Freaktana A Major Disappointment

Beystiman It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

TaryBiggBall It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

Phillipa Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

isakvirkus * spoiler alert*this movie was an amazing experience. The soundtrack was so catchy and wonderful that you don't mind you'll be humming them for like a week. the Ending scene where audrey dies i cried my eyes out. the special effects for audrey II is amazing for it's time. The romance between audrey and Seymour is beautiful and sad. The setting and the way they dress i love since i do personally love the 50s/60s aesthetic. I really recommend you watch this movie if you love musicals and mild horror movies. peace out yo!

KeithRockwell I revisited this movie a while back, and while I do rather like it, I really wish it didn't feel so rushed. A lot of great songs from the stage musical are cut short or omitted entirely, and when subjected to the former, it tends to ruin them. It also skips over whole plot points and bits of characterization, and Orin the dentist, arguably the best character in the whole movie, suffers from a regrettable lack of screen time. The whole thing feels very short, and I never felt quite satisfied after watching it. That said, the movie still works, but only because of just how /good/ the remaining songs are, as well as the extravagant and memorable character of Audrey II. It's honestly worth seeing this movie /just/ for the entire dentist scene and the song "Mean Green Mother from Outer Space." The sets, darker tone, overall atmosphere, and /incredible/ puppetry on Audrey II definitely help, too. It's not really a movie that I'd go out of my way to see twice, but you won't forget it, and the soundtrack on its own is something you'll probably find yourself listening to again and again. Overall, a good, fun movie.

pyrocitor It's rather appropriate to think that a show now almost unavoidably supersaturated in contemporary pop culture – from a crooning Jake Gyllenhaal, covers of "Suddenly Seymour" on every TV Broadway allusion from Glee to Carpool Karaoke, and performances popping up like alien spores in high school drama classes across the planet – found its humble beginnings in a surprisingly fun, cheapo 1960s Roger Corman horror comedy that knew to sell its scares with a wink and a healthy slathering of camp. Frank Oz's 1986 movie musical mitigates the gap well, pairing its jaunty, infectiously catchy tunes with appropriately grungy production values that lends the film the veneer of a top notch production taking place in a discount college set. And, despite this inherent imbalance making for a somewhat uneven watch, Oz's Little Shop of Horrors oozes plucky charm, ensuring that while it may not be the most memorable or definitively told movie musical of its era, its inherent entertainment factor certainly stands the test of time. Playing as an incrementally less tongue-in-cheek Rocky Horror Picture Show, 'cheerily clumsy' is the most apt description of Oz's foray into the movie musical genre. He nails the '60s doo-wop goofiness, keeping things playful by gleefully interrupting as many intentionally flat 'gee-whiz' dialogue exchanges with interjections from the 'Greek chorus' of narratorial singers, replete with as many spotlights and sequins as possible. The pacing is noticeably ramshackle, amiably lumbering between plot points with the dopey delirium of a tipsy Bill Murray, while Oz's staging of composer Alan Menken's eminently hummable tunes verges from perverse genius (a chorus of Steve Martin's dentist song shot from the inside of a patient's mouth) to forgettably silly filler (contextual ballad "Skid Row" is particularly tedious and extraneous thanks to Oz's curiously lugubrious, solemn staging). Still, Oz's cabal of cameos from virtually every famous face in '80s comedy (John Candy, Christopher Guest, Jim Belushi – you name it!) indisputably help punch up some of the narrative's laggier moments, even as his take on the media furor surrounding protagonist Seymour's botanical blowout is a bit too toothless (pun intended) to properly stick. It's mostly in terms of the film's dalliances into more serious content where Oz runs into trouble. In particular, in tackling the subplot involving romantic interest Audrey's domestic violence, Oz seems uncertain whether to fully invest in the pitch black satire of Alan Menken's lyrics or sell it as straight drama, and ending up with a tone that verges on worrisome flippancy. Similarly, the (purportedly studio hard-sold) populist Hollywood rewrite of the show's cheerfully macabre ending is a disappointingly false, gormless misfire - the rare happy ending liable to leave audiences feeling both unhappy and cheated. Still, Oz's Muppets tenure pays off in spades in terms of selling the film's central special effect – the Audrey II puppet looks absolutely spectacular, with each sinew, root, and tooth phenomenally detailed, hitting the perfect blend of silly and disturbing (accentuated by the perfectly sassy performance by the wonderful Levi Stubbs), and moving with almost unnerving credibility, particularly when imperceptibly growing to astronomical size. It's almost offensive to think of a contemporary remake inevitably embodying Audrey II with CGI, particularly when Oz's efforts show just how hilarious and terrifying proper practical effects can be. Rick Moranis, in the height of his 'weebly, lovable nerd' heyday, is perfectly cast as neurotic schlub with a heart of gold Seymour. He exemplifies Seymour's hapless misfortunes without straying into whiny self-indulgence, while ensuring his turn for the heroic in the film's second half is still tempered with enough ineptitude to ensure he remains sympathetic. Similarly, Ellen Greene keeps enough of a twinkle in her eye to ensure that her shrill Audrey lands as more than a coquettish stereotype, while (the stupendously appropriately named) Vincent Gardenia rumbles with appropriate bossy bluster as shop owner Mushnik. Still, the honours for indisputable show-stealing performance fall upon Steve Martin, almost as terrifying as he is unspeakably funny as the sadistic, gas-huffing dentist, whose note-perfect Elvis swagger only makes him all the more exquisitely unhinged. Throw in a side-splitting cameo from an orgasmically moaning Bill Murray as his obsessively masochistic patient (even outdoing the hilarity of cinematic predecessor Jack Nicholson from the 1960 film)? Comedic perfection. Ultimately, Little Shop of Horrors' tentativeness in fully committing to its inherent kitsch or bizarre darkness may serve as further credence that some Broadway musicals are always fated to fare better staying on Broadway. But it's hardly an epitaph, as the film's triple threat of dream cast, catchy tunes and Oz's cheeky, charming telling more than earn its keep in audience hearts even amidst its glut of theatrical reincarnations. It may not be the most memorable or sharply told musical of its time, but any film audacious enough to play Steve Martin torturing a child with a drill while sashaying around like a cross between Chuck Berry and Daffy Duck for laughs is always worth rooting for. Groan. -7/10

