Little Shop of Horrors - in various formats

Little Shop of Horrors
by various [various call numbers]

Every October, I like to review at least one (if not more than one) title in the libraries’ collection with a “horror” or paranormal theme. As I looked for something to review here in October 2018, I realized that BookGuide has never featured a review of Little Shop of Horrors in any of its many different versions!

This enduring storyline first cropped up in a 1960 horror film by horror film schlockmeister Roger Corman, King of the B Pictures. It featured Jack Nicholson in one of his early minor roles. Written by Charles B. Griffith and directed by Corman, the original Little Shop of Horrors is something of a farce, and its “horror” is rather laughable. Nicholson’s presence is one of the only things to keep this little cult film in the public’s eye, though is role is very small.

In 1982, a horror/comedy/rock-musical version of Little Shop of Horrors was developed for the stage, featuring music and lyrics by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman. This stage musical plays up the black humor and introduces us to several catchy Broadway tunes, including the titular “Little Shop of Horrors”, “Downtown (Skid Row)”, “Somewhere That’s Green”, “Dentist!” and “Suddenly Seymour”. The story, about a struggling floral shop on New York’s skid row, which may or may not be saved with nebbishy clerk Seymour Krelborn purchases a bizarre alien plant — which turns out to be a fast-growing man-eater! — features numerous memorable characters, including Seymour’s wanna-be girlfriend, Audrey (he names the bloodthirsty plant Audrey 2), Mr. Mushnik (Seymour’s florist boss) and Orin Scrivello (a sadistic dentist who gets a fine comeuppance). The music is cheery, despite the serial killer plot, and most stage productions feature a tremendous Audrey 2 plant puppet.

In 1986, a feature film version of the stage musical was released, featuring Rick Moranis as Seymour, Vincent Gardenia as Mr. Mushnik, and comedian Steve Martin as the evil dentist Orin Scrivello. The only cast member to transfer from Broadway to the feature film was Ellen Greene, who really “owns” the character of waif-like Audrey. The music for this film is basically the same as the stage musical, though the storyline was expanded for the film. This is a terrific adaptation of the musical, and should appeal to fans of both musicals and horror films.

The libraries have Little Shop of Horrors available in various formats — although not the original 1960 film. If you’re looking for a little horror with a heavy dose of black comedy, give Little Shop of Horrors a try. If you’re a fan of musicals, you’ll be humming the tunes from this one for quite some time to come! And if you ever have a chance to see a staged production of the off-Broadway musical, don’t pass it up — it’s a favorite for high school theater programs and community theaters around the country! My highest recommendations among the various versions are the soundtracks of both the off-Broadway musical and the film musical!

[ Wikipedia links for the various Little Shop of Horrors versions ] | [ Little Shop of Horrors at the Internet Broadway Database ] [ the film Little Shop of Horrors at the Internet Movie Database ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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