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EXTREMELY BIZARRE, BUT SOMEHOW FUNNY

Roger Corman's "The Little Shop of Horrors" was made on a budget of $30,000 and looks it. But that's a good thing with a movie like this. Like its' predecessor "A Bucket of Blood", it is supremely silly. But "Little Shop" is somehow funnier, probably due to its' extremely bizarre premise.No need to go into the story because you probably know it already, most likely from the 1986 big-budget musical remake with Steve Martin and Rick Moranis. While that film has good music and hilarious comedy (especially Bill Murray as the dental patient)and is an overall better film than this original, how can you not enjoy this?There are very funny performances here. Dick Miller (from "A Bucket of Blood")plays Fouch, a man who can't stop eating flowers. This is itself not very funny, but Miller plays it very straight and slyly and the result is a wonderful comic performance, different from his "Bucket" one. Jack Nicholson has Murray's role here. Although he's only on screen for about 4 minutes, it's a scene stealer and a sign of good things to come. Mel Welles is Mushnik, the Little Shop owner who hates the plant and what it does, but loves money so much, he turns the other cheek. It's mainly a collection of stereotypes, but Welles does such a good job that one can forgive it. He deserved an Oscar nod.The film's budget was so low that Corman lifted the entire music score from "A Bucket of Blood". However, the score fits this film much better than the previous film. In fact, aside from a few details, this film is a variation of "Bucket". But "Bucket" had a few flaws that prevented it from eventually reaching greatness. "Little Shop" is not without flaws, but it's much more entertaining. It has a goofy charm that big budget films can't give us.***1/2 out of 4 stars

The Unexpected Cult Classic -- With Jack Nicholson!

Basic Plot: When the employee of a small street-corner flower shop brings in a strange-looking plant that grows and grows, the seemingly hopeless business skyrockets with more and more curious customers. Unfortunately, the secret to this monster of a plant is that it feeds on human blood!

The film itself was surprising. I expected it right from the start to be a dud, but it quickly blossomed (excuse the pun) into a pretty funny horror-comedy. It's a fairly cheap 1960 black-n-white movie, so don't expect anything of a masterpiece. But for the price it's so commonly found at, it's certainly entertaining and worth the purchase.


Now, as many DVDs will boast, Jack Nicholson did indeed take part in The Little Shop Of Horrors, but it's not one of his first big roles. He'd only done a few, pretty much unknown films before this, and his character did not get a lot of screen time. Just under four minutes, more precisely. He plays the part of a quirky, nasally-voiced dental patient named Wilbur Force who finds pleasure in pain (hence his excitement to be at the dentist -- insisting that the doc uses no novocaine because it "dulls the senses"). While the small time he has on the screen is amusing, it is definitely too short! Nicholson fans will love to see him at just 23 years old, yet will be left longing for more.

Regardless of the brief nature of Jack's inclusion (again, it's still a great scene), I think The Little Shop Of Horrors is overall a decently funny movie that's worth the buy. Unfortunately, as far as extras go for this particular edition, there's nothing to look forward to. Unless you want to take an extremely easy quiz on the movie (it's three questions long for pete's sake!) or read a small bio on Nicholson (which is obviously invalid in its info, listing his "1992" movie as "Batman2" -- '92? Come on, everybody knows it's '89, and with that 2 or Z or whatever on the end somebody should really check these things for typos before sending them into mass production) then it's pretty much pointless to think of this DVD as the "Collector's Edition" it advertises itself as. And even though the sound comes through alright, the picture quality is a bit weak. So, for those thinking about getting the "Platinum Disc" DVD (the one with the cover having half of Jack's smirking face on it with a bluish background), I'd just warn you that there are probably much better deals for around the same price.

