Frank Oz’s film adaptation of Little Shop of Horrors clocks in at 94 minutes, avoiding the sharp second-act quality drop often found in classic movie musicals. The production is described as a “miracle of dumpster diving,” adapting a 1960 low-budget horror comedy by Roger Corman that was not copyrighted by the original creator.
The story follows Seymour, an orphaned adult working at a run-down flower shop on Skid Row alongside Audrey and the miserly owner, Mushnik. Their fortunes change when Seymour nurtures a mysterious plant named Audrey II, which becomes a national sensation but requires human blood to survive. The carnivorous plant, voiced in the film by Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops, only communicates its needs to Seymour, forcing him to weigh the value of success and love against the resulting carnage.
Frank Oz Directs 80s Comedians in a Capitalist Critique
Directed by Frank Oz—the first person to perform both Miss Piggy and Yoda—the film utilizes a detailed cityscape and a “lovingly obvious soundstage feel.” The movie features a cast of 80s comedians, including Christopher Guest, Bill Murray, and Steve Martin, alongside Ellen Greene, whose performance is described as “massive, intimate and memorable.”
The film functions as an intelligent critique of capitalism. This is highlighted in the song “Skid Row (Downtown),” which uses framing and choreography to place individual desires against communal conflict and class struggle, with some imagery resembling classic Soviet propaganda. The score, a blend of rock’n’roll, doo-wop, and Motown, was composed by Alan Menken with lyrics by Howard Ashman.
Keep reading