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Honestly part of why I wanted to revisit this version before it gets sullied by a new remake which will undoubtedly have CG effects instead of these practical effects that still look INCREDIBLY GOOD. But yeah, my first time seeing this, I was, I think, older teens? It's so well done though, the music and how it's incorporated into the story, the cast, the atmosphere... I don't want to say it's a perfect movie, but hell, it sure comes close. (I haven't yet watched the original director's cut ending, but I did read up on it. I think it would have been interesting, but I understand how test audiences didn't respond well lol) Levi Stubbs is just... so soooo good in this role. I soooorta remember Mother Brain, but it's been so long... Uhh, gushing aside, my roommate and I were questioning how Audrey II knew Audrey's phone number to call her lol

By the way, there is a remake of the musical in the works according to imdb. Taren Edgerton is playing Stanley. Scarlett Johansson is playing Audrey. Billy Porter as Audrey 2. Chris Evans as the dentist. This is a strong cast but, boy, I really don't like the idea of remaking a movie that's basically flawless as is.

I think Taren Edgerton could work but probably won't. He was able to play Eddie The Eagle and give a completely different feeling than he normally seems to exude. But I think the meek boyishness isn't him. If you must remake it, Tom Holland seems like a better choice. I also don't like Scarlett Johansson for Audrey either. Audrey, in the musical, is also meek and shy and innocent and I don't think Scarlett Johansson can do that convincingly. The closest she's done to that is Lost In Translation or Ghost World and that's not at all what Audrey is. Her as Audrey is going to feel like a high budget SNL character. I think I saw the alternate ending the first time I saw this in full. It was on tv and they played the full movie then showed it immediately after the credits. They made a big deal about the newly discovered alternative ending. I feel like it might have been in black and white. So, I'm not sure if I've ever really known this without the director's ending in some capacity. I prefer the happier ending as well. I like having the darker ending available because I like it. Maybe if we didn't see Seymour die and cut to the rest of the plants around the world with an implied death?

Perhaps Little Shop the exception proving the rule, but I just saw a thing with Steve Martin and he was recounting his bad reviews. The one that stuck with his was something like, “If Steve Martin has died his hair in it, it’s going to be bad.” Lol

Some of my favourite things I own are a few DVDs/Blu-rays from the 42nd Street Forever collection and Drive In Delirium collection. It is nothing but trailers from grindhouse and drive in movies from the 50s to the 80s. It always lifts my spirits just the sure unbridled creativity of it all. So many great ideas that with a better writer, better technology or slightly more money could be great and prime for a remake yet I have to see a remake of some 80s movie that is still just fine. Take something like The Thing, one of the greatest movies of all time and its a remake but most people don't even know it because the original is an old b movie. It updates and changes the material enough to be it's own thing.

Taren Edgerton is so not right. I just can't see it. Then again I couldn't really see him as Elton John and he wasn't bad. I was just hoping for someone a bit more unconventional. Billy Porter and Evans are good calls. The first time I saw the "alternate ending" was actually at a theater production. I then learned it was the filmed ending as well. One of the reasons I have multiple copies on DVD is so I could have both. The verdict? I kinda like the happy ending more. As much as I love the plants winning and climbing on the statue of liberty, I just don't feel it as much. It's honoring its b movie roots with this very 50s sci-fi type ending but I feel the song doesn't have to punch to really send you off on a strong note.

I can't help but think how terrifying this musical must've been to anyone who has had a legit fear of dentists lol I do think it was good to establish just how despicable his character is in setting up a reason of "this asshole deserves it" for being killed. It certainly is uncomfortable and was weird that it was one of the first songs replayed during the credits. Someone must've really liked it. (Also was really bizarre seeing Steve Martin with black hair lol) So, a question: Who was worse, the sadist or the masochist?

I really don't see what a remake is going to accomplish. The effects in this hold up quite well (and that opening shot that looks like space revealing its a puddle is so surprisingly good that it fools me every time). I predict this just not having the heart of the original which is what pushes this along. I wouldn't say it's perfect either but the only thing I'd change is the dentist. I've always felt the scene with the dentist is unnecessarily long in both versions. I'd say it could be cut completely. Set up that he abuses Audrey and that's all we need instead of a lengthy scene without our leads.

