Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea is a beautifully photographed depiction of a forgotten and deteriorating lake in California. Created by an ecological disaster in 1905, this once first class vacation resort is now a near abandoned wasteland. The movie presents a tremendous amount of historical information about the coming of the sea but ultimately revolves around the often eccentric but occasionally humbling inhabitants. With a Christian mountain painting artist, a nude peace advertising senior citizen, and an illegitimate beer guzzling Hungarian mayor, Metzler and Springer present a wide array of interesting characters to explain the importance of the Salton Sea. The film raises awareness to the political and environmental crises' surrounding the sea but never begins to badger or pester its audience. Managing to perfectly blend humor and sorrow, the Salton Sea is a beautiful, bittersweet portrayal of a decaying American dream.