Little Shop Of Horrors - Director’s Cut
When "Little Shop of Horrors" was first released on DVD, it included the original ending where both the main characters died and the Audrey II plant(s) took over the world. It was shown in black and white, much to the dismay of director Frank Oz. A few months later, this version was pulled from shelves due to copyright issues and replaced with a version that did not include the infamous original ending. Fans were furious and copies of the first release DVD went for hundreds of dollars on the internet.
Cut to present day and WB is finally releasing "Little Shop of Horrors: The Director’s Cut" not only on Blu-ray, but also with both the original ending and the theatrical version. The popular movie musical based on the Off-Broadway hit which was in turn based on the 60’s cult classic tells the tale of a lonely flower shop attendant named Seymour who finds an exotic plant that brings the shop he works for a lot of business. But in order for the plant to live and grow, it needs blood. And lots of it. Hence the title.
As directed by Oz, the film features an amazing puppet that sings and acts live, which is amazing in itself. It also features a cast of "SNL" regulars like Steve Martin, James Belushi, and Bill Murray all in supporting roles and cameos. Starring Rick Moranis as Seymour and the incomparable Ellen Greene as the love of his life, Audrey (who originated the role), "Little Shop" is a giddy treat with catchy tunes and enough wink-wink-nudge-nudge humor to satisfy comedy fans.
The selling point is the 20-minute alternate ending that is certainly a curiosity and impressively elaborate, however, the theatrical ending (created when test audiences hated to see the plants win) is emotionally more satisfying and works better. Still, it’s fun to see what the director and special effects crew worked up. It’s too bad the Blu-ray transfer wasn’t cleaner. As it stands, it has the granular quality a lot of older films get on transfer. But when "Jaws" can look as though it was shot yesterday, it seems like all movies could look just as good. Just sayin...
Special features are abundant with optional commentary, a behind-the-scenes documentary about the history of the show/movie, a featurette on the alternate/original ending, Outtakes and Deleted scenes with optional commentary (plays like a gag reel), and Two Theatrical Trailers.
"Little Shop of Horrors: The Director’s Cut"
Blu-ray
$34.99
www.warnerbros.com