Bryan Kluger This 1986 version of 'Little Shop Of Horrors' holds a very special place in my heart. It was one of the first films I viewed in the theater. My parents took me to it when I was five years old, and I remember loving every minute of it. Back then, and even still today, I find that director Frank Oz perfectly mixed a musical with retro sci-fi and created this quirky masterpiece, based on Roger Corman's 1960 original of the same name and the stage musical. And with this blu-ray release, it still proves that after 26 years, 'Little Shop of Horrors' is an inspiring and highly entertaining film. Not to mention, that finally we get the rare never-before-released 20 minute original ending.'Little Shop of Horrors' centers around a shy and nerdy orphan named Seymour Krelborn (Rick Moranis), who was taken in by Mr. Mushnick (Vincent Gardenia), a local florist, when he was a kid. Seymour has spent his life living in the basement of Mr. Mushnik's shop and working for him. The only other employee at Mr Mushnik's plant shop is Audrey (Ellen Greene), a busty, beautiful blonde, whom with Seymour is secretly in love with. Although Audrey does dream about a life with Seymour outside of the plant shop and city, she does not share her feelings with him, for fear of her cruel and insane dentist boyfriend, Orin Scrivello (Steve Martin).However, Seymour's life is forever changed during a total eclipse of the sun, when a strange and interesting plant appears out of thin air at a rival local plant shop. Seymour purchases the bizarre looking plant in hopes to attract business to Mr. Mushnick's decaying shop. Instantly, people take notice of the plant and start doing business at Mr. Mushnik's shop, but at a life- threatening cost. The plant, which Seymour names Audrey II, only feeds on human blood. So days turn into weeks, and weeks turn into months where Seymour drains his blood on a daily basis to feed Audrey II. Since Seymour is so good about feeding Audrey II, the plant grows to an enormous size, thus needing more blood. Soon, Audrey II is speaking fluently and requesting that Seymour kill people so it can eat. It is soon revealed the true intentions of the plant, which prompts Seymour to take serious action.I'm so glad that fans of the film will finally get to see the original ending to this film. The ending we all saw in the theaters and on the last DVD release ends on a high note, however the ending originally intended, which was the ending in the stage version is a bit on the more grim side of things. This ending was approved by the studio, but test audiences were upset with it, so they canned the ending and made the new one that we have seen since 1986.Frank Oz did a perfect casting job on this film. Rick Moranis is amazing as Seymour. He brings his wit and nerdy charm to every second of the film, and who knew that Moranis could sing. Ellen Greene played Audrey in the stage version for a number of years, so it was a no-brainer that her impact on this character could not be matched. And her and Moranis's chemistry is incredible. And of course Steve Martin is the scene stealer as the bad guy dentist. He's funny and sadistic at the same time. Not too mention that Bill Murray, John Candy, James Belushi, Christopher Guest, Tichina Arnold, and Tisha Campbell all have cameos in the film.Then there is the ultimate star of the film, Audrey II. The plant is a milestone in special effects, puppetry, and animatronics in filmmaking. I still think Audrey II looks just as good if not better than any CG work done in film. That's right. Audrey II was 100% real, meaning there were no CG effects done on the plant. It took at the most 60 people to operate one of the Audrey II's, which made the plant's movement smooth, fluid, and very life-like. In the commentary, Oz says that the scenes with the large plant were filmed at 16 frames per second. Films are usually shot at the normal 24 frames per second, meaning that the human actors had to act in slow motion when doing scenes with the plant. When the 16 frames per second were played back at normal speed, you cannot tell that the slow motion acting was done, which means that every actor and special effects supervisor and technician were doing their job perfectly.The music in the film is some of my favorite music in a musical film. It's part 50's and part rock n' roll. Every actor's step and cue is done in sync with the music and it is all very catchy and will have you, well at least me singing the tunes for days after watching the film. This 1986 version of 'Little Shop of Horrors' is a perfect example of the remake being better than the original. When you have top notch talent, great music, great dialogue, and the best special effects crew of the time working together, you get the masterpiece that is 'Little Shop of Horrors'.