GoodTimes' Little Shop DVD is the one to beat

Unfortunately, Little Shop of Horrors and every other Roger Corman Filmgroup production lapsed into public domain years ago and have generally been available on VHS and DVD only in poor-quality editions ranging from merely bad to atrocious. (The only Filmgroup features to get a decent official or semi-official release so far are Bucket of Blood, Beast from Haunted Cave, and Night Tide.) After researching every DVD version of Little Shop of Horrors available (there are at least eight!) I played a hunch and went with GoodTimes to replace my VHS copy, and I'm very pleasantly surprised at the overall excellent quality of the source print. When I saw the "preserved using the best available elements" line at the beginning of this disc I thought 'yeah, right,' but I have to admit that this is the brightest, cleanest, sharpest (if not exactly razor-sharp) print of this film I've ever seen. The black level, contrast, gray values, and shadow/highlight detail are fine, and physical damage is limited only to some very light speckling and blemishing (!!). On the downside, the transfer itself seems to be somehow deficient (low bit rate?), causing areas of flat white or smoothly gradated grays in the image to exhibit some very faint but noticeable pixelation or banding, especially during the opening credit sequence (areas of flat color seem to be DVD's Achilles Heel). The casual viewer probably won't notice this phenomenon unless it's pointed out, but it's there. That said, the superior quality of the source print more than makes up for this one barely noticeable flaw; this is still most likely the best edition yet available of this classic 'sick humor' gem and well worth the bargain price. It definitely blows away every TV print and cheapjack PD video version I've ever eyeballed. Grab this before it goes out of print.
The movie itself still entertains tremendously today, a funny, goofy (dare I say charming?) horror-comedy that basically plays like a stage farce (most of the action takes place on one or two sets). The story is essentially a remake of Bucket of Blood with a change in locale and a few fresh twists. This time Jonathan Haze portrays everyschlep Seymour Krelboine, who lives with his alcoholic hypochondriac mother (she listens to KSIK radio) and works at Mushnick's skid row flower shop. Seymour (temporarily) finds fame, fortune, and romance by nurturing (and eventually murdering for) an exotic talking cannibalistic plant. Mel Welles, in his finest hour (literally), steals nearly every scene with his droll portrayal of perpetually exasperated Gravis Mushnick, and Jackie Joseph (Andy Griffith Show, Who's Minding the Mint) seems born to play pretty, ditzy Audrey. Corman regulars adding to the fun include Dick Miller (Walter Paisley in Bucket of Blood) as Fouch, a flower-eating client, John Shaner as a sadistic dentist, and 14th-billed Jack Nicholson (featured prominently on most tape and disc box art) as his masochistic patient. Shot on a shoestring in just three days (at least all the interiors), Little Shop holds up better than many big-budget comedies of the day (anyone watched Story of Mankind lately?). Much credit must be given to Charles B. Griffith, unsung hero/architect of the AIP/Allied Artists/Corman style. His list of credits reads like Corman's greatest hits: It Conquered the World, Attack of the Crab Monsters, The Undead, Not of This Earth, Teenage Doll, Bucket of Blood, Beast from Haunted Cave, Wild Angels, Death Race 2000, etc. Griffith's clever, witty screenplay is a model of late-50s sick humor, working in a dead-on Dragnet parody, some wonderful malapropisms and bits of wordplay, lotsa Yiddish humor, and a handful of his patented icky-creepy moments. (Griffith also voiced the plant, Audrey Jr., played a few walk-ons, and directed some second unit scenes, all uncredited.) Fred Katz's memorable score is alternately goofy and spy-jazzy, and, unlike some of Roger Corman's other attempts at comedy (e.g. Creature from the Haunted Sea), I find his touch just right here, ably supporting Griffith's verbal bits with complementary editing patterns (check Sgt. Joe Fink and Det. Frank Stoolie's hilarious introductory scene). Lighter in tone and a bit broader and more farcical than Bucket of Blood (which I personally prefer), Little Shop, judged on its own terms, is still fresh and engaging, though the low budget is obvious at times. I'm not sure how fans of the Broadway show or movie musical will react to the original (I admit to being a purist myself), but if they share a taste for low budget horror or 50s-style sick humor they'll probably find it an offbeat treat.

