Pre-Halloween Horror-watching #8: Little Shop of Horrors

[xannoside]

Little Shop of Horrors
Genre: SF/Horror Musical
Director: Frank Oz, 1986
Songs by: Alan Menken
Starring: Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, and a huge cast of SNL Alums
TL;DR: Okay, okay, not strictly speaking a horror film, not even a horror musical really, but the space-born mutant plants eating people would seem to be close enough.  The puppetry is jaw-dropping, worth seeing this film alone for it, and the songs are a highly enjoyable bonus.

Somehow I missed this one when I was a kid, and I truly feel sadder for it.  Had I seen this when I was 5, I probably would have been seriously scared by Audrey II.  Today, as an adult, alas, I find myself completely unscared, just seriously admiring the unbelievable technical precision behind the puppet while enjoying all the music immensely.  The technique still puts modern CGI to shame, and goes to show that, done properly, making the actual props will always look better.

Unlike chuckro and jethrien, I do not have the musical acumen nor Broadway-going experience to allow me sufficient vocabulary to comment on the quality of the actual musical elements.  So all I shall say is that I had a bangin' good time watching this movie.  The music, particularly the chorus, was really fun just to listen to, and Rick Moranis did a decent job as leading man both speaking and singing.  Ellen Greene was fantastic, Steve Martin almost steals the entire movie with the most hilarious song of the entire show, and SNL fans will love the classic SNL cast showing up for cameos.

Again, as an adult, not a horror film.  But who said a halloween film always needs to have more than a few freaky costumes and props?

Comments

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

There is a horror film that this is based on, FYI. It stars Jack Nicholas. Okay, not stars exactly, but he's in it.

I'm not so much a fan of this movie cause I like the stage version a whole lot better. (I went through a phase of listening to every Broadway musical recording in my hih school's library, so I learned this musical, and many others, by album first.) I even saw chuckro as Audrey II in a production of this in college! Well, saw is overstating it. He did do the curtain call.

[xannoside.livejournal.com]

I've heard that the original isn't so much a horror film either. More of a straight comedy than anything else.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

More in the classic fifties B-movie genre, like Day of the Triffids. (Which, if it's not on your list should be.)

[xannoside.livejournal.com]

I am unfortunately limited to Netflix streaming/DVDs and Day of the Triffids is currently unavailable for some reason.

[chuckro.livejournal.com]

Funy story from that: During rehearsals, I asked the director why stage productions didn't do, "Mean Green Mother". She looked me straight in the eye and replied, "Because we don't want you to die."

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

Because it's a sucky song? *hides*

Mostly I'm just so much more partial to the voice of Audrey II on the cast album than in the movie, they were never going to win me over.

[jethrien.livejournal.com]

You have a talent for causing pain!

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

Son be a de-entist. People will pay you to be inhumane!