Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea

Despite its name, the Salton Sea is actually a lake in southeastern California that was created by human error: an engineering diversion from the flood-prone Colorado River caused the below-sea level Salton Sink to fill in 1905. Over time, the Salton Sea grew both in size (now the state's largest lake) and reputation (developed as a resort destination in the 1950s). Alas, things went horribly wrong: salinity levels began to climb abnormally high, killing off the fish and birds by the thousands, and a series of hurricanes and floods devastated the resort facilities, which were never rebuilt. Today's Salton Sea could charitably be described as a ruin, but the objective of Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea seems to be cheap laughs, as the film focuses on the camp value of its one-time celebrity visitors (Frank Sinatra, the Marx Brothers) and the eccentrics who still live along the lake (including a nudist who waves to motorists). Filmmakers Chris Metzler and Jeff Springer recruited cult movie director John Waters as the narrator, but despite Waters' ebullient narration, the film seems wildly off base. The ecological and financial disaster at Salton Sea has been staggering, to the point that some people refer to it as the world's largest sewer, but this film gives the impression that it's all supposed to be funny. Not recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)[DVD Review—Oct. 2, 2007—Docurama, 73 min., not rated, $26.95—Making its second appearance on DVD, 2006's Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea sports a fine transfer and Dolby Digital stereo. DVD extras include two audio commentaries (one with filmmakers Chris Metzler and Jeff Springer; the other with Salton Sea locals Norm and Steve); five additional Salton Sea-themed shorts: "From Tucson to the Salton Sea" on the band Friends of Dean Martinez, “Leonard & the Mountain” on folk artist Leonard Knight, “Miracle in the Desert” on real estate, “Fruit of the Vine” on the skateboarding scene, and “LSD a Go Go” on psychedelic drugs (46 min. total); six deleted scenes (13 min.); eight “lost” interviews (12 min.); and text filmmaker bios. Bottom line: a fine extras package for an oddball doc.]