The Little Shop of Horrors: 5/10

In the non-musical original, klutz Seymour Krelboyne is played with a right bumblingness by Jonathan Haze. He works at Mushnick's Flowers along with Audrey (Jackie Joseph, who I don't think is as good as Ellen Greene) and Mr. Mushnick himself (Mel Welles). Seymour finds a new plant and tries to feed it, but it's sick. Nevertheless, it's like nothing anyone has ever seen. After pricking his finger by accident, Seymour finds out that Audrey Jr. (the plant) likes blood. Soon he gets in over his head.It's a fine movie, a couple laughs here and there, but I liked the comedy-musical-horror version of the new one more. It did start off immediately and went quickly (of course, it's 70 minutes long).Look for Jack Nicholson as a masochistic dental patient. As I look at what I've written, it's not much, but there isn't really much else to say except that it has cheesy special effects but is still enjoyable.My rating: 5/10Not Rated

Excellent version!! Awesome transfer of unique movie!!

I own this Eureka region 2 version of the 1960 movie "The Little Shop of Horrors" and the video is very good quality!! I was so impressed with this version that I stopped looking for the definitive version.(I considered this good enough, and I'm pretty picky!!) The only reason I'm giving it 4 instead of 5 stars is because there are no extras. I just wanted to let people know. I don't write movie reviews on this site, but the movie is a very unique and funny early 60's classic and my previous attempts at finding a good version failed. If you're interested in my review of the movie look at IMDB under dwpollar.

LoTs of FuN

Didn't know what to expect from this one. I was pleasantly surprised. I remember fondly how much I laughed when I first saw this. The dialogue is wonderfully messed-up, and the situations are totally oddball. Favorite scene is when the two cops talk to each other about their kids. I don't want to give it away; buy this video already and see for yourself!

Classic

Little Shop of Horrors, The (1960) *** (out of 4) A dorky flower lover (Jonathan Haze) gets the perfect Venus Flytrap but the only catch is that it needs human meat to survive. This is the rather legendary Corman picture that took 2-days to shoot and it certainly looks it but that's certainly not something negative. It's rather amazing at how well the film turned out considering the budget and shooting time so it makes you wonder why talented directors can't do better with a twelve-month shoot and a hundred million dollars. Haze is terrific in his role and really captures the dorkiness of his character. His weak nature really comes through perfectly and makes for a very funny character. Mel Welles and Dick Miller, two Corman regulars, are also very funny in their roles. It's the pre-fame Jack Nicholson that makes the biggest slash however with his pain loving character. I'm not sure if you watched this in 1960 if you would be able to tell what Nicholson would turn into but there's no doubt he had an excellent comic timing then. Charles B. Griffith also deserves special attention for the voice of the plant and what an excellent voice it is with the constant 'feed me' screams.

Horror comedy with low budget converted in a cult movie

The picture concerns upon a geeky employee(Jonathan Haze)working in a florist shop called Mushnick(Mel Welles) who brings a carnivorous and ferocious plant developing a bloodthirsty hunger and is forced to murder for man eating.Horror comedy blending black humor,parody,tongue in check and horror .The comedy is absurd and cheesy but gets its moments here and there.Incredible cheap but effective visual effects.This is a well known terror-comedy ,it's a quickie but was shot in two days and is deemed one of Corman's best and funniest movies ever made although with lack budget. The principal actors and technicians will repeat along with Corman in various films,in fact,the picture belongs to horror-black comedy sub-genre as¨A bucket of blood¨ and ¨Creature from the haunted sea¨,both written by Charles B. Griffith(who is the voice of ¨Audrie the plant¨ and besides plays the thief). In the film are the Corman's ordinaries actors ,as Mel Welles,Dick Miller,Haze and a young newcomer Jack Nicholson in a comic interpretation as a sadomasochistic who receives a especial dental intervention. The picture is remade(1986) in an amused musical comedy by Frank Oz and with Steve Martin and Rick Moranis . The flick will like to classic and cult movies fans.

awesome

The original Little Shop of Horrors is one of the funniest films ever made.
I cant believe they filmed this in one weekend. The whole cast is perfect, from Jonathan Haze in the main role as Seymour to Jack Nicholson in a small role as masochistic dental patient. Roger Cormans (and Joe Dantes) regular actor Dick Miller also has good part as the flower eating Burston Fouch.
Also worth mentioning are the two policeman, who are hilarious in the few scenes they appear.
I think this is a must film for anyone to see, dont let the reputation as the film that was made in weekend fool you, this is pure stuff, one of the greatest horror-comedies ever made. And the plant is hilarious too.

