Plagues and pleasures on the salton sea explores the economic, political and environmental issues that face the salton sea, a onetime vacation destination for the rich and famous now occupied. Renowned cult film director john waters narrates this quirky exploration of the salton sea, the massive southern california lake that was created by accident a. The story of fishbonecodirected plagues and pleasures on the salton sea, an occasionally whimsical and deeply sad look at a. Plagues and pleasures on the salton sea is a documentary about the strange case of the salton sea, a manmade lake in the california desert that was once a tourist resort destination.
Once known as the california riviera, the salton sea is now considered one of americas worst ecological disasters. Plagues and pleasures on the salton sea rob horning. Once known as the california riviera, the salton sea is now called one of americas worst ecological disasters. Fabulously offbeat and refreshingly upbeat, this lovable film gets friendly with the natives of the salton sea. Plagues and pleasures on the salton sea is a beautifully photographed depiction of a forgotten and deteriorating lake in california. With sonny bono, john waters, norm niver, petre melvin. Docuramas dvd of plagues and pleasures on the salton sea is presented in a colorful flat encoding. Massive bird dieoff at salton sea raises environmental.
Chris metzlerwho visited us last year with everyday sunshine. Pleasures on the salton sea captures a place far more interesting than the shopping malls and parking lots of suburban america, a wacky world where a beerswilling hungarian revolutionary, a geriatric nudist, and a religious zealot building a monument to god all find solace and community. As the lake shrinks and more lakebed is exposed, the salts that were in the water go into the air. One audio commentary offers the filmmakers selfevaluation and a second track pairs two of the salton sea locals, norm niver and steve horvitz. Plagues and pleasures on the salton sea offers an offbeat portrait of the people who populate the shores of the once california riviera, which is now considered one of americas worst ecological. My ongoing obsession with the salton sea grew into a graduate thesis project, website. Created by an ecological disaster in 1905, this once first class vacation resort is now a near abandoned wasteland. In a matter of several years, a dry, salty desert basin in southern california becomes an unintentional lake. From beneath the hard facts emerges a sobering lesson.
The desert is even more interesting when you add a huge inland sea to the mix especially when that sea was a mistake that resulted from a colorado river flooding over a hundred years ago. There are shots of the dead fish, of the oversalinated shoreline, and of the. Leonard knight started out by making a hot air balloon made of multicolored patchwork cloth to get his message out into the world, so we think he would be excited about how social media works to amplify the word behind his creation at salvation mountain. And the lakes shrinking isnt just bad for birds its also bad for humans. The documentary plagues and pleasures on the salton sea does not look or feel like a serious film about the environment. An inland ocean with a close proximity to the urban areas of southern california, the salton once clocked in as a veritable paradise many tagged it. Codirectors chris metzler and jeff springers plagues and pleasures on the salton sea is an account of how what was supposed to be calif.
Plagues and pleasures on the salton sea popmatters. Were sorry but jwapp doesnt work properly without javascript enabled. Released september 19th, 2004, plagues and pleasures on the salton sea stars john waters the movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 26 min, and received a score of 72 out of 100 on metacritic. The salton sea depicted in plagues and pleasures is very different than the one in those midcentury promotional reels.
Plagues and pleasures on the salton sea penetrates the sadness and inertia of the local residents who still try to make their livelihood in and around this monumental manmade blemish, which was once a gem. Plagues and pleasures on the salton sea directed by chris metzler and jeff springer. But the pleasures portion of the title is an equally important factor in the films tone, which has room for both scientific inquiry and. In 2006, the documentary plagues and pleasures on the salton sea was screened in whitehorse. Chris metzler and jeff springers plagues and pleasures on the salton sea relates the unusual history of an accidental inland sea, once a mecca for recreation but now an environmental and economic sinkhole. As codirected by jeff springer and chris metzler, the documentary plagues and pleasures on the salton sea travels to the titular body of water for an idiosyncratic look at a decidedly odd locale. Filmmakers chris metzler and jeff springer let salton residents break it down in this charming, yet sad documentary. John waters, sonny bono, friends of dean martinez, chris metzler, jeff springer. Plagues and pleasures on the salton sea 2004 plagues. Plagues and pleasures on the salton sea 2004 documentary. It is an epic western tale of fantastic real estate ventures and failed boomtowns, innercity gangs fleeing to. Plagues and pleasures on the salton sea dvd, 2007 for.
Plagues and pleasures on the salton sea dvd 2007 new. As described in, once known as the california riviera, the salton sea is now called one of americas worst ecological disasters. Plagues and pleasures on the salton seacovers the historical, economic, political, and environmental issues that face the sea, and it offers up an offbeat portrait of the eccentric and individualistic people who populate its shores. The filmmakers have a good eye for the salton sea s grotesque ruins and bizarre denizens. Plagues and pleasures on the salton sea, a film about. Renowned cult film director john waters narrates this quirky exploration of the salton sea, the massive southern california lake that was created by accident a century ago, became a popular desert resort and has since developed into a refuge for a community of oddballs. Pleasures on the salton sea historically, its taken a certain kind of industrious individual to eke out a living in the wilds of california, where water is scarce and nearly everyone is a transplant. Pretty good documentary on the people living around the sea. And its because, unfortunately, the plagues outweigh the pleasures at the salton sea.
But you dont ever hear about the salton sea, do ya. The appalling condition of the salton sea is a prediction of disasters to come. This corner of the earth gradually transforms from affluent resort to ecological. Narrated by john waters, plagues and pleasures on the salton sea is an odd bird wacky and poignant, funny and sobering, but this portrait of a forgotten paradise is a mustsee.
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