Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea is a documentary by filmmakers Chris Metzler and Jeff Springer, with narration by John Waters and music by Friends of Dean Martinez.
The film premiered at the 2004 Slamdance Film Festival. With the addition of John Waters as the film’s narrator, the new version of the film premiered at the Provincetown Film Festival, in Provincetown, Massachusetts, hosted by Mr. Waters himself. The film opened in theaters on April 20th, 2007 and continues to screen theatrically throughout the United States and Canada.
A shorter, more environmentally themed version of the film aired on the Sundance Channel's GREEN programming block, along with occasional broadcasts on the PBS station, KQED, "Truly, CA" documentary TV series.
The DVD of Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea was released by the home video distributor, Docurama/New Video, on September 25th, 2007.
In screening at more than 200 festivals in twenty countries, Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea has won 32 awards for Best Documentary and received the following accolades in the press.
"One-of-a-kind documentary... A startlingly funny portrait of Gothic Americana." - Christian Science Monitor - June 1, 2007
"Droll, deadpan... A fascinating, nutty story, a kind of Chinatown gone wrong (or gone more wrong.)" - Chicago Tribune - June 1, 2007
"Historically thorough and thoroughly hysterical." - LA Weekly - April 19th, 2007
"A heartbreaking, sidesplitting parade of humanity." - The Village Voice - July 18th, 2006
"Four stars! Offering you a vacation like you've never had before... in this charming, yet sad documentary." - Film Threat - September 23rd, 2005
