But the pleasures portion of the title is an equally important factor in the film s tone, which has room for both scientific inquiry and. I loved the quirkly narration waters provided as this documentary revealed the creation, the marketing hype of the salton sea and its sad surrealistic present day condition. Aug 15, 2008 petre melvin on her golf cart giving us a tour of bombay beach. Plagues and pleasures on the salton sea 2004 stream. The story of fishbone, codirected with lev anderson. While the film touches on these issues and the various efforts to protect the sea. Release dates 22 also known as aka 4 release dates usa 2004 oxford film festival usa 12 january 2004. Plagues and pleasures on the salton sea acteurs et actrices john watersnarrator sonny bonohimself norm niverhimself petre melvinhimself leonard. America reframed plagues and pleasures on the salton sea. Jul 28, 2006 as narrated by legendary counterculture filmmaker john waters, there was time when the salton sea, tucked into the southeast corner of california was known as the riviera of the west, a haven for.
Plagues and pleasures on the salton sea by chris metzler. The film s playful spirit is underscored by catchy steelguitar melodies. One audio commentary offers the filmmakers selfevaluation and a second track pairs two of the salton sea locals, norm niver and steve horvitz. Once known as the california riviera, the salton sea is now considered one of americas worst ecological disasters. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks. 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.
Fabulously offbeat and refreshingly upbeat, this lovable film gets friendly with the natives of the salton sea an inland ocean of massive fish kills, rotting resorts, and 120 degree nights located just minutes from urban southern california. The salton sea 2002 official trailer val kilmer, bd wong movie hd after his wife is murdered, a man drifts into a world populated by thugs and. Plagues and pleasures on the salton sea interdisciplinary. Plagues and pleasures on the salton sea lisa derrick 20120109 you cant miss the whiff as you drive along the 10 freeway in california heading to or from arizona, a strange and. Rent the salton sea 2002 starring val kilmer and vincent donofrio on dvd and bluray. In fact, upon watching this film i recognized some of the dilapidated architecture from werner herzogs sciencefictiondocudrama the wild blue yonder, in which the ruins doubled as an abandoned town built by an alien civilization. The filmmakers have a good eye for the salton sea s grotesque ruins and bizarre denizens.
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. Focus world is proud to bring you bombay beach, winner of the best documentary prize at the 2011 tribeca film festival. Renowned cult film director john waters narrates this quirky exploration of the salton sea, the. Come meet the friendly residents of californias newest environmental disaster. Argentina festival title plagas y placeres en salton sea. As narrated by legendary counterculture filmmaker john waters, there was time when the salton sea, tucked into the southeast corner of california was.
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. I recently watched plagues and pleasures on the salton sea at the 1st annual ellensburg film festival and i thought that the documentary was made with great success. 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 2004 critic. There was a time when the salton sea, tucked into the southeast corner of california, was known was the riviera of the west a premier vacation destination for the rich and famous. This documentary reveals the troubled history of salton sea, which was once the site of a wonderful resort in the california desert, but soon turned into a fetid, largely abandoned area. Plagues and pleasures on the salton sea 2004 plagues. Plagues and pleasures on the salton sea 2004 plot summary. The actual sea, which is 35 miles long and 15 miles wide and was created by accident in californias imperial valley by a diversion of the colorado river, briefly flourished as a resort area from the 50s to the 70s until massive flooding and the sea s.
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. Rent the salton sea 2002 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix. The salton sea 2002 official trailer val kilmer, bd. Wikiproject film rated startclass this article is within the scope of wikiproject film. Feb 04, 2014 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. Were sorry but jwapp doesnt work properly without javascript enabled. Since a large number of people bought land in the region solely as an investment, the small towns surrounding the salton sea have become an. This article is within the scope of wikiproject california, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of the u. Folly and intervention in the southern california landscape. Plagues and pleasures on the salton sea lisa derrick 20120109. The movie in my opinion is a study in the mechanisms of hope, hubris, folly, and illusion. Plagues and pleasures on the salton sea popmatters. However, amongst the ruins of this manmade mistake, a few remaining eccentrics a roadside nudist, a religious folk artist, a hungarian revolutionary, and real.
Plagues and pleasures on the salton sea 2004 release. You cant miss the whiff as you drive along the 10 freeway in california heading to or from arizona, a strange and. In 2010, he completed the documentary film, everyday sunshine. The film delivers information about the manmade seas past, present, and a glimpse at what may lie in the future. Once known as the california riviera, the salton sea is now called one of americas worst ecological disasters. 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. At first plagues and pleasures on the salton sea had me feeling a little hesitant. The viewer learns that the salton sea is not a natural body of water, but was created by out of an accident with river diversion channels. The actual sea, which is 35 miles long and 15 miles wide and was created by accident in californias imperial valley by a diversion of the colorado river, briefly flourished as a resort area from the 50s to the 70s until massive flooding and the seas. Docuramas dvd of plagues and pleasures on the salton sea is presented in a colorful flat encoding. Plagues and pleasures on the salton sea 2004 release info. Nov 29, 2007 but it wasnt always like this, as chris metzler and jeff springers thoroughly engrossing documentary, plagues and pleasures on the salton sea reveals, mostly through a voiceover supplied, oddly. 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. Plagues and pleasures on the salton sea display artist.
If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see lists of open tasks and regional and. With sonny bono, john waters, norm niver, petre melvin. The film delivers information about the manmade sea s past, present, and a. Watch plagues and pleasures on the salton sea movie online.