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Hollywood musicals tend to be grand, dramatic productions, with vibrant settings and spectacular song-and-dance numbers. They’re filled with romance and drama and maybe some touches of comedy. You just don’t expect a musical that also happens to be a sci-fi thriller about a man-eating plant from outer space—but that’s what makes Frank Oz’s Little Shop of Horrors such a quirky musical delight.
In this over-the-top musical remake of the 1960 (non-musical) cult classic, Rick Moranis stars as poor, nerdy Seymour Krelborn, who lives in the basement of Mushnik’s Flower Shop in Skid Row. Business is pretty bad at the flower shop, and cranky Mr. Mushnik (Vincent Gardenia) is about to close the doors for good. But then Seymour suggests taking the store in a new direction: using strange, exotic plants to draw in customers.
In his dingy room in the basement, Seymour has been caring for a strange plant that he calls Audrey II—which he named after his pretty co-worker, Audrey (Ellen Greene). As soon as Audrey II is placed in the store’s window, business starts booming. But then the popular plant starts demanding payback.
Little Shop of Horrors is anything but the same old musical. At its heart, it’s still a twisted kind of love story—but, instead of a troublesome misunderstanding to shake things up and add a little bit of conflict, there’s a massive alien plant with a mind of its own threatening to eat anyone who gets in its way. And that’s just one of the movie’s many quirks.
The film’s cast is a Saturday Night Live who’s who, with Moranis’s Seymour facing off against Steve Martin as Audrey’s demented dentist boyfriend. You’ll also find cameos by everyone from John Candy to Christopher Guest. While some of the roles are totally random (like Bill Murray’s cameo as a dental patient with a penchant for pain), the cameos add a little bit of treasure-hunting fun to this already oddly entertaining experience.
Moranis, meanwhile, makes a lovable hero. With his long face and sad, puppy-dog eyes, he’s perfect as the downtrodden orphan who finally gets his chance to shine. Others, however, aren’t quite as lovable—especially Greene’s Audrey, who’s shrieky and shrill and completely overdone. But even the less likable characters get a brilliant boost from the ever-present trio of backup singers, who are always on hand when the characters need a little injection of shoo-bop.
From its quirky comedic cast to its wacky sci-fi touches, Little Shop of Horrors is far from the expected. Granted, like most comedies, it has its share of awkward, cringe-worthy moments—but if you’re looking for a twisted take on the same old Hollywood musical, this silly song-and-dance thriller is worth a look.
DVD Review:
If your taste in musicals ranges all the way from quirky (like Little Shop of Horrors and 1988’s Hairspray) to classic (like Singin’ in the Rain and The Wizard of Oz), you’ll want to pick up the Best of Warner Bros. 20 Film Collection: Musicals. The set includes everything from 1927’s groundbreaking The Jazz Singer to fun-filled musicals like the Elvis Presley romp Viva Las Vegas and family favorite Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
Really, the only way to improve on this set would be to release it on Blu-ray instead of just DVD. But if you love classic musicals, it’s one collection that you won’t want to miss.
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