A nerdy florist finds his chance for success and romance with the help of a giant man-eating plant who demands to be fed.
Director: Frank OzWriters: Howard Ashman (screenplay), Howard Ashman (based on the musical play "Little Shop of Horrors")
Stars: Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Vincent Gardenia
Little Shop of Horrors is a 1986 American rock musical horror comedy film
directed by Frank Oz. It is a film adaptation of the off-Broadway musical comedy of the same name by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman about a nerdy florist shop worker who raises a vicious, raunchy plant that feeds on human blood. Menken and Ashman's Off-Broadway musical was based on the low-budget 1960 film The Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Roger Corman.
The 1986 film stars
Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Vincent Gardenia, Steve Martin, and Levi Stubbs as the voice of Audrey II. The film also featured special appearances by
James Belushi, John Candy, Christopher Guest, and Bill Murray. It was produced by David Geffen through The Geffen Company and released by Warner Bros. on December 19, 1986.
Levi Stubbs (born Levi Stubbles, June 6, 1936 – October 17, 2008) was an American baritone singer, best known as
the lead vocalist of the R&B group the Four Tops, a group known for a variety of Motown hit records and other songs created in the 1960s and 1970s. He has been noted by writers for his emotional, often dramatic, style of singing.
This picture was nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 12 nominations.
TRACKS
A.1 Prologue (Little Shop Of Horrors) 3:27
A.2 Skid Row (Downtown) 4:17
A.3 Da-Doo 1:24
A.4 Grow For Me 2:24
A.5 Somewhere That's Green 3:50
A.6 Some Fun Now 2:17
A.7 Dentist! 2:27
B.1 Feed Me (Git It) 3:25
B.2 Suddenly, Seymour 3:27
B.3 Suppertime 2:04
B.4 The Meek Shall Inherit 3:21
B.5 Mean Green Mother From Outerspace 4:48
B.6 Finale (Don't Feed The Plants) 1:30
In 1978 Alan Menken and Howard Ashman created a new musical take on Roger Corman's 1960 film Little Shop Of Horrors, which became a Broadway hit. Both involve a man-eating, Venus flytrap-inspired plant named Audrey II, named Audrey II, raised in a skid-row flower shop into a massive beast with excessive chloroplast (testosterone?) levels.
Though the film was inventive and campy, Menken and Ashman's music music - a mix of doo-wop and lavish songs along the lines of Rocky Horror Picture Show -- made the show's fun hilarious, its thrills outrageously gruesome. The soundtrack to Frank Oz's 1987 film adaptation carries on the musical's spirit: Steve Martin's rendition of "Dentist," about a demented psychopath who drills mouths (not just teeth) without novocaine, is achingly funny.
"Downtown" is a full-powered choir of the slums; Rick Moranis works for an uptight flower shop manager
("He took me in, gave me shelter, a bed, crust of bread and a job, treats me like dirt and calls me a slob, which I am.") Martin and Moranis' sincere if limited singing is charming, and Ellen Greene returns as the original Audrey from the Broadway version; the way she belts out earth-shakingly high notes is bewildering, particularly on the lovely duet with Moranis, "Suddenly Seymour."
The Four Tops' Levi Stubbs is a scene-stealer as Audrey II, particularly on the new track, the raunchy, boisterous finale "Mean Green Mother From Outer Space"; since film nominations must be new songs, it was added in hopes of an Academy Award (and did indeed receive a nomination.) When Disney added a tribute to Howard Ashman on the Beauty and the Beast credits after his death in 1992, it read: "To Ashman who gave a Mermaid her voice and a Beast his soul." He also gave a plant its appetite.
AllMusic Review by Peter Fawthrop
Little Shop of Horrors is a 1986 American rock musical horror comedy film directed by Frank Oz. It is a film adaptation of the off-Broadway musical comedy of the same name by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman about a nerdy florist shop worker who raises a vicious, raunchy plant that feeds on human blood. Menken and Ashman's Off-Broadway musical was based on the low-budget 1960 film The Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Roger Corman.
The 1986 film stars Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Vincent Gardenia, Steve Martin, and Levi Stubbs as the voice of Audrey II. The film also featured special appearances by James Belushi, John Candy, Christopher Guest, and Bill Murray. It was produced by David Geffen through The Geffen Company and released by Warner Bros. on December 19, 1986.
CastRick Moranis as Seymour Krelborn, a nerdy florist who loves "strange and interesting" plants. He has good intentions, but is easy influenced: the plant, Audrey II, tricks him into feeding it humans.
Ellen Greene as Audrey, a kind, shy, friendly and awkward coworker who is the object of Seymour's affections, but who is dating the sadistic Orin Scrivello.
Vincent Gardenia as Mr. Mushnik, the grumpy, stingy owner of Mushnik's Flower Shop.
Steve Martin as Orin Scrivello, DDS, a sadistic, nitrous oxide-addicted dentist and Audrey's violent, abusive boyfriend.
Levi Stubbs as the voice of Audrey II, an evil and boisterous flytrap-like extraterrestrial plant with plans to take over the planet.
Tichina Arnold, Michelle Weeks, and Tisha Campbell as Crystal, Ronette, and Chiffon, the three mysterious girls who act as a Greek chorus and often provide back-up to the songs throughout the film.
James Belushi as Patrick Martin, a Licensing and Marketing executive from World Botanical Enterprises who offers Seymour a proposal to sell Audrey IIs worldwide. Belushi appears in the theatrical release after re-shoots, as actor Paul Dooley (who played Martin in the original ending) was unavailable to reprise his scenes.
John Candy as Wink Wilkinson, the WSKID DJ (the only one) who enjoys putting on a radio show about "weird stuff" called, "Wink Wilkinson's Weird World"
Christopher Guest as The First Customer, the first customer to enter the flower shop and notice Audrey II.
Bill Murray as Arthur Denton, a hyperactive masochist who visits Orin the dentist for "a long, slow root canal."
Miriam Margolyes as a Dental Nurse, Orin's cynical nurse/secretary who Orin frequently appears to enjoy hurting.
Stanley Jones as the Narrator, whose voice is heard reading the opening words.
Format : Vinyl LP
Label : Geffen Records
Year : 1986
Made in : France
