The salton sea is a strange film. Not that good to be considered a cult but not that bad to be completely obscure as the film is today. Val Kilmer plays a trumpeter/ drug mule in this atmospheric film which involves most of the tropes one associates with drug movies- bad cops, revenge, murder of family. It is well lit and the screenplay is pretty alright but the film doesn't turn into a Tarantinoesque material one can relish. Something tells me this would have been a better TV movie. Still, worth a watch, especially if you like Val Kilmer who is quite good here.

THE SALTON SEA is another drug-fuelled drama that explores the negative and devastating effects that drugs have on users, dealers, and the local community. I'm not really a fun of these types of drug-binge movies a la FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS so I wasn't really expecting much from this movie.I didn't get it. Unfortunately, THE SALTON SEA is more about drug use than it is about the law enforcement of the situation, even though there are a couple of DEA officers in it. Instead what we get is a permanently-stoned Val Kilmer wandering his way through a world of violence, degradation, and humiliation, interacting with various unpleasant characters.The characters are the best thing in this production. Vincent D'Onofrio's drug pusher is memorable thanks to his appearance alone. Doug Hutchison (THE GREEN MILE) is ever-creepy in support, even though he's playing one of the 'good' guys. There are cameos for R. Lee Ermey, Meat Loaf, and BD Wong. But the film lacks the right kind of substance, and feels plot less and meandering all the way through. I didn't care for it at all.

If ever a movie turned out to be not what I was expecting, this is it.Narration sets the tone for this quirky, yet disturbing movie. "Wait until I've told my whole story, but don't give up on me just yet – nothing is as it seems", says Val Kilmer's character, Tom Van Allen, as he plays an anguished trumpet solo while his apartment burns down around him. The story is played out in a long flashback. Methedrine addiction underpins the story. Van Allen explains the all-consuming nature of speed or crank addiction and the world of the addicts – the tweakers. As Van Allen tells his tale, we see his alter ego, Danny Parker, at a four-day tweaker party in the suburbs – "the land of the perpetual night party". Covered in tattoos and sporting heavy rings and chains, Parker is an arresting sight. Although tweakers at first glance would seem to be the neighbours from hell, Danny Parker sees worth in the denizens of this twilight world. "When you finally hit rock bottom", He explains, "you know who you are because you can't go any lower, and you find intimacy with those who can go the distance".However, Danny's rock bottom is another notch down from the average tweaker because he is also a police informer. Danny pinpoints crank dealers for two unsavoury detectives. One of them, Al Garcetti, played by Anthony LaPaglia actually seems worse than the drug dealers he pursues. Eventually, the two detectives cut Danny loose, warning him that Columbian drug dealers are hunting him. But Danny doesn't run, instead, he attempts to set up a bust by himself. It is then that we realise that Tom Van Allen / Danny Parker may have another agenda after all. He has descended into tweaker hell after his wife, a methedrine addict, was killed while shopping for drugs in a crank house that was raided by what appeared to be a rival gang. Van Allen survived but is so racked with guilt that he assumed the identity of Danny Parker to try and track down the killers himself.Of all the disturbing characters in the movie, the most confronting is Pooh-Bear played by Vincent D'Onofrio. Danny seeks out Pooh-Bear to set up a huge crank deal that fits in with his scheme for revenge. Pooh-Bear has lost his nose from overuse of crank and now wears a plastic one in its place –in one scene Danny happens upon him before he has glued it on for the day. Pooh Bear's lack of nose was achieved through clever CGI work."The Salton Sea" has more depth than a simple description of the plot would imply. Only in the last ten minutes or so does it become more contrived and predictable. Not a bad effort when many movies these days feel contrived and predictable from the opening credits. Aided by an eye-popping performance from Kilmer, "The Salton Sea" never loses its grip on the audience. Thomas Newman's score combined with trumpet solos by the late Gil Evans, accentuate the mood of this film about a man who to expiate his guilt, has descended to the lower rungs of society. "The Salton Sea" makes a compelling movie out of a depressing subject without in any way making the lifestyle appear desirable.

The Salton Sea is utterly fantastic. It's amazing it took me this long to watch it, it's an instant classic.What makes the movie so fantastic is the amount of content and the variety of said content that is displayed. It's gritty, yet intellectual. Slow, yet paced perfectly. The story unravels slowly, yet the story happens to fast. I think it's safe to say, that the complexity of this movie can not be understated. What you are getting here is the total package. From the gorgeous delivery and beautiful cinematography, to the intricate details from the culmination of the plot. The thought engrossing script, and the perfectly acted epic story tells the tale of redemption, revenge, heartbreak, sorrow, loss, and glory. Val Kilmer delivers his best roll of his entire life. This movie will be relevant for the next 100 years. Do yourself a favor, and add this to your must watch list.