STORY
On the 23rd day of the month of September,
in an early year of the decade not too long before our own, the human
race encountered a deadly threat to it's very existence. And this terrifying
enemy surfaced, as such enemies often do, in the seemingly most innocent
and unlikely of places.....
VIEW
MOVIE TRAILER!!(Windows Media File)
Skid Row, Mushniks flower shop (AKA 'LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS'), innocent as it seems, is the setting of this tale of money, deception, love and giant man eating plants from outerspace.
We first meet our main characters at Mushnick's flower shop, their place of work. With Mushnick complaining of "miss-fit employees, bums on the sidewalk and business is lousy".
On 'SKID ROW', the cabs don't stop and the food is slop. We hear how both Audrey and Seymour prey to "get outta here".
With business failing, Audrey persuades Seymour to show Mushnik the "strange and interesting new plant he's been working on", in hope of moving the business in "a new direction". Reluctantly, Mushnik displays the unknown plant specimen (named Audrey II) in his shop window only to be met almost instantly by a passer by admiring this new plant, and who subsequently buys $100 worth of roses.
Seymour tells of how he came to have the plant (DA-DOO)...from 'Changs' flower shop in the wholesale flower district. It appeared after the unexpected 'total eclipse of the sun', and was brought for $1.95c.
Business booms as people flock to see the new attraction.
Mushnik invites Seymour and Audrey out to celebrate the business boom, but Audrey has a date with her greasy boyfriend and Seymour is forced to say and care for the now sick Audrey II.
'GROW
FOR ME' Seymour pleads to Audrey II. But despite his conventional
efforts to make her grow, Seymour soon realises that this plant is only
after one thing...BLOOD!
Audrey returns to her flat after another date with her rotten handcuff loving boyfriend Orin Scrivello DDS. Audrey believes Orin is the type of man she deserves and dreams of 'SOMEWHERE THAT'S GREEN' where she could be with someone caring, like Seymour. Little does she know that Seymour is head over heels for her, tut typical!
Meanwhile!...Discovering Audrey II's thirst for blood, Seymour is having 'SOME FUN NOW' providing for his little monster! Day after day Seymour 'donates' some of his blood to keep the hungry plant happy. Poor Seymour has Band-Aids all over his fingers....awwwww!!!
Here he is folks..the villain of the story! Orin Scrivello DDS is one mean and sadistic 'DENTIST!' Hooked on nitrous oxide and inflicting pain, Orin is any patients worst nightmare, and not the best of boyfriends either! Poor Audrey is stuck with this creep who believes all women need to be 'trained'. Seymour cant bear to see his beloved being abused.
With Audrey II continually growing, there comes the point when finger blood is just not enough. Seymour gets the fright of his life when 'Twoey' 'opens up it's trap' and says those famous words..'FEED ME'. Twoey tries to persuade Seymour to get a 'bigger meal' offering everything Seymour wishes in return. As they watch Audrey being slapped by Orin through he shop window, Seymour decides that Orin has gone far enough and would be the perfect 'specimen'. Seymour goes off to the surgery to 'Get-It'...
At Orins' 'surgery of sadism', Seymour waits his turn for an appointment. His time comes after Orin throws out the one person he can't scare - Arthur Denton - a pain loving freak who enjoyed every minute of Orins work). Seymour takes the seat, a revolver tucked inside his jacket. Orin decides to use gas, but not for the patient. Orin puts on his scary looking gas mask to feed him laughing gas throughout the 'operation'. When Seymour confronts Orin with the gun, Orin can only laugh as the gas-tap to his mask breaks of. He consequently laughs himself to death. Seymour chops him up and gives Audrey II the feed he's been waiting for!
Next morning, Seymour sees the police talking to Audrey and he goes to talk to her. He asks her what they wanted and she tells him Orin has disappeared and the 'suspect foul play'. Seymour explains to Audrey that maybe it's not a bad thing he's gone, and Audrey soon agrees. As a tearful Audrey describes her bas history with men, Seymour plucks up the courage to tell how he feels. 'SUDDENLY SEYMOUR' is standing beside her and finally the two are united.
