SunnyHello Nice effects though.

Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews

Onlinewsma Absolutely Brilliant!

SanEat A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

MartinHafer "Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea" is a documentary that examines the heyday of this huge accidentally created saltwater lake in California but mostly focuses on the lake today--now that the lake has become a bit of a nuisance and most of the landowners have moved. It consists of some narration and stock footage but mostly it's interviews with the folks who have inexplicably chosen to stay.I saw this film to two reason--I like documentaries and it was narrated by John Waters. Having Waters' involvement made me assume that the film was very quirky--as did the description from Netflix. Well, I will admit a few of the folks were very quirky (especially the 75 year-old nudist---EWWWW!!!), the overall film was only mildly interesting and not much more. Now I am sure the film would have been more interesting had I lived in California, but for most folks it probably will be a hard sell.

lastliberal It seems appropriate as houses are falling in value all over due to sub-prime loans and speculation to look at another area that fell victim.The Salton Sea was formed by the Colorado River to create Imperial Valley. In the Fifties, it was a resort area with great Tilapia fishing, boating, swimming, skiing, etc. But two big storms in the Seventies flooded the are, and they have been plagued with other problems, and all the speculation is gone.Now, there is a community of very interesting individuals: a seventy-year-old man who stands completely naked by the highway, an artist who is creating some kind of holy mountain, lots of minorities that have escaped the dangers of LA, and older whites who have been there from the beginning.If you can stand a die off of 7 million fish or bird botulism, it really looks like a place to escape to. In any case, it is another unique part of American that most people have never heard of.

K L Allen (kajz) This excellent work has given us a valuable and unique documentary of an area few of us know anything about. But far more than telling the story, "Plagues and Pleasures - - -" has captured the artistic nature of the Salton Sea region. And at the same time respect was maintained for the unique characters living there. These people have many interesting stories and bits of history to tell. And this fine film gives them a voice.We liked the preliminary cut when we first saw it at the Portland International Film Festival (PIFF), and appreciate the final version even more.

Stephen Gifford As an avid Salton Sea fan (been three times) I was totally excited about this film. The filmmakers do an excellent job in explaining all the circumstances that have affected, currently effect, and will affect the Salton Sea in a very entertaining way. You're introduced to many of the residents of the Salton Sea area and what draws (or keeps) them there.One of my favorite things in this film were the old films from when the Salton Sea was a major attraction. If you've ever been there recently, it'll break your heart to see it in its glory days.I highly recommend this film to anyone, especially those who love "weird" history.