Film Swap: Little Shop of Horrors

[Sycophant]

Little Shop of Horrors
Directed by Frank Oz. 1986.

Recommended by: Spinal

There is a group of films that I should have watched. They get brought up in conversation by someone who turns to be knowingly, dropping a reference, and expecting a smile. Fearful that my memory is getting ever worse, I ask them to help me jog it. They give me the name of the film and I give a meek shrug: "Haven't seen it." They're aghast. Even I'm a little shocked. Seriously. How is it even possible that I haven't seen that yet?

Little Shop of Horrors was one of those films for me. I was delighted to have it assigned to me. While I knew much of its legacy, I knew little of it. Then, a bevy of names danced before my eyes: Frank Oz, Howard Ashman, Alan Menken, Rick Moranis, Steve Martin. This was going to be even better than I'd thought.

Really, the movie had me at "hello." I'm a sucker for anything that indulges so much in embracing its ideas and its form that it gives us a glammed-out Greek chorus singing about the miseries of Skid Row, a sadistic dentist who is scared of the prospect of an indulging masochistic Bill Murray, and a fast-talking gee-whiz Christopher Guest character that, when the little shop in question can't break the $100 bill he's got for the $50 of flowers he wants, well shucks, better give him twice as many.

So many moments work so perfectly in the movie, everyone hamming up their parts to perfection, that it sings, even when it's not singing. It's so sad, then, that the ending lost me. COMMENCE SPOILING. Everything the film seemed to be heading up to, the themes of the destructive consequences of human greed (particularly in the hands of the ill-equipped), justification, relativity, and the importance of self-assertion seemed to go out the window with a pretty cheap Hollywood brand of redemption. Up until the end, Moranis's Seymour was being held accountable by the film. I felt the abrupt change, and I find that it's no coincidence that the ending lost me. Reading up on the film, I see that negative audience reaction to the completed, expensive, apocalyptic ending was cut and replaced with this less satisfactory sequence. Reading about what would have been, I find it's almost exactly what I was expecting and would find deeply satisfying.

Having that sort of problem is fairly major, but to injure my review of the film too severely with it would do a disservice to the preceding 80-some minutes of near-bliss I relished. The film's a blast. There's a lot going on in it. And damned if those numbers aren't catchy.

***½

[Spinal]

Excellent! Yeah, fair comments on the ending.

[

Show Spoiler

Faust isn't supposed to be able to make a deal with Mephistopheles and then live out his days behind a white picket fence.

]

But the film is definitely one of a kind with its quirky leads, weird cameos and groovy music. Glad you enjoyed it. I watched it again recently and would give it the same rating.

[lovejuice]

i strongly recommend anyone who is a fan of ashman and menken to check out the soundtrack for the stage production. there're a bunch of very nice songs not featured in the movie.

[Sycophant]

i strongly recommend anyone who is a fan of ashman and menken to check out the soundtrack for the stage production. there're a bunch of very nice songs not featured in the movie.

I think I'll have to do just that. I wasn't really familiar with anything other than their Disney work, but I was very impressed with what I heard here.

[D_Davis]

Nice review, and this is a great flick.

As far as campy musicals go, I like this a great deal more than Rocky Horror.

[Raiders]

Here's the raw footage of the original ending that was cut from the film:

Alternate ending

[Spinal]

Stupid test audiences! :frustrated:

That ending is so much better. Particularly loved the scene with Ellen Greene and the new meaning of "somewhere that's green." I imagine they would roll the closing credits over the latter part of "Don't Feed the Plants" (which was actually included on the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack that I had).

[MadMan]

I actually like the original a great deal. While I'm not a big fan of musicals I may give the remake a chance sometime.

[lovejuice]

I think I'll have to do just that. I wasn't really familiar with anything other than their Disney work, but I was very impressed with what I heard here.

if you really like the songs, newsies starring bill pullman and young christian bale is also worth checking out. without ashman, menken's melodies are not the same though. there is also this stage production of sister act in which menken wrote the songs. i wish to the devil it'll one day go to broadway so that i can have the cd recording of soundtrack.

[Sycophant]

if you really like the songs, newsies starring bill pullman and young christian bale is also worth checking out. without ashman, menken's melodies are not the same though. there is also this stage production of sister act in which menken wrote the songs. i wish to the devil it'll one day go to broadway so that i can have the cd recording of soundtrack.

I was actually familiar with the songs from Newsies for years before I finally saw it. Despite the Presence of Pullman, I actually found the affair terribly disappointing. The music's pretty keen, though. I do like Menken's post-Ashman work, though it doesn't usually seem as good as the stuff that came before.

[jenniferofthejungle]

Stupid test audiences! :frustrated:

That ending is so much better. Particularly loved the scene with Ellen Greene and the new meaning of "somewhere that's green." I imagine they would roll the closing credits over the latter part of "Don't Feed the Plants" (which was actually included on the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack that I had).

Yikes, I prefer the happier ending and am so grateful for those stupid test audiences, Spinal. :lol: I bet my nieces are grateful too. This is a family favorite.

It's a shame they hadn't fully filmed the original ending and included it in a special DVD package later on.

[Bosco B Thug]

Here's the raw footage of the original ending that was cut from the film:

Alternate ending

Wow, awesome, I've always meant to seek the original ending out!

Those shots of a gigantic Audrey II rampaging through a downtown city are spectacular. I'm sad this ending isn't out for everyone to see... it's fairly revolutionizing for the film, I'd say. She's on top of the Statue of Liberty! WOW!

The Mist could've used that kind of special effects (seriously).

[Sven]

Paul Dooley!! Amazing. That original ending is so good.

"A goddamn vegetable is public domain! Ask our lawyers!"

[Biff Justice]

I love this film, but I have to admit to loving the stage version even more primarily because of the ending, but also due to it having two musical numbers by the Dentist and the fact that the person who plays the Dentist also has to play every other of the supporting roles in a sort of quick change act (it really is a blast to see when done well). The final song in the film version is better, though (Mean Green Mother isn't in the play), and I do like the addition of Bill Murray's character.

Glad you liked the film, it really needs more followers, and, yes, it is better than Rocky Horror.

[Sycophant]

That ending was precisely what the doctor ordered. It just serves everything that comes before so much better.

Apparently, there's been on-and-off discussion about releasing a polished version of the original cut in the future. Those plans would appear to be halted presently, but as I understand it, it wouldn't be too terribly difficult or expensive to get out eventually. If this film had a stronger following, maybe they'll get around to it.

And I neglected to mention in my write-up, but aren't practical effects just about exponentially spiffier than CG? Good Lord, the effects work in this movie is brilliant.

[Spinal]

Apparently, there's been on-and-off discussion about releasing a polished version of the original cut in the future. Those plans would appear to be halted presently, but as I understand it, it wouldn't be too terribly difficult or expensive to get out eventually. If this film had a stronger following, maybe they'll get around to it.

I really hope that happens someday.

And I totally agree on the F/X.