The Original Ending To LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 11/25/07 at 12:46am

I just watched the original ending on THAT SITE where Seymour and Audrey die and the plants attack the city. Dear God, that would have been awesome.

And what a final shot.

[Rose_MacShane]

Posted: 11/25/07 at 1:31am

I really wish they would have kept the original end. Damn test audiences...

[tazber]

Posted: 11/25/07 at 1:31am

there are about 60 threads on this already Cruel. Do a search.

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 11/25/07 at 3:32am

I didn't know it was on the site that shall not be named. Thanks, Cruel!

I actually prefer the alternate ending. I think the only way the original ending works is if Seymour kills some people who don't have it coming. Otherwise I just feel ambivalent at the ending. I like it when they live. It makes me feel warm and happy.

Correct me if I'm wrong and he does kill a bunch of people who don't deserve it.

I mean the original ending is cool looking and the song is great but still... a little cheesy. Suddenly I'm supposed to take talking plants seriously? I know that's the point (it's a sudden knife jab) but still.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 11/25/07 at 3:26pm

As I remember, only two people are shown being fed to the plant: Orin the Dentist and Mr. Mushnick. Seymour's murders of both are pretty passively done: he allows Oren to asphyxiate (a la Regina Giddens) and lets Mushnick to walk into Audrey II's mouth.

I don't like the alternate ending at all. Too sentimental and fake-happy, completely ignoring the fact that Seymour is a murderer. Of course, people also like the ending of WICKED, which inflicts even worse cop-out damage.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 11/25/07 at 3:57pm

Seymour, though not directly by his own hand is still a murderer through compliance. The moral to the movie is "OK, so you helped off people, as long as you say your sorry you can get everything you wished for." Not the Faustian parable the story originally had." God forbid tweens would have to contemplate unhappy endings brought about by the selfish wishes of Seymour.
I liked the original ending better. It is through greed that the plant manages to take over the world, makes for a better moral tale.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 11/25/07 at 5:23pm

I hate the movie ending. The stage ending is loads better.

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 11/25/07 at 5:36pm

I dunno, he learns his lesson either way. I guess a cheesy morality lesson is more in keeping with the cheesy sci-fi aspect of the story though.

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 11/25/07 at 7:38pm

Funny, this was on Showtime last night.

Man, even with the cop-out ending, I love this movie.

[DMsquared2]

Posted: 11/25/07 at 7:38pm

An acquaintance of mine told me that when the DVD was first released it came with the original ending as a special feature of optional ending. Apparently there were only a few of this made that way. I haven't seen it so I can't confirm this.

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/25/07 at 8:46pm

The DVD was initially released with the alternate ending of the giant plant destroying Manhattan (aka, the "original ending" from the stage show). David Geffen was furious, as he didn't authorize the inclusion of this as a bonus feature on the disc. He demanded that Warner Bros. pull the disc from circulation immediately, which they did. I don't think it was on the market for more than a few days, or perhaps even only one day. They ultimately re-did the disc without the alt. ending, and that's the DVD that is available to buy today. You can still find copies of the first DVD that was pulled from the shelves on eBay, but it ain't cheap.

This footage on YouTube is from that first DVD.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 11/25/07 at 8:53pm

It's the black and white rough edit, is it not? Occasionally one (of the original DVD's with the extra) will show up on Ebay but they go for a very high price!

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 11/26/07 at 5:17pm

I have the dvd with the original ending. It's the same rough print that's on you tube.

[Rose_MacShane]

Posted: 11/26/07 at 7:27pm

You can also download it at Alan Menken's website.