The Little Shop of Horrors – 1960
I’m a
big fan of Roger Corman movies so I was a little surprised to find out the 1986
musical wasn’t an original concept.
Youtube now offers full length movies for rent and has a large portion
of free videos to watch as well. When I
found out about this I went to Youtube’s store to check it out. I bookmarked a few movies to watch later and
maybe review, among them are some great Corman classics like A Bucket a Blood(I
really need to review this sometime because it is a great movie filled with
camp) and of course “The Little Shop of Horrors”.
You’re
in for a lot of shocking and pleasant surprises with this movie especially if
like me you’ve only been exposed to the 1986 musical. First of all this movie was shot in only 2
days and a lot of lines were improvised.
Second, "The Little Shop of Horrors" IS NOT a musical. And third this is one of Jack Nicholson’s first roles. He has a brief cameo and he’s very energetic
and funny. While I was searching for
posters for this review I found a few that featured Nicholson holding Audrey Jr.
and he got top billing even though all he has is a brief cameo and he’s never
seen with the plant. You don’t really
need to resort to these tactics when your movie is a confirmed and beloved cult
classic. Regardless you probably
wouldn’t guessed after witnessing the spastic masochist that Nicholson plays in
this movie that he would one day go on to be one of the most easily
recognizable a-listers across the planet.
Even though it means a lot less to most people it also has Dick Miller
in it. If that name doesn’t ring a bell
he starred in A Bucket of Blood and had supporting roles in a lot of other
Corman flicks. He was also in Gremlins 1
and 2 and was the comically(and tragically) stupid clerk at the gun shop who
gives Schwarzenegger the gun and bullets to kill him. Like Nicholson he has a quirky role in this
movie where he considers flowers a culinary delicacy.
“The
Little Shop of Horrors” is a possibly one of the first and best examples of a
crossover movie. It blends sci fi,
horror, and comedy. There’s even a
little romance. It’s not easy to laugh
at jokes that are over 50 years old but I couldn’t help laughing out loud at
times.
Our
main character is Seymour Krelboyne, a clumsy young plant enthusiast who works
for a florist on skid row. In the
opening sequence his boss fires him for his continued incompetence but decides
to give him a second chance when he tells him about an odd new breed of plant
he’s been growing that could draw a crowd and business to the failing shop. After he accidently cuts his finger moving a
pot he finds out Audrey Jr. has a taste for blood. From this point forward Seymour has to decide
what’s more important doing the right thing or his obligation to Audrey Jr. and
his boss’s shop.
“The
Little Shop of Horrors” has everything a really great b-movie needs, catchy
title, quirky characters, bizarre situations, compelling and creative story, a
bloodthirsty monster, quotable lines, and a small budget. Unlike other b-movies I think it’s well
acted. A lot of the lines in this movie
required good comedic timing or the jokes would fall flat. There’s a reason this movie is a classic and
has survived the years and I highly suggest you check it out especially if you
love the 1986 musical. 90/100
You can watch the original here: The Little Shop of Horror @ YouTube
A Bucket of Blood can be found here: A Bucket of Blood @ YouTube or here: A Bucket of Blood @ Hulu
Little Shop of Horrors – 1986
I want
to start this review by saying that ever since I was a kid I have always hated
musicals. I know some people might find
that statement unusual but like many 80’s kids I grew up watching MTV and bad
horror and action movies. I think part
of the appeal of these movies to the 8 year old me was that they were more
adult, they didn’t seem to speak down or pander to me, they had little or no
morals, I wasn’t supposed to be watching
them, and they were more entertaining than the things I was supposed to be
watching. So it should be no surprise
given this information when I say I saw this movie right after it came to video
and my parents rented. I can understand
that many children might be scared and have nightmares about this movie but I
just thought it was funny and found the man-eating plant cute.
With
all that said this is a great movie. One
of the problems I have with musicals is a lot of times they can be a little
uneven. It’s like an album that has a
couple of great singles so you go out and buy the cd only to find out you hate
every song but the ones you heard on the radio.
In a musical if there’s at least one song I hate it ruins the entire
movie for me and if I ever watch it again seeing that one number I don’t like
is torture, but in the case of most musicals it’s not just one song I hate it’s
a lot.
I’m not
sure exactly how you can take something as inanimate as a plant and give it
personality and attitude but they did it and with flying colors. They took everything about the original movie
and made it better, funnier, and then added music. There are obviously differences between the
two outside the music. This is a
reimagining not a remake and because of that some characters are given bigger parts and depth and others are cut out completely. Crazy guy who eats flowers is gone, as is
Seymour’s hypochondriac mother, and the world’s most ambitious prostitute that
stalks Seymour at the end. These were my
favorite characters but I really didn’t have a problem with them being cut
because they don’t really fit here and didn’t have much to do with the story to
begin with. Besides if I want to see
them all I have to do is watch the original.
Jack Nicholson’s masochistic dental patient is back only now he’s played
by Bill Murray and I never thought I’d say this but Bill Murray outdoes Jack
Nicholson. They also expanded on the
sadistic dentist now played by Steve Martin.
Seymour’s boss is different as well.
In this one it’s revealed he adopted him and gave him a place to live
and a job in the shop. In spite of the
many small changes and the addition of musical interludes the plot remains
intact.
“Little Shop of Horrors” has great music, great sets, great performances, and some amazing practical effects that no doubt would be replaced with computer generated bullstuff nowadays. Just like the original it blends different movie genres together perfectly and one ups it by making it a musical. The songs are really catchy and I’ve watched the final number at least 2 dozen times. Like all great musicals the songs and their content convey a range of different emotions and in so doing the tempos themselves change from song to song. Despite the fact that this is a reimagining it feels fresh and original and I find it difficult to pick which I’m fonder of. 98/100
One of the most awesome things ever, a pissed off, vulgar, homicidal, man eating plant.
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