 18 yrs to be without parent or guardian. If a minor does not have a parent, they must go to into a foster care system. Thus if anyone see a child, whether homeless or not, without a parent or guardian they must report them to social service to be help. Not exploit them like common criminals for charitable donations.

Thus there seems to be a contradiction here between what is the law versus what homeless children campaign is promoting. And this campaign seems to be going very well.

As a master salesman once told me during my training, "There is a sucker born every minutes...LOL :)". Are you a sucker?