A $50 Corman classic!!

'The Little Shop Of Horrors' is one of the movies that Roger Corman's reputation as the "king of the quickies" is founded on. Filmed in two days on a budget less than Spielberg's dinner money, this is one of the all-time b-grade camp classics. While the humour is extremely dated the concept is very black and contemporary. Charles B. Griffith probably deserves as much credit for this movie as Corman. Writing this, 'A Bucket Of Blood', 'The Wild Angels' and 'Death Race 2000' has ensured him movie immortality! Corman semi-regular Jonathan Haze may not be as fondly remembered as Dick Miller, but he is well cast as the klutzy Seymour Krelboyne, "father" of the blood thirsty exotic plant Audrey, and Mel Welles hams it up as his tyrannical boss Mushnick. But the show is stolen by Miller as a flower eating hipster, and an astonishingly fresh faced Jack Nicholson as a masochistic dental patient (a classic bit!), as much as Audrey herself. Forget the crappy 80s musical version, stick with this, the real deal. It is pretty creaky in places but still a lot of fun!

A cheap--yet classic cult film!!

There is nothing better than watching an original movie that was later re-made and comparing the two. Almost 9 out of 10 times the original is better, but NOT in this case...This was a great storyline, needed some brushing up but over all a cult classic. Despite the super-cheap filming and corny acting, it was complete (The chase scenes in the last part of the movie were TOTALLY uncalled for and looked as though kids made it.) After this B-movie was gone, the ever-so-lovely off-broadway version of this movie. All I can say is simply this: OUTSTANDING. Then the wonderful 1986 movie staring Rick Moranis...EXELLENT. So now every version is enjoyable and I just could watch it day in and day out. Buy every version today!

Great Classic

This film stands the test of time. It is just a good story. I laughed, got some chills, and just plain appreciated the acting of a young Jack Nicholson.


Does a plant actually consume people?

Will Nicholson's character feed it to keep his own job?

Quirky.

The Little Shop of Horrors

Offbeat horror cult classic about a Skid Row flower shop employee who creates a kooky plant that feeds on human bodies. One of director Corman's greatest films that features ascreen appearance from a young New Jersey actor named...Nicholson, who appears as a dental patient who thrives on pain.

very funny and well made

very funny flick is well made but not to be taken seriously because this flick is very entertaining although a weak ending it is still a very fun flick so if you find this i found it in the bargain bin for for under $5.00 so it was well worth buying i recommend this movie to you and Jack Nicholson has a hilarious cameo as a dentist patient and that plant rules FEED ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ***1/2 out of 5

Plant food!

I remember seeing this on a weekly television show called Chiller, when I was in high school. It was one of those local celebrity things, with an emcee presiding over whatever horror movies were in the library of that particular station. I realized quickly, what an offbeat flick this was. It was utterly hilarious with its moments of masochism, the man eating plant, Audrey one and two, and all the other things that Seymour must deal with just to keep going. The plant controls him and it is a hilarious plant. The black and white neutral staging of the plant is so much better than the flashiness of the musical (though I do like some of those songs). The smallness of this film is what helps make it work. Everyone is a caricature. Jack Nicholson's proudest moment. No wonder he is such a wack, spending all that time in his formative years with Roger Corman. The acting works because it is a period piece. No matter how much we try to reproduce the fifties, it always falls short of just seeing the fifties. It's like Dragnet without the strange suits and the slang of the time. It's just more honest because they weren't trying to reproduce it. I haven't watched this in some time, so I think I'll leave my computer and sit down and watch it again.

Great movie great disk

Wonderful dark comedy from Roger Corman. Hapless young man discovers a man-eating plant. Just as good as Corman's other horror comedy, A Bucket of Blood. This dvd release is quite nice and well worth the price.