Honestly, I think the original movie is a good idea and works quite well. It's not some huge feat pushing cinema forward or some grand take on the human condition. It's kind of badly acted. It doesn't look great. But I think it achieves everything it set out to do. I think it's genuinely funny in parts. It's creepy in parts. That said, I'd definitely watch a remake, not of the musical, but a horror movie. Less comedy. Lean into the psychology of this. The bones of a genuinely good, creepy story are here. A Twilight Zone/Alfred Hitchcock Presents feel. You could potentially tweak it to have Stanley be creepier mediocre instead of a loveable loser but that might make the whole thing fall apart. Does anyone know if the original was a well known movie before the musical? I've always thought it was a largely forgotten b movie revived by the musical and being an early Jack Nicholson movie.

This is something I think about a lot. Honestly, it's probably why I'm attracted to things like HDTGM, MST3K and Rifftrax in the first place. I love to think that there's no such thing as a bad idea. That anything can work given the right circumstances or medium. Like a lot of people, I get frustrated with all the reboots in Hollywood of successful movies. I really wish they would take old B-Movies and reboot them to work.

I love the decision-making most of all. I mean, to make the voice of Audrey II a sassy soul singer? Genius. I don't know if that's the way it is in the Broadway version but wherever that choice was made, it's great. There's decisions like that all through the movie that maybe seem super crazy, but end up working.

I definitely knew Mother Brain before Audrey II. The first time I watched this, I definitely was wracking my brain trying to figure out where I knew the voice from. So, just to confirm, everyone watched the director's cut ending right? Even if you watched the theatrical cut, the directors cut ending is available on youtube and I recommend checking it out.

Nobody's mentioned what this movie was really known for: A way to see the trailer for The Phantom Menace. People bought tickets to this just to see the trailer and left without seeing the movie. I've heard stories of theaters that re-showed the Star Wars trailer at the end of the movie for everyone who stuck around, because it was the only reason they had been there in the first place. Despite this easy boost, it still did poorly at the domestic box office. Also found this interesting tidbit on Wikipedia while confirming that this was that movie: A two-hour version was made to show on television and airline flights, by cutting most of the plotline involving Bill Parrish's business. Since Brest derided this edit of his film and disowned it, the director's credit was changed to the Hollywood pseudonym Alan Smithee. Yes, Brest was so married to the overlong plot about the business that he disowned a version of it that cut most of it out to get the movie down to "only" two hours.

I realized I forgot the tagline I was going to use for the thread: "Honey, I Blew Up the Plant". Oh well.

For sure on Levi Stubbs. I have never heard him speak and I want to believe it's his normal speaking voice. It wouldn't explain why he doesn't sound like that singing, but...I just need that to be his voice.

I love this movie. In fact it is one of a handful of movie I own multiple DVDs. The songs are all super catchy, all the performances are top notch and perfectly cast. It's a perfect movie and musical as far as I'm concerned. I will say as a child of the 80s and Saturday morning cartoons, I don't know what I think of first when I hear Levi Stubbs, Mother Brain or Audrey II. However, seeing this on stage a few times, nobody has ever been able to live up to Levi Stubbs.

Little Shop is a movie I didn't discover until I was already an adult, but it never ceases to please me. There are so many wonderful cameos, and Rick Moranis and Ellen Greene are phenomenal.

You made me go searching. From an NYU Teacher's Guide I found this.

I watched both versions and that inexplicable two part episode of Head Of The Class where they performed the play. I really liked all versions of this. I really wish I could have been there when they came up with the idea of writing a musical based on an b movie. I can only imagine someone being really high like "what a great idea!" and escalating beyond their control until it was done.

From the guys who brought you such innocent classics as The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, comes this?!? We watched

I actually got a chance to work on this movie, shot in Ireland, and it was such a great experience. Loved meeting Will Forte, and everyone who worked on it was lovely. It turned out really well. Glad people are enjoying it!

I just found this on a different website.

Posting this recent review of Money Plane because I love these Red Letter Media dopes: Every birthday cake should have fire crackers on them.

I would have been Mora if I was ever playing Mario in front of an audience.

OK, so I had to pause the movie to post this, in the scene where the 'child bounty hunter'/'child abductor' is being stopped by the trucks after kidnapping the kid, there's a certain friend we might all know, one that's no stranger to child abduction and high stakes competitions located across state lines that minors have to endanger themselves to get to in the nick of time. The video game tournament was not double elimination though.