The Salton Sea (2002)

After a tragic incident, a man drifts into a world populated by thugs and speed junkies.

Director:

D.J. Caruso

Writer:

Tony Gayton

Stars:

Val Kilmer, Vincent D'Onofrio, Adam Goldberg

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Val Kilmer	...	Danny Parker / Tom Van Allen
Vincent D'Onofrio	...	Pooh-Bear
Adam Goldberg	...	Kujo
Luis Guzmán	...	Quincy
Doug Hutchison	...	Gus Morgan
Anthony LaPaglia	...	Al Garcetti
Glenn Plummer	...	Bobby
Peter Sarsgaard	...	Jimmy the Finn
Deborah Kara Unger	...	Colette
Chandra West	...	Liz
BD Wong	...	Bubba
R. Lee Ermey	...	Verne Plummer
Shalom Harlow	...	Nancy
Shirley Knight	...	Nancy Plummer
Meat Loaf	...	Bo

Storyline

After the murder of his beloved wife, Danny Parker is set adrift in a world where nothing is as it seems. On his journey he befriends slacker Jimmy the Finn and becomes involved in rescuing his neighbor Colette from her own demons. Danny is antagonized by undercover narcotics agents and sadistic dealer Pooh-Bear.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | male in shower | sex scene | remote control car | neighbor neighbor relationship | 

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Taglines:

If You're Looking For The Truth, You've Come To The Wrong Place.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, drug use, language and some sexuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 June 2002 (Ireland)

Also Known As:

Salton Sea

Filming Locations:

St. Vincent Catholic Church - 621 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$166,309, 28 April 2002, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$764,554, 16 June 2002

Company Credits

Production Co:

Castle Rock Entertainment,Darkwoods Productions,Humble Journey Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Azura Skye: as Theresa, a tweeker.

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Goofs

When the 357 Mag revolver is taped under the table, some shots reveal that it does not have any ammo in it.

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Quotes

Danny: So that's where I found myself. No, I should choose my words more wisely. This is the world I sought out. The land of the perpetual night party. Day swallowing night and night swallowing day. The crank compressing time like some divine piston on its awesome downstroke. We've been at this for three days... or is it four? Tweakers, lokers, slammers, coming and going, swearing eternal allegiance and undying love for one another, only to wake up after the binge and realize you wouldn't walk across ...

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Crazy Credits

The Producers wish to gratefully thank the Salton Sea Sector of the California State Parks for its cooperation. We encourage the support of this unique natural resource.

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Connections

References Pulp Fiction (1994)

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Soundtracks

Funk 49
Written by Joe Walsh, Jim Fox (as James Fox) and Dale Peters
Performed by James Gang (as The James Gang)
Courtesy of MCA Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

...A decent mystery, darkish thriller, some noir, drugs, love lost, and cops...

The Salton Sea is an interesting film. It is a film that looks initially to be about drugs and the people who take them. Val Kilmer is in the lead role as a tweaker of crystal meth, and other substances, as well as a quite good sounding trumpet player. He begins by telling the viewer, via narration, explaining that he does not know who he really is and asks you to decide as we wind back through a recent period of his life to see how he came to where we first meet him.

The movie gets its title from a key event to the film occurred at the Salton Sea and Kilmer's character has a huge tattoo in memory of this.

What unravels is an intricate mystery that holds the viewers' attention but only just. The story is quite good but it is not in your face as one might expect a film of this acting calibre. It sunk at the cinema but maybe due to its art-house feel and advertising did not communicate this.

Vincent D'Onofrio is nearly unrecognizably as unpredictable drug dealer Pooh Bear, named as such because of his flat nose, and Danny Trejo is here as one of his scary henchmen.

If you are looking for a decent mystery, darkish thriller, some noir, drugs, love lost, and cops, then you could not go far wrong renting The Salton Sea.