Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea

Name: Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea
Genre: Documentary
Released: April 20, 2007
Duration: 74 min
Rating: 72

2007

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Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Critic Reviews

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Movie Details & Credits

Tilapia Film | Release Date: April 20, 2007

Summary: Once known as the "California Riviera," the Salton Sea is now called one of America's worst ecological disasters. This documentary covers the historical, economic, political, and environmental issues that face the Sea, it more importantly offers up an offbeat portrait of the eccentric and individualistic people who populate its shores.Once known as the "California Riviera," the Salton Sea is now called one of America's worst ecological disasters. This documentary covers the historical, economic, political, and environmental issues that face the Sea, it more importantly offers up an offbeat portrait of the eccentric and individualistic people who populate its shores. Hair-raising and hilarious, part history lesson, part cautionary tale and part portrait of one of the strangest communities you've ever seen, this is the American Dream gone as stinky as a dead carp. (Tilapia Corp.)… Expand

Director: Chris Metzler and Jeff Springer

Genre(s): Documentary

Runtime: 74 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Peter Rainer

This is a startlingly funny portrait of Gothic Americana. Read full review

Eric Campos

Plagues & Pleasures is kinda like one of those travel videos, except it's offering you a vacation like you've never had before and it's not loaded with bulls---. Read full review

John McMurtrie

To their credit, directors Chris Metzler and Jeff Springer, both of San Francisco, poke gentle fun at the locals without ridiculing them. The film's playful spirit is underscored by catchy steel-guitar melodies (courtesy of the Friends of Dean Martinez) that perfectly suit the bone-dry setting. Read full review

Michael Ordona

Although ill-served by the lack of expert voices or elaboration on viable choices, Plagues and Pleasures is an often-fascinating document of change -- incremental as evaporation, or catastrophic as flooding. Read full review

Steve Mikulan

Narrated with surprising empathy by John Waters, is a historically thorough and thoroughly hysterical examination of the big, smelly desert lake's formation. Read full review

Michael Wilmington

The late U.S. Rep. Sonny Bono and his widow and successor Mary Bono have spent a good deal of time trying to save it. It's a hard task, but the film does suggest there's more to the sea than meets the eye. Read full review

Scott Foundas

Jaunty and fun for a while, with a cast of colorful locals who make the residents of "Vernon, Florida" seem normal, pic ultimately overstays its welcome and overstates its case. Read full review

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RommelJ.

Oct 21, 2007

Have been watching this documentary on the Sundance cable network and it is highly compelling, a tour de force in that it speaks volumes to the deaf ears in Palm Springs, San Diego, Congress and the California Legislature who refuse to do anything to stabilize the impending entropic Have been watching this documentary on the Sundance cable network and it is highly compelling, a tour de force in that it speaks volumes to the deaf ears in Palm Springs, San Diego, Congress and the California Legislature who refuse to do anything to stabilize the impending entropic ecological disaster which is Salton Sea/Sink. If the sea should evaporate at its current rate, the effect that an exposed alkaline flat would have on Palm Springs would be devastating, and this film touched on that subject, if only cursorily.… Expand

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