Little Shop of Horrors 1986
I had seen this movie before, but wound up getting a free copy of the director's cut of the movie which includes the original unhappy ending. The 1982 musical that this movie is based on had songs by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, who would go on to write songs for Disney's animated movie rennaissance. The songs are good and catchy, but mostly just recreating a 50's sound like other movies have done (Grease and Rocky Horror). Watching again, I was impressed with how well the plant moved though of course it still looks pretty fake. Some of the 80's directors overreached on similar effects, but it makes sense that Frank Oz would do a better job. The movie itself is entertaining and I was able to actually sit and watch all the way through which is a rarity for me these days. Because it's a musical, I think it works for the performances to be a little more over the top, which they really are. The writing maybe isn't great and the characters are kind of simple. But the production design is good, and the songs and story are good too, so it works. It isn't a favorite, just a good movie that is worth watching.
I was surprised how different the original ending was, which I will put in a spoiler.
Written: 07 Oct 2025
Owned on: Digital