Plagues and Pleasures

I have been captivated by the Salton Sea for sometime now; I love looking at pictures from the past and present that I come across of the place. Going out there has been on my to do list for quite awhile and I have even made plans to go, but it seem to fall through every time. For now I will have to be satisfied with this enlightening Documentary of the people and places of the Salton Sink.

The Documentary was entertaining and tragic all at the same time. I was a little bummed that they didn’t cover Leonard Knight and his Salvation Mountain a little more in depth. However I was extremely excited to find that they had an extra 11min movie all on him and his creation in the extras.

This used to be one of California’s greatest treasures and is now our eye sore. Sadly, I am of the opinion that not much can be done to revitalize the sea and yet I hope that I am wrong. We are told in the movie that California has lost %90 of its wetlands and this is one of the last remaining. I hope not only for our sakes they might be able to figure out some way to lower the salt content but for the environments. The Salton Sea is for the birds.

Rent this DVD, I think you’ll be shocked by its history, saddened by its present state, and amused all at the same time.

Be warned they do interview an 80 year old man who sits by the highway and waves to passer biers in the nude.

Let me leave you with two quotes from the start of the movie that describes in its own words The Salton Sea

“Where Utopia and the apocalypse meet to dance a dirty tango.”

“It draws a unique group of outsiders looking for an awfully beautiful life on the edge of a beautifully awful paradise”