Just shows you how “invisible” this situation is to those who could actually make a difference. Needs to be done by someone who actually has a phone to make calls for possible change. I say WOW… Takes a lot of heart to trade a five star hotel for a street and a tent… Just to bring awareness? Wow

This guy, Pras, has nothing of substance to say here. He shares nothing with the viewer. He pretends that’s he’s homeless, says it’s rough, then goes back to his own life.

There were a few parts that I had to watch twice, because I couldn’t believe someone could say something so stupid. What made him most upset during his “homelessness” was not having a phone and not being able to contact his agent.

This is a celebrity vanity project. Don’t waste your time. I wish I hadn’t.

This guy, Pras, has nothing of substance to say here. He shares nothing with the viewer. He pretends that’s he’s homeless, says it’s rough, then goes back to his own life.

There were a few parts that I had to watch twice, because I couldn’t believe someone could say something so stupid. What made him most upset during his “homelessness” was not having a phone and not being able to contact his agent.

This is a celebrity vanity project. Don’t waste your time. I wish I hadn’t.

To: Rameses,

Great job!  18 months is nothing to sneeze at and I wish you further success. Keep going strong, I know you can make it… keep up the faith and keep believing in yourself!

~Shine~

There’s a skid row in every major city in the united states this is not only a urban problem it’s a people problem ,that cross every racial background.People with no hope or direction will fail. No home, no health care, no jobs our goveremnet need to step in and do more to help the downtrodden when we fail the least of us we fail everyone. The law of nature is to survive at any cost so the have nots will do what it take by any means necessary. The cycle will only repeat itself until hope is restored to the souls that are lost. The population of the city I reside is 83,000 you could not fit every homeless person in LA county into my city and that in it self is sad a whole city of homeless people. When you have people living in home with marbles floors and gold plated faucets.Wake up people we have our priority in the wrong places.TOGETHER WE STAND DIVIDE WE FALL

This is the most accurate portrayal of homelessness/drug life on the street that I have ever seen.  I would recomend it to anyone going into the human services fields.  The film pulls no punches.  The experts interviewed REALLY know their fields.  This film gives it to you STRAIGHT, with no bull.

I needed to watch this film because it reminded me how bad things got.  After spending four years addicted to crack cocaine I ended up homeless on the streets of Phoenix.  I have seen man’s inhumanity to man and want to forget it.

I’ve been clean for 18 months thanks to rehab and a 12 step program.

Thank you Pras Michel for this accurate portrayal of homelessness. I needed to be reminded how bad it gets so I won’t let it get that way again.

Touching…

Something that this film didn’t touch on but would have ended up devoting a whole other film to is mental disease in the homeless. It’s so closely tied in to the drugs and the family problems that it would be hard to sort out though so i understand why he kept tight on his mission.

I am at a loss when people say why doesn’t this person or that person just get a job? It’s not so easy if you suffer from schizophrenia or any other disorder that can put you out of touch with reality. The diseases of drugs, abuse, and mental disorders are so deep, how can you just walk in some place and get work - and even if you got lucky how blessed would you have to be to get an employer who would understand your background and do what he could to help?

Also just to put this out there: there is a drug called ibogaine (very illegal here) that is used in Africa for ritual purposes and it is reported to have astonishing effects of curing heroin addiction. Canadian hospitals are starting to use it for addicts - people report being able to wake up the next day not feeling sick and not needing a fix for the first time. - it takes their own volition to not go back, but the drug seems to have many success stories.

WOW! We are so blessed and we take so many things for granted but the truth is many of us are only 2 or three pay checks away from being on skid row. I thank God that it’s not me and prayerfully it never will be.

We all as a society do have some level of responsibility to help the homeless in some way shape or form because it could be us on the other end of the spectrum and we would want someone to help us.

I’m impressed by Pras’s willingness to be the eyes to expose this. Most people wouldn’t last one hour, never mind nine days

wow irishman, can you be anymore of a caveman?

the guy expressed his opinion in an intelligent way

you’re just a complete fool

Very sad film. Could happen to anyone. To the first poster tim, I would punch you in your face for such an ignorant world view.

The land of opportunities. Sigh. Today, a black homeless man (nothing against the black people; I would to the same to a white man too). He asked me to spare some change and that he could buy a sandwich. I told him, “This is America”.

