Loved every minute of this flick. Original. Quirky. Intelligent.A light hearted approach to a potentially heavy and decidedly obscure topic. Particularly cool that it was all about a place I'd never even heard of; a scary admission considering I've lived in the nearby Los Angeles area for over 20 years! Even better was the plethora of Salton Sea citizenry we got to meet along the way. Nudists. Dead politicians. Boat people. Even a religious zealot with a penchant for self-expression. Failed dreams and false hopes run rampant along this fishy stretch of dessert wasteland and we only add to it as we watch this film play out before our eyes, hoping beyond hope for a miracle that never comes. So much history, so many fascinating stories and characters, so many dead fish. Bravo Chris & Jeff. Bravo.

This film made me laugh harder than anything else I've seen in years. It also made me think. The pleasures referred to in the title are the quirky, real-life characters who live beside the Salton Sea. Some of them are far stranger than fiction. The plagues are the ecological disasters that are part and parcel of the sea itself. This is a well researched film that lays out the story of the sea from its (accidental) formation and provides a thoughtful discussion of the sea's current status. To save it, or not to save it? That is the question. The filmmakers do not give a definitive answer, though their affection for the sea is obvious. After seeing the film my partner and I vowed to visit the Salton Sea. We have, and we'll be back. And we can't wait until this little gem comes out on DVD.

As a former resident of this inland sea, i have to give kudos to the filmmakers for their creepy and (sadly) accurate portrait of this overlooked "phenomena" that lies just beyond metropolitan southern California's back door. this film should be mandatory viewing for every greedy, ignorant politician in this corrupt state. i doubt any happy wanderer who happens to drive by or fly over this huge body of water could ever begin to grasp what goes on within and around the seaside communities this documentary focuses on. when i moved there from orange county i jokingly referred to the Salton sea as the ugly pink underbelly of southern California desert life. watching "plagues and pleasures" brings this to light...and all too well. its the kind of film you can laugh along with, and at the same time it can depress the hell out of you. the directors mention "if only Sonny Bono hadn't gone skiing that day." how true. i'd like to add "if only they discovered oil at the Salton sea." if only our state bureaucrats would decide to "clean up their own backyard" before its too late... Metzler & Springer get two sunburned thumbs-up for this one... - Bill Herzog

Plaques and Pleasures on the Salton Sea screened at a festival I attended and I was so very grateful to have seen it. Often when we fatefully stumble across a film instead of having it sold to us, we connect with the piece on a level that is unique to a typical viewing experience. The disastrous and quirky story of the Salton Sea is told by means of historical documentation , as well as, through the reflections of the people who have lived it first hand. The story is approached from various angles, on different levels, and by means of many different formats. All of these elements enrich the experience, which is cherry topped with narration by John Waters, the embodiment of originality and independence. I highly recommend viewers experience life on the Salton Sea, a place that feels like being trapped on a desert island in the Twilight Zone.