Perhaps the Greatest Horror-Comedy of All Time

This is another film that's been sitting on my shelf for a while, I found it at a thrift store and was so excited that I had actually found a decent DVD, but alas, it took me months to finally watch it. I finally decided to sit down and watch it last night. An absolutely hilarious movie with some genuinely creepy moments is what we have here. The story is very quirky and fun, and the monster is amazing. There's also a hilarious cameo from Jack Nicholson. Great acting all over and some laugh out loud jokes make this a masterpiece in my book. If you're like me and you have this movie but haven't gotten around to watching it, stop stalling! It's awesome!

A Bad Review

This movie needs better acting and special effects. It also needs color to make it more interesting. It wouldn't hurt for a better score or if it was longer to add detail. At the beginning, the narrator needs to put some expression into what he is saying and the actors need to do that over all. I actually think the best actor from this movie was the plant and the guy who ate flowers.

Roger Corman's florist-shop bloodfest classic

Roger Corman's original LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS is a classic cult B-movie that is full of classic one-liners and immortal performances.

Jonathan Haze is fantastic as the nervous Seymour, who grows the Venus Fly-Trap plant (whom he calls "Audrey Junior") and ends up supporting it's flesh-eating habit. Jackie Joseph plays Seymour's long-suffering girlfriend Audrey, while Mel Welles plays Seymour's eternally-flabergasted employer Gravis Muschnick.

But it is Myrtle Vail, as Seymour's mother, that gives perhaps the most hilarious performance. She is superb. Newcomer Jack Nicholson (yes, THAT Jack Nicholson) is fantastic in one of his early roles as a pain-addicted dentist fanatic.

Later musicalized as a long-running Broadway musical (starring Ellen Greene as Audrey) which was later made into a successful film.

"It's monstrotitous." As cheap as they come.

The Little Shop of Horrors is set in a skid-row flower shop owned by Gravis Mushnik (Mel Welles). Mushnik has had enough of his clumsy assistant Seymour Krelboyne (Jonathan Haze) & fires him, Seymour begs for his job & with the help of one of his friends Audrey Fulquard (Jackie Joseph) & a bizarre flower eating customer named Burson Fouch (Dick Miller) Mushnik decides to give Seymour a week to prove himself. Seymour brings the plant that he has cross bred into the shop as a sort of attraction & has named it Audrey Jr. after his friend, the unusual plant feeds on human blood but is a good crowd puller so Seymour obliges with his own. However the plant begins to talk & demands more blood, much more. While out walking Seymour 'accidently' causes the death of a railroad worker & with a little persuasion lets Audrey Jr. eat the parts. Seymour becomes stuck with a dilemma, Audrey Jr. is terrific for business & pulls in the crowds & Seymour is suddenly very popular but at the same time it likes to eat people which isn't good as Seymour has to find it's victims. Things get worse when Detective Sergeant Joe Fink (Wally Campo) & his partner Detective Frank Stoolie (Jack Warford) start to figure out that something is going on & begin to trace the recent missing persons back to the shop...Produced & directed by Roger Corman The Little Shop of Horrors was apparently filmed in just two days on a budget of $27,000 & to be brutally honest it shows, the main set wasn't even made for this film & Corman simply redecorated it. Now I've nothing against low budget horror but The Little Shop of Horrors doesn't really have that much going for it. The script by Charles B. Griffith who also has a few cameos including the voice of Audrey Jr. & the burglar who gets eaten piles on the comedy more than the horror. For the most part I didn't find much to laugh at although some parts are mildly amusing particularly the deadpan cops, Mushnik who talks in broken English all the time & the strange flower eating customer. I felt the film went from funny to just plain silly which didn't work for me. The horror elements are confined to the fake looking plant & a couple of severed limbs. At least the film is short at only 70 odd minutes so it doesn't outstay it's welcome. The acting is OK for this sort of thing & Jack Nicholson turns up but I didn't recognise him. The special effects on Audrey Jr. aren't up to much & as a whole The Little Shop of Horrors is technically an unremarkable film throughout with nothing to distinguish it. Worth a watch I suppose especially considering that The Little Shop of Horrors is now a public domain film & you can probably find it on the internet for free & I'm sure it's on DVD everywhere for next to no money. Not the classic I was hoping for though.