I came here as a immigrant; 2nd generation. Somehow we made it to the better future we wished for many years ago. A well rounded life; a good education; most of all a better future.

I know there is prejudice in this country, especially towards minorities, but if I could make it why couldn’t people who are just as capable as me or other immigrant make it. Of course i understand that there are different aspects of it (mental illness, family and society influence), but if on a equal scale if people who are homeless could not make it, I’m not willing to give out money.

If he asked me differently, could you help me buy this book or could help me buy some cloth for job interview; I would gladly help him.

I know there are factors of the society too. Instead of just serving food, why not put more money into rehabilitation or skill or even education programs. Maybe it could much more helpful.

Tim : life is a beautiful struggle.

  I lived in a homeless shelter for women and children for three years.  I was white--30 years old pregnant and a battered woman with sever depression.  My family threw me away when I wouldnt marry the investment banker who was abusing me. I had a family history of mental illness and addiction.  I was severely beaten as a child and mentally abused.  I was raped at 17 and never developed any relationships.........  The women I saw were also mentally ill--or abused or basically the women society cant stand--they  are the women that make othe womens skin crawl--the ones the trophy wives of Westchater New York secretly fear becoming--they walk the streets of White Plains New York every day and night--doing drugs--hustling out of craigslist--prostitution,etc.  It wasnt until my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer did she see the fatality of my disease--- that she realized the world doesnt want the weak--that there was no magic wand or fairytale ending to mental illness--she left a two bedroom apartment to me--but being homeless, sleeping in my car made me feel more alive--an adreniline rush to jump my depression.  The stigmitazion of the mentally ill is appalling.  These people will never live intact with out management.  Society would rather pay for drugs and drug treatments than mental illness services.  When my neighbors found out I had been hospitalized they shunned me--even thought today I live in a beautiful two bedroom coop aparmtent--shop at Ann Taylor and date men who take me to four star restaurants.................they dont know I was homeless and if I tell them they will leave me.......Its the fear of those other people that untreated people cant stand.And oddly sometimes.......even thought I am symptom free and independant due to time, therapy and postive environment...I still wish I could hang out on a park bench all night and drink even when I am in a nice restaurant.  I still miss the independence of sleeping in my car.  The feeling that the world belonged to me--the safety of being homless sometimes feels better than the danger at home.

Excellent wake up call to everyone!
another good insight into skid row is thru the Chatholic Agitator, they are right there providing as much as poss. for the people on skid.

Love one another, thus saith the Savior.  People obey the Father’s blessed command.  Love one another, thus saith the Savior.  People obey the blessed command.

I am so moved after watching this film. I have so much respect for Pras for putting his life on the line to make this documentary. I live 20 minutes away from Skid Row and never even thought much about it until I watched this. I am dumbfounded as to why we let this occur each day. I feel so bad for the homeless and mad at myself for choosing to ignore this problem.

This documentary was moving, educational, inspiring, and so raw.....Words can’t express how my heart hurt after seeing and hearing what I saw in this documentary....Its refreshing to know that a celebrity could humble himself to do what Pras did....Any celebrity with the proper training could play this part in a movie....But it takes so much more heart and selfless pride to go to Skid Row....Knowing that some people wont watch it becuse its to real....But Pras still did it knowing that he wouldnt get money for this....Its sad to say but sum celebrities only do things (that we look at as humbling and helpful) because of the money or things that they may get out of it...How many celbrities have you seen bring awareness to issues that either paid them to be their spokeperson? Much love and respect to Pras and the team that helped in this project....

I just want to say that this documentary has totally changed my entire perspective of the homeless population. I cannot believe how rough the streets of LA are. I am so glad that I took the time to learn about this place. I found it interesting that even though Pras knew he had the hope of getting out of Skid Row soon, you could still see him begin to despair after being in that environment. I feel like he is really brave to do something like that. It was pretty effed up that the crew wouldn’t switch the van for some other vehicle for a while so they didn’t compromise him. I hope that celebrities that are so concerned with other countries and getting babies from them will take a second to realize what is happening right under their noses in the very same county.

Lived and drank wine in LA skidrow back in early 70’s.

I try to download and all I get are the commercials??

