Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

This week we embark on a new adventure in the A-to-Z Part Deux challenge. For the letter “B” we have Visual Effects Artist Bran Ferren. And the movie of Bran’s that we’re looking at this week is…Little Shop of Horrors (1986).

Title: Little Shop of Horrors

Director: Frank Oz

Released: December 19, 1986

Runtime: 1 hour 34 minutes

Available to stream on: MAX

IMDb synopsis: A nerdy florist finds his chance for success and romance with the help of a giant man-eating plant who demands to be fed.

Seymour Krelborn (Rick Moranis) is a florist at Mushnik’s Flower Shop located in the Skid Row district of New York. Due to poor sales, Mr. Mushnik (Vincent Gardenia) decides to close up shop. As a last-ditch effort to try and save their jobs, Seymour’s co-worker Audrey (Ellen Greene) suggests displaying Seymour’s new plant in the window.

This might seem like a bizarre way to try and save the shop, but Seymour’s plant isn’t just another average plant. He bought the plant, which he named Audrey II (voiced by Levi Stubbs), during a solar eclipse from a Chinese flower shop. Audrey II is a hit and Mushnik’s Flower Shop is once again filled with customers.

After a period of time, Audrey II begins to wilt. Seymour tries everything from fertilizers, water, minerals, to sunlight, but nothing seems to bring nourishment to Audrey II. That is until one day Seymour inadvertently pricks his finger and draws blood. Seeing Audrey II come to life, Seymour begins to wonder if blood is what Audrey II needs. Against his better judgment he gives the plant a few drops, Audrey II’s health improves almost instantly.

Audrey II’s remarkable recovery and subsequent massive growth spurt gives Seymour his time in the spotlight. However, Seymour can’t reveal the true secret to Audrey II’s success. But he also can’t keep feeding the plant blood forever. Someone is bound to catch on to what is happening, and the growth of Audrey II is already out of control. This doesn’t stop Audrey II though; having formed the ability to speak, the plant demands more blood from Seymour.

How does Seymour deal with a sentient plant’s demands for human blood? Will he give into Audrey II’s demands and murder someone? Can Audrey II even be stopped at this point?

Going into Little Shop of Horrors (1986), all that I knew was that it was an adaptation of a Broadway play (which itself was an adaptation of a 1960 film), that it was a cult classic, and that Rick Moranis was in it. Honestly, I was a little worried that it would be one of those instances where you try to watch something heralded as a “cult classic” and you just don’t see what the hype is about.

Luckily that is not the case here as I had an absolute blast watching this. The musical numbers are campy yet catchy. The use of horror without the use of blood and gore is effectively done. And with Frank Oz at the helm, you knew you were in for a treat with the visual effects, specifically with Audrey II. That’s not to mention that the production design and the way Little Shop of Horrors (1986) is shot makes it feel like you’re watching a Broadway play, but I mean that in the best possible way.

But you can’t praise a movie like this without also heaping praise onto the cast. Yes, Moranis and Greene are great together. However, the cameos that we get arguably steal the show. We’re treated to John Candy, Jim Belushi, Bill Murray, and Steve Martin in a role I don’t hear discussed enough. No, I didn’t get into these at all earlier. But that’s because if you’re like me and haven’t seen the movie before, you’re in for a treat and I don’t want to spoil anything for you.

While I don’t have the nostalgic ties to it that some may have, I still found Little Shop of Horrors (1986) to be a fun and enjoyable watch.

If you’ve already seen it, give it a rewatch. If you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favor and seek it out.

Just be careful. Don’t feed the plants.

Well, those are my thoughts on Little Shop of Horrors (1986), but what are yours?

Give me your thoughts in the comments below or by reaching out on social media including my account on Threads! While I will still post updates on Twitter, Threads is where I will be the most active moving forward.

Next week brings us the letter “C”. You know the drill. Get suggestions for crew members whose name starts with “C” in by Wednesday morning. Wednesday evening I’ll announce on Instagram, Twitter, and Threads who the person is and what film of theirs we’ll be looking at next Sunday.