Little Shop of Horrors is a 1986 American horror comedy musical film directed by frank Oz and staring Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Vincent Gardenia, Steve Martin, and the voice of Levi Stubbs. The film centres around Seymour a flower shop worker who discovers a sentient carnivore’s plant that feeds on human blood. Little Shop of Horrors is a fun entertaining film that any horror, b-movie, and musical fan should watch.
The direction in the film is good. The film is overtly horror-like with its tropes and open on a good musical number being the title track Little Shop of Horrors as backing signers come out of the alleyway and sing. The film has an over-the-top classic horror style mixed with comedy as well as interesting little easter eggs such as the dancers double as poor people extras. The next song Skid Row showcases people living in a poor neighbourhood as well as a good use of comedic timing in the film as the characters in the shop change positions to indicate there bored. The film is deliberately over the top with over-the-top stylised flashbacks. The film has an over-the-top level of excitement to it as the characters in the film are all ultimately longing for something. The song grow for me showcases Seymour wanting the plant to live as it is at this point in the film the story reveals its horror as the plant needs blood to live and grows as a result. Audrey who also works at the shop and is Seymour’s love interest longs for him and wants to escape to an idealistic 50s setting, as the next song some fun now is about Seymour making the plant grow.
Throughout the film Seymour and Audrey have a cute relationship which is the heart of the film, this is then followed by the song dentist as Orin Audrey’s boyfriend is a sadist as in the song he is presented in a fun, funny, over the top crazy evil way that is entertaining, as Orin’s comedy is that he is an evil abusive rebel juxtaposed with the comedy of being a dentist. The song Feed Me (Git It!) is dark but also at the same time funny and over the top showing theatrical manipulation as both Audrey and Seymour are in abuse relationships. There is also good humour in showing the sadistic dentist meeting the masochist patient, but the dentist doesn’t like it. Later, the film again showcase’s its horror as Orin the dentist abuses his nitrous oxide and puts on a type of venturi mask to receive a constant flow of gas but the valve breaks and Seymour watches and does nothing as Orin asphyxiates. This horror aspect of the film continues as Seymour dismembers Orins body and feeds it to Audrey II, the film has a very interesting tone to it as typical romance music is done with a certain darkness to it as his death is being so easily dismissed in the sudden Seymour song. Again, Little Shop of Horrors is ultimately a film about abusive relationships as Audrey is out of her abusive relationship, but Seymour is still trapped with backstory on Audrey explaining that her dad left nod her mum was poor, Audrey II then eating Mushnik as he blackmailed Seymour again showcasing that the film is ultimately about abusive relationships.
In the song The Meek Shall Inherit is shows how people want to exploit the plant and by extension Seymour as he becomes overwhelmed with everything. Seymour and Audrey decide to escape together and get married as Audrey II demands to be fed and Seymour’s goes to buy meat from a butcher’s shop in a hope to end his abusive relationship in the film. Audrey II however manipulates Seymour and Audrey as Seymour saves her, as the film also shows a funny take on marketing. In the song Mean Green Mother it is revealed it is relived that Audrey II is an alien and wants world domination and attacks Seymour, Audrey II traps Seymour and Audrey under rubble as Seymour electrocutes the plant with wire and it explodes, at the end of the film Seymour survives and him, and Audrey run of together and get married in a house as an Audrey II bud is seen growing in the yard.
The acting in the film is good. Rick Moranis does a good job as Seymour playing a shy nervous guy who really comes into his own throughout the film. Ellen Greene does a good job as Audrey playing a very sweet likable character that is Seymour’s love interest in the film. Vincent Gardenia does a good job as Mr. Mushnik Seymour’s boss who tries to exploit him into making money off the plant. Vincent Gardenia does a good job as Orin the evil sadistic abusive dentist that is a lot of fun in the film. Levi Stubbs does a good job as the Voice of Audrey II in the film a charming but evil character that manipulates Seymour throughout the film.
