Skid Row

Hip-hop star Pras Michel (late of The Fugees) takes viewers on a harrowing tour of downtown Los Angeles’ Skid Row, which he traverses while disguised as a homeless person. Much of the action, so to speak, is captured by surveillance cameras and skillfully edited. Gritty and eye opening, this documentary puts a human face on one of the City of Angels’ most notorious stretches of real estate.

Shelf Talk: In venues where music and DVDs are sold side by side, this program should be cross-promoted with Michel’s solo CDs and Fugees albums for maximum effectiveness; fans of the group otherwise might never know that Skid Row has been released. Retailers with strong constituencies for urban product will likely do best with this release, which will benefit from sustained, canny promotional efforts.