Week 99 Little Shop of Horrors

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

On 8/25/2020 at 9:27 AM, Cam Bert said:

I agree. Like the second to last song is basically Audrey II torturing Seymour until it eats him and I guess this plays off the sadistic nature of other characters but the payoff is unsatisfying for the audience. If he grew big and we see Seymour crushed in the rumble I think that would be a could place to jump into the finale scene with. I'm not against dark endings or endings where the bad guy wins. From age 15 to 22 I probably only wanted dark downbeat endings. However, there is a difference between the bad guy winning and having salt rubbed in your wounds. I feel The Mist falls into this as well. What the main character does and the outcome of it horrible and crushing enough but then there is a moment that just rubs salt in that wound and sours it all for me. In Little Shop you have Seymour get eaten AND Audrey II takes over the world. One of those things is enough but both does seem like excess.

THANK YOU!  That's what I was trying to figure out how to say but couldn't so I didn't. Now that I saw it I like (love?) the idea of Audrey dying, Seymour feeding her and then dying himself.  In the original movie Audrey doesn't die but Seymour does, climbing into Audrey Jr. with a hatchet (or axe) to kill Audrey Jr. from the inside.  He's successful and the movie ends.  If they had ended the movie musical after Seymour I would have been happy with that.

I certainly understand buying multiple discs to have both endings and I would agree with doing that.  Several streaming services (HBO Max, Vudu, Movies Anywhere, at least) allow both with one subscription, rental, or purchase but you don't physically own anything.  I'm getting away from streaming and going back to physical discs.  All you own with a streaming is a license.  You're counting on them not pulling the movie because their license ran out, or them losing the data that you own the license (as happened with me with iTunes when I had to switch my AppleID to a new e-mail address).  Physical is best again.  Sorry, I didn't mean to rant.  I'll wipe the spittle from my mouth and go back to work.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

On 8/24/2020 at 7:05 PM, grudlian. said:

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.

I can't find anything other than it was a slow build.  Roger Corman didn't even think it would be a success so he didn't copyright it.  That's why it's in the public domain now and you can find various copies of it floating around.  It was shown on TV here and there throughout the 60's and 70's and became a cult following.  When home video took off the covers featured Jack Nicholson to gather interest since he was a known star.  When I first discovered Death Race 2000, I read Roger Corman's claim that all his movies were profitable so I guess this did well enough.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

On 8/24/2020 at 7:22 PM, JammerLea said:

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

I completely agree about the practical effects.  I would go so far as to say they look better in HD quality.  I can't say that for most movies, even more modern ones.

I admit to being tainted by HDTGM.  I was so sure the movie makers pulled a Streets of Fire and draped an outside area so scenes could be shot irregardless of the sun.  Later it was obvious it was a set, especially when it rains but the Doo-Wop Girls don't get wet until they step out into the street.  Even then it doesn't seem like they get very wet.  Very good compositing? (GIF from Tumblr)

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

Here's an article from The Decider talking about why the movie works well.  Who would have thought Fozzie Bear could make a movie with such humor?  Fozzie's jokes weren't "funny".

Quote

But Oz’s Little Shop maintains much of the B-movie tone, parodic humor, and performance style of Corman’s film, and it doesn’t shrink from the story’s horror elements. If anything, the cinematic verve and immaculate production values Oz brings to his version only enhance the deep creepiness at the root of Little Shop, making it arguably scarier than its campy source material. If Oz’s version of Little Shop Of Horrors transcends Corman’s original—and it’s easy to argue that it does—it’s because it grafts the best elements of the 1960 film and the 1982 musical into an alluring hybrid not unlike the mean green mother at its center. Oz’s Little Shop sings the language of stage and screen, in perfect harmony.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

"Here he is folks, the Leader of the Plaque" tickles me every time and makes the show a winner.  Howard Ashman certainly had a way with words.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

As for the director's cut ending, I'm wondering if that's more the style of the original musical.  They didn't have Mean Green Mother from Outer Space so that "cinematic" ending would be more of a punch to an audience physically walking out of a theater.  Adding it to the movie after the addition of Mean Green was too much.

(Sorry for the spate of posts.  I had a bad few days adjusting to a better way of eating so I'm catching up now.)

[AdrianFlynn 68]

Best musical ever better grease Chicago or last horror 

[UltimateTrekker 18]

How about the two part Head of the Class when they did Hair. Not sure how a high school would manage to produce that show

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

6 hours ago, UltimateTrekker said:

How about the two part Head of the Class when they did Hair. Not sure how a high school would manage to produce that show

 

[UltimateTrekker 18]

Lyrics to the 3rd song in Hair:

 

Sodomy
Fellatio
Cunnilingus
Pederasty

Father, why do these words sound so nasty?

Masturbation
Can be fun
Join the holy orgy
Kama Sutra
Everyone!
 

 

produce that in a high school?

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

I forgot to mention some cameos and a notable appearance in another movie.

1) Danny John-Jules (Cat in Red Dwarf, Dwayne in Death in Paradise, a bartender in Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels) is a Doo-Wop Singer during "Da-Doo" (explaining where the plant came from).  He's on the left of the group.

2) Miriam Margolyes (Professor Sprout, the groped landlady in The Apple) is the dentist's nurse who leaves when Bill Murray is waiting.

3) Two actors from the 1960 movie, Jackie Joseph (Audrey) and Dick Miller (the customer who eats flowers) are Mr. and Mrs. Futterman in Gremlins.

[tomspanks 9039]

On 8/24/2020 at 7:11 PM, grudlian. said:

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.

Thanks, I hate it.

[GrahamS. 803]

On 9/10/2020 at 7:59 PM, tomspanks said:

Thanks, I hate it.

 

On 9/10/2020 at 7:59 PM, tomspanks said:

 

On 8/24/2020 at 4:11 PM, grudlian. said:

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

 

Yeah, I like these actors but I think this casting is  largely an insane case of misjudgment. Scarlett Johansson as Audrey?? Give me a freaking break. Give someone undiscovered a shot if you’re going to do it at all. It will probably be a CGI mess.

personally, I’d rather have Chris Evans in a Scott Pilgrim spin-off where he keeps playing that douchey skateboarder (just to throw out something completely random).