Little Shop of Horrors musical movie remake — Page 2

Wasn't there also a production somewhere in California a year or two ago that was supposed to be more "gritty and real"? The Ashman estate objected to it.

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"Gritty and real" is a bad idea, however making it more dark is not. Oz's film was incredibly dark before all the cuts.

I still maintain that they were supposed to be mentally retarded in the revival. It's the only way Butler's or Foster's performances made any sense.

Updated On: 5/3/12 at 08:41 PM

You won't get any arguments about that from me.

Hey, maybe Chad Kimball can star in this movie!

Christina Hendricks for Audrey!

Oh Jeebus. Here we go again...

I could picture it now, this supposedly forthcoming remake's director:

"The remake will appeal to audiences of this day and age!! It will be re-invented, will be far more deep, and we'll cut all the theatrical aesthetic that infused that 80's movie musi-cal! This film will be a deep plunge into character study and we will know Audrey's motivations because I will do it so that you will see a side to her character you never saw before!!!!!!"

Shoot me now.

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Shoot, let's have Burton do it! Johnny Depp: Seymore, Helen Banham Carter: Audrey, I can see it now. Seymore in Kabuki make up!

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Updated On: 5/3/12 at 11:08 PM

I for one love Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa so I'm kinda looking forward to this, although they better use the original ending.

As far as the original stage show ending, it was filmed at great expense, and the song "Don't Feed the Plants" was on the released soundtrack.

The movie was tested with several advance audience screenings, and everyone HATED the ending. It was virtually unanimous feedback. They thought it ruined the movie, which is why the studio and Geffen went back (at great expense) and shot a new ending. One of the urchin girls wasn't available for the retakes, so they had to use a double (the camera pans down before you can see her face in the final shot).

For the forthcoming Blu-ray release, it's rumored that David Geffen is finally allowing the first ending to be seen. It was originally included on the DVD against his wishes, and when he found out (which was immediately after it went on sale), he had all of the discs pulled from the shelves, which he had legal right to do. For years, anyone who was lucky enough to get a copy paid top dollar for it. The DVD was quickly redone, minus the "bonus feature" of the alternate ending, and that's the version you can still buy today.

What I remember most about the film was that it was the first major movie musical in over a decade that didn't completely suck. It was actually very good ... and "brilliant" by comparison at the time. The Wiz, Annie, and A Chorus Line all were colossal disappointments both critically and at the box office. Many (rightfully) proclaimed the movie musical dead at last.

Then this movie came out, and while it wasn't a monster hit (pun intended), it was a breath of fresh air. It did very reputable business and scored generally positive reviews ... again, something that hadn't been done in over ten years for a movie musical.

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Updated On: 5/4/12 at 01:58 AM

It's a little more than a rumour since Frank Oz said it during his big tribute last year (that the ending would be released) isn't it? Apparently it will be a better, colour print too...

But that's a good point, the test audiences about the ending did absolutely hate it. I think sometimes when people complain about the released ending they don't really realize that it wasn't a quick decision by the studios--they essentially wasted a ton of money.

And while I still prefer that original ending I think it is fair too to consider that it plays differently on film--where essentially the piece suddenly becomes a huge, elaborate monster movie and you lose track of the characters, than on stage where the overall effect plays really quite differently. *ducks* I actually don't hate the released ending, I think it works, more or less, although as I said I would prefer the original one. I mean on stage you have Seymour killed, the girls come out, then you have the stars as buds on the plans singing, and then quickly the plant takes over the theatre and you have curtain call. On film you have 6 minutes with the characters all gone of well staged clips of the many plants taking over everything and then eating the screen but it plays differently (I did like the original plan to then have the ending credits over the girls singing Crystal Ronette and Chiffon which is a pretty great 60s pastiche as well).

And whiule Little Shop's decent success didn't bring back movie musicals--I think because many felt audiences accepted it because it was self aware about the singing and campy...

And I agree with everything Kad said...

(Actually for a while the film terrified me--I saw it at a birthday party when I was 6 and it was new and I think I had to leave at some point--though I remember being more scared by the dentists torture devices than the plant actually).

The film LITTLE SHOP is the only film where I left the theatre, went to the box office, bought another ticket and went back for a second viewing.

As a film it actually gives you MORE of what was great on stage. A rare feat.

I honestly feel it is up there with the greatest film musicals; forever visually surprising with all the disparate tones masterfully working together to create something unique.

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Updated On: 5/4/12 at 02:32 AM

And as for people saying, "Well Frank Oz is why it wasn't better."

At the time, Frank Oz was heralded as making a successful movie musical, and it's why he got to direct Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (the film).

His work in Little Shop came as quite a surprise to Hollywood and film critics that this Muppet director and puppeteer could do what John Huston, Sidney Lumet, and Sir Richard Attenborough could not.

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Updated On: 5/4/12 at 03:02 AM

I also really enjoyed the film and I liked the changed ending, only in the context of the movie. The happier ending wouldn't have worked in the stage show, but for the film it works. I've seen the clips of the original ending, and I thought it changed the tone to the point where it doesn't feel like the same movie.

As for a remake, I don't see why it's necessary but I will give it a chance if it does get made.