The writing in the film is good. The film opens on the song Little Shop of Horrors as the film shows that Seymour and Audrey like each other but can’t express it. Another element of there relationship that buts it into turmoil is Audrey’s abusive boyfriend, the film also has interesting detail to it such as the dancers doubling a skid row extra. The next song in the film Skid Row is about people living poor in the neighbourhood as Seymour shows of his Venus fly trap as a result the business grows as they start to sell them. The film also goes into the origins of the plant, and it came from the eclipse which makes the company’s business grow. In a sad twist of fate in the film Audrey and Seymour want each other but can’t which be followed by the song Grow for Me were Seymour wants to give the plant life. He finds out that the plant needs blood to live, and the plant grows as a result.
He decides to show his plant to a weird radio show for publicity, but it goes wrong, as Audrey signs Somewhere That’s Green within an idealistic 50s setting. This is then followed by the song Some Fun Now were Seymour makes the plant grow, the film is ultimately a love story as it is shown that Seymour has low self esteem and Audrey says she will help him pick out clothes. The next song in the film Dentist introduces Orin Audrey’s sadistic boyfriend, there is great juxtaposition in the film as he is presented as being a rebel, but his job is that of a dentist. Audrey II then comes alive and starts signing to Seymour that he needs. Blood in the Feed Me (Git It)! Song showcasing the themes of manipulation in the film as both Audrey and Seymour are in abusive relationships as Seymour plans to kill Orin. There is good humour in the film as the sadistic dentist meets aa masochistic patient, but Orin doesn’t like it, Orin dies by abusing his nitrous oxide as he puts on a venturi mask to revie a constant flow of gas but breaks the valve as Seymour watches as he asphyxiates.
The film then reveals its horror as Seymour dismembers Orins body and feeds it to Audrey II, as Seymour becomes wreaked with fear and anxiety. Seymour and Audrey then realise they have feelings for each other in the Suddenly Seymour song, as Audrey is out of her abuse relationship but Seymour is still trapped in his as the film gives backstory on Audrey saying her dad left and her mum was poor. Mushnik then tells Seymour that he saw him hacking up Orin, thinking that he killed him. E has Seymour at gunpoint and attempts to blackmail him, so he gets the plant as Seymour tricks him and the plant eats him. From this people then try and sucker in Seymour so that he can get money and a TV contract, however he becomes overwhelmed and plans to leave with Audrey and get married as shown in the Meek Shall Inherit song. Audrey II then demands to be fed as Seymour goes to buy butchers meat, this is a trick however a when Seymour is gone the plant telephones Audrey and coxes her to the shop and attacks her in the song Suppertime. Seymour saves Audrey and they confess their love to each other in the Suddenly Seymour song as the film also has a good satire on marketing with Seymour rejecting a contract. The climax of the song consists of the Mean Green Mother song where it turns out that the plant is an alien and wants world domination and attacks Seymour, it traps Seymour and Audrey under rubble as Seymour electrocutes the plant with wire and it explodes, Seymour survives and him and Audrey run off together and get married and live in a house where an Audrey II bud is seen in the yard.
The cinematography in the film is good. Most of the cinematography in the film is decent but nothing special. The film does have a good dark and gritty look to it though, the film also has very bright cinematography with a flashback look to it showing the god side of town. The film also uses windows to get some good shots in the film, as well as cool POV shots form inside a mouth in the dentist song, other POV shots and cool looking silhouette shots.
The special effects in the film are good. The film has a good use of animatronics with the venues fly trap that changes its appearance throughout the film such has growing leaves. Anamonics are also shown as the dying venues fly trap ties to get blood, there is also great production design with the intentional artificiality of a 50s dream house. The film has a great use of animatronics with the Venus fly trap singing as the vines on the plant act like arms as the mouth moves. The roots also show good animatronics as they grow out of the plant pot and comes out form the ground showing impressive special effects, as well as this when the plant is electrocuted and explodes good special effects are also shown.
Little Shop of Horrors is a fun entertaining film that any fun of musicals, horror or b-movies would most likely enjoy.
