Plagues and Pleasures, Fur

Author

By Michael Mahaffey

Publish Date

April 10, 2013

Fur

I’ve derived much inspiration from both John Waters and the desert region outside of San Diego, so I was thrilled to discover Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea. Narrated by Waters, it offers an in-depth look into the Salton Sea and some nearby areas. I was delighted to see Salvation Mountain and its lovely caretaker, Leonard Knight, also featured. Eccentricity and tragedy are our words du jour.

Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea (USA) 2007, Docurama
List price: $19.95

People may be turned off from Fur because of its subtitle: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus. They may think it only offers a fantastical and ridiculous stretching of the truth. But it’s a very sweet and intriguing look at a specific period of her life. Based in fact, openly interpreted, it’s inspiring and delightful. The filmmakers show a lot of respect for Arbus, and try to create a touching and magical story to creatively fill in biographical gaps for fans.