The Little Shop of Horrors (1960) Review

 

The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)

The Little Shop of Horrors follows Seymour Krelborn, a clumsy employee at a florist shop on Skid Row, who creates a new plant that could save his job and win over his co-worker Audrey. There’s one problem though, it only eats people. 

Long before the musical of the same name, there was *The* Little Shop of Horrors, a low budget, dark comedy about a string of murders and the man-eating plant and owner behind them. Naturally, being a huge fan of the musical, as well as the 1986 movie adaptation, I had to see what the original was all about, and it’s fascinating to see just how much it has evolved since the early 60s. Most interesting is, even as a film, just how much it feels like a stage play, with it’s obvious shoddy budget and simple set design, everything feels like it’s being performed right then and there, aside from a few, smaller scenes that are shot away from the shop. It’s a tone that fits the movie quite well however, as it’s hard to really see Little Shop any other way anymore. 

As for the story itself, pretty standard stuff, though I won’t lie and say it was executed well (no wonder it went mostly forgotten for damn near 30 years), as it’s dismal budget, and subsequently it’s cast, show in the end result. Though I’ll admit, finally seeing an ending I’ve only heard about (much less grand in scale as well), in where Audrey Jr.’s victims appear as sprouts and therefore lead to Seymour being pinned for the murders, where he then commits suicide by way of plant, was pretty cool, it not a little haunting. 

We get a acceptable cast as well, starring Jack Nicholson, Jack Warford, Wally Campo, Leola Wendorff, Myrtle Vail, Dick Miller, Mel Welles, Jackie Joseph, and Jonathan Hayes. I think Hayes perfectly nailed the, nerdy, daftly quirky archetype of Seymour (even if he was a bit too slapstick in his inelegance), but it was Welles who shocked the most, really standing out in the way he could switch on a dime between a loving, yet shallow father figure and a luny, broke florist shop owner. 

The Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Roger Corman, is exactly the kind of low budget horror/comedy that would go on to inspire the likes of David Cronenberg and Lynch, while also being a fun, humble beginning for one of my favorite musicals. 

5.5/10