"Little shop, little shop of horrors! Little shop, little shop of terrors!" If you're not tapping your toe and singing along by now, you must not have ever seen this delightful musical. In Frank Oz's film adaptation starring Rick Moranis and Ellen Greene, there's a slight change to the Broadway story, but even if you miss the dark twist from the stage, you'll still love this movie. How can you help it; it's so cute!
If you're not familiar with the story or the musical, it's not your typical Broadway show. This is a far cry from Oklahoma! so be prepared for something a little offbeat when you rent it. Rick Moranis stars as a lowly worker in a flower shop in love with his coworker, Ellen. He thinks that because she's so beautiful, she'd never want anything to do with him, but they have more in common than he thinks. Besides a love of flowers and a shy demeanor, they both grew up in the wrong part of town and get treated badly by those around them. Rick gets verbally abused by his boss, Vincent Gardenia, and Ellen's boyfriend is physically abusive. They both have low self-esteem, and they sing out their woes in the touching ensemble song, "Downtown."
Rick comes across a little Venus flytrap plant and takes it back to the shop. He learns the hard way, through the song "Grow for Me," that the plant refuses water only to drink blood, and it quickly grows and gets out of hand. The rest of the story takes a dark turn, but there's enough comic relief to classify it as a black comedy. Tichina Arnold, Michelle Weeks, and Tisha Campbell are the "Greek chorus" who sing directly to the camera and transition the scenes with songs. Steve Martin is Ellen's boyfriend, a sadistic dentist who likes causing people pain. He's totally hilarious, and playing the role as tongue-in-cheek lightens the story. It's just not possible to get through "The Dentist Song" without cracking up.
The heart of the story depends on your point of view: if you're a guy, you'll probably focus on the lengths a man will go to for the love of his life; if you're a girl, you'll probably think it's a sweet romance. I'm in the latter camp, and every time I watch it, I somehow forget about all the oddities of the plot and just fall for Rick Moranis. What girl in the audience wouldn't want to be serenaded with "Suddenly Seymour"? To my fellow girly girls out there, you'll absolutely love Elaine's costumes. She gets to wear the most darling dresses and shoes! I always wanted to play Audrey onstage, if only to get to put on gorgeous costumes. I love this movie, and watching it always cheers me up. Give it a try when you're feeling down in the dumps and wonder if you'll ever get out of your rut.
If you're not familiar with the story or the musical, it's not your typical Broadway show. This is a far cry from Oklahoma! so be prepared for something a little offbeat when you rent it. Rick Moranis stars as a lowly worker in a flower shop in love with his coworker, Ellen. He thinks that because she's so beautiful, she'd never want anything to do with him, but they have more in common than he thinks. Besides a love of flowers and a shy demeanor, they both grew up in the wrong part of town and get treated badly by those around them. Rick gets verbally abused by his boss, Vincent Gardenia, and Ellen's boyfriend is physically abusive. They both have low self-esteem, and they sing out their woes in the touching ensemble song, "Downtown."
Rick comes across a little Venus flytrap plant and takes it back to the shop. He learns the hard way, through the song "Grow for Me," that the plant refuses water only to drink blood, and it quickly grows and gets out of hand. The rest of the story takes a dark turn, but there's enough comic relief to classify it as a black comedy. Tichina Arnold, Michelle Weeks, and Tisha Campbell are the "Greek chorus" who sing directly to the camera and transition the scenes with songs. Steve Martin is Ellen's boyfriend, a sadistic dentist who likes causing people pain. He's totally hilarious, and playing the role as tongue-in-cheek lightens the story. It's just not possible to get through "The Dentist Song" without cracking up.
The heart of the story depends on your point of view: if you're a guy, you'll probably focus on the lengths a man will go to for the love of his life; if you're a girl, you'll probably think it's a sweet romance. I'm in the latter camp, and every time I watch it, I somehow forget about all the oddities of the plot and just fall for Rick Moranis. What girl in the audience wouldn't want to be serenaded with "Suddenly Seymour"? To my fellow girly girls out there, you'll absolutely love Elaine's costumes. She gets to wear the most darling dresses and shoes! I always wanted to play Audrey onstage, if only to get to put on gorgeous costumes. I love this movie, and watching it always cheers me up. Give it a try when you're feeling down in the dumps and wonder if you'll ever get out of your rut.