This was a very powerfull documentary.I think after you watch this you will see these people could be your family or neighbors.Very sad yet very educational

and just how much are you doing about it desaree?  The idea is change is within us all and if you do your bit, then something can be done.

skid row

thought it to be very informative until of course it stopped 10 minutes in and started over..... that was frustrating!

Barack and McCain could care less about this or anything one or thing outside of “their” world… Specially McCain. This wont change nothing will change it nobody will change it!! It will grow but not change!!
Big Props to Paus and crew for laying it on the line like this!

please watch this video it 95mins but worth every min .

I viewed a screening for this on my college campus and it was the realest and best documentary that anyone has put out there. It’s about time that a celebrity was this active in putting a face on homelessness. Pras deserves his props for this as well as the producer, Rob. Both of them came to my school and spoke after the screening and it was nice to see that they didn’t sugar coat their lives. Pras was honest about what happened before, during, and after the documentary.

Let Barack and McCain see this.  Maybe they then can fully understand the reality of what needs to be done

This is a quote from the blog of one of the people who saw this film in Denver Sunday night:

“The film was incredible- heart breaking, gut-wrenching, sickening, overwhelming, and hopeless. Prasâ??s mission wasnâ??t to tell us how to fix the problem, but bring it to our attention. I give it 5+/5 stars. Not only did Pras have the balls to go out and document this, it was beautifully done.”

Read the whole blog at:
http://mntnlover77.wordpress.com/2008/08/25/movie-review-skid-row/

This film needs to be seen by everyone, before they vote.

http://nourf.homestead.com/

I lived on Skid Row in 1981 for a night. I couldn’t deal with it so I moved towards the beachs like Santa Monica and Venice. I lived in a subterranean parking garage behind an industrial size grass catcher sleeping on Styrofoam on Wilshire Boulevard near the Ambassador Hotel and the Old Brown Derby. I had a job catering lunches to office buildings. I met the actor Lawrence Fishburne on the streets of LA and took him in to meet my boss so he could get a job with me. I would get eaten by sand fleas and bugs all night and eat every day at McDonalds till I got a room mate. I slept under bridges and in elevator shafts. In abandoned cars and in dirt pits. I didn’t do drugs and worked till I hitch hiked home back to Washington DC. I also worked on the Show Case for Capitol Records at the Debut of The Fugees and Wycliffe Jean while living homeless in Washington DC, when they debuted at BET TV. I just got a home in October 2007 after spending 5 years of the last 10 on the street due to a work related accident and my fiancee leaving me. I have been poor all my life so I know what it’s like.

I lived on Skid Row in 1981 for a night. I couldn’t deal with it so I moved towards the beachs like Santa Monica and Venice. I lived in a subterranean parking garage behind an industrial size grass catcher sleeping on Styrofoam on Wilshire Boulevard near the Ambassador Hotel and the Old Brown Derby. I had a job catering lunches to office buildings. I met the actor Lawrence Fishburne on the streets of LA and took him in to meet my boss so he could get a job with me. I would get eaten by sand fleas and bugs all night and eat every day at McDonalds till I got a room mate. I slept under bridges and in elevator shafts. In abandoned cars and in dirt pits. I didn’t do drugs and worked till I hitch hiked home back to Washington DC.

SKID ROW played at the Harkins Theater in Denver near the DNC convention site on Sunday afternoon, just before yesterday’s Convention opening.  The President of the Harkins Theater chain, Jim Harkins, welcomed over 100 attendees to the screening, which was followed by a half hour Q&A;with Pras.  Subsequently, we all went to a reception at the restaurant next door.  The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless and the LA Homeless Shelter were co-organizers and sponsors of the event, along with IndiePix, the Harkins Theaters, and Nelson-Madison Films.  While Universal Home Video has the bricks-and-mortar distribution rights, Nelson-Madison Films and IndiePix Films are handling the on-line, activist and educational market release on DVD.  The Activist Edition, which gives those who are inspired to do something about homelessness a screening license and materials to support a fundraiser, is available from .

If you see any social documentary this year, see this film.  Homelessness is a growing crisis and we can all make an impact.  Snag the film, spread the word and if you really want to do something, host a screening at your home, school, church or community group.  It’s easy - go to BRAVE NEW THEATER and find out how easy it is.  Everything you need is there.  Their site is:  http://skidrow.bravenewtheaters.com