When Seymour returns lovestuck to the shop, he is met by an angry Mushnick! For little did Seymour know that he was seen putting the axe to Orin. Mushnick threatens to take Seymour to the police but offeres an alternative...that Seymour leaves the country and he keeps the plant. Audrey II realises it's 'SUPPERTIME' and as Seymour warns Mushnick what NOT to feed the plant....SPAP...bye bye Mushnik!!
With the seemingly amazing success of Seymour's gardening skills, Seymour becomes somewhat of a celebrity. It is said that 'THE MEEK SHALL INHERIT' and he cirtainly has. However, Seymour is now faced with a dilema. Should he keep on killing and get the money and fame and just live with the guilt - or loose the plant and, in his eyes, loose Audrey at the same time? When it all gets too much for Seymour, he promices Audrey that they will finally get outta Skid Row...he proposes and she says 'sure!' (yay!). They both hurry to get ready for the wedding.
As Seymour tries to sneak past Audrey II, he hears those word once more 'FEED ME!!' But Seymour says 'no more', and refuses the plee. With a compromise, Audrey II sends Seymour off to the butchers for some 'eats', unaware of the evil plants plans while he's away. Audrey II mamages to pull herself over to the phone and call Audrey. With the realisation that she is not the only talking Audrey, Audrey (Audrey I that is!) runs over to Mushnicks. Pretending all she wants is water, Audrey II gets Audrey I to come closer, and yes, SNAP once more. BUT just in time (Hooray!) Seymour bursts in and pulls Audrey from the plants mouth. They both clamber outside and Seymour decides enough is enough and goes to face Audrey II.
Seymour tries to intimidate Audrey II as much as he can, but all he gets in response is a giggle! Audrey II unleaches the full extent of her powers and reveals she is infact a 'MEAN GREEN MOTHER FROM OUTERSPACE' (well naturally!) and the plan all along was global domination (the aim of any good flim baddy) with the aid of her cute (but deadly) offspring. As Seymour tries his best to defeat the plant, Audrey II ends it all, grabbing a support beam of the shop and bringing it down to rubble (oh no!!).
Just as we think our hero be put to death under the pile of brick, a triumphant arm reaches up and grabs a broken power cord, trusting it onto one of Audrey II's vines. As the electricity surges into Audrey II, she mutters her last words "Oh S**t" (fill in the gaps yourself!) and Kapow!...bye bye Audrey II! Out hero Seymour is reunited with his beloved Audrey, they are married and move into that house they both had dreamed of. But BEWARE! down in the garden a little Audrey II is lurking! (well you've got to leave an opening for a sequal! Even though i'm not sure if one could ever come close to the first so maybe not eh? what to you think?! Tell me at the SURVEY.
All Pictures © 1986 The David Geffen Company.
Alternative Ending:
In the original play, there is a very different ending to the one finally used in the film. Believe it or not (!) Audrey AND Seymour get eaten by Audrey II and her aim of global terrorisation is achieved.
This ending was actually filmed for the 1986 production at a cost of $2 million, with Audrey II breaking free from Mushnick's and going on the rampage around NY City - these are some stills from that ending.
The reason the second ending (the one used) was filmed was due to the original audience test. Unlike the stage show, the audience became so emosionally attached to the main characters that to see them die at the end was just distressing (as you would imagine!!).
So shooting was extended, new scences were shot, one of which invoved the casting of James Belushi as a business man wanting to take Audrey II cuttings. Mean Green Mother From Outerspace was specially written for the film and the show finale 'DONT FEED THE PLANTS' sung by the whole company as Audrey II goes on the rampage was cut. This song is still however featured on the Motion Picture Soundtrack.
The originally made ending was a special feature on the 1998 DVD release of Little Shop, however, because Warner Bros. didn't actually own the right to the ending it was sharply recalled and has not been released since (BOOO!). However, as a small concelation for you, here is a copy of the original scripted ending (PDF) - hardly the real thing I know but, until 'them at the top' pull their fingure out, it's as close as we're gonna get for now!
All Pictures © 1986 The David Geffen Company.
Contact the WebMaster at m.a.coombes@durham.ac.uk