LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

US, 1986, 94 minutes, Colour.
Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Vincent Gardenia, Steve Martin, Bill Murray, James Belushi, John Candy, Christopher Guest.
Directed by Frank Oz.

Little Shop of Horrors. This is probably a cult film. It is quite enjoyable - whether it is a good film or not. The musical score is not particularly startling, but the often corny lyrics work well enough to make this musical version of Roger Corman's small, B-horror classic of 1960 good fun. A particular feature is the sashaying chorus of black singers who move in and out of the action and make comment.

Ric Moranis reminds audiences of Jerry Lewis - but he is much more endearing. He fosters Audrey 11, an ever-increasing plant that is a cover for an alien being. Human blood is on the menu. The flower shop thrives with customers and on reputation with Audrey being a celebrity plant - but Audrey gets too big for its pot and there are dire consequences. Ellen Green does a caricature of a dumb blonde - but has her moments of pathos. Vincent Gardenia enjoys hamming as the owner of the shop.

However, there are some amusing guest spots, especially from Steve Martin as an Elvis, Wild One sadistic dentist and Bill Murray as his masochistic patient. The direction is by Frank Oz - famous as a Muppets man - and the plants do remind one of the Muppets Show.

If audiences can suspend disbelief, this is an offbeat enjoyable show.

1. An imaginative entertainment? The background of Roger Corman's small budget quickie classic? The adaptation of the film as a Broadway musical? The transition to film - retaining much of the stage style?

2. Frank Oz and his skills, with the Muppets, puppeteering, voices and human touches to the puppets? The musical items in the Muppets Show and their influencing the style of the film? The strength of the cast? The cast playing to puppets?

3. The quality of the film as a musical, the 1960s setting and style, stylised, the exaggerated acting, the chorus, the songs - and the stopping of the action for the songs? Audiences willing to suspend disbelief?

4. The range of the songs and their insertion into the film: 'Little Shop of Horrors', 'Skid Row' and the picturing of this stylised street, the song for feeding Audrey, Audrey and her song about the idyllic dream, the dentist's song, the 'Feed Me' song by Audrey, the Mean Mean' song, the romantic song 'Suddenly Seymour'? Music, spoofing lyrics? The mood of the songs?

5. The background of B-grade science fiction, aliens from another galaxy, bodysnatchers? Seymour's song and the flashback about the alien coming to Earth and going into the plant?

6. The drab shop, nothing happening, the jokes about the characters, the plant, livening things up, the ingenuous visitor who discovers the plant and the deadpan humour about the discussion, people rushing, the shop in profit, advertisements, radio interviews, television programmes?

7. The chorus and their songs, presence, moods, change of dress, manner, commentary on the action?

8. Seymour as the hero, in himself, an orphan from Skid Row, his working for Mr. Mishnik, his lack of orderliness, 'the little man looked down on' character, his love for Audrey from afar, living in the cellar? The lack of sales? The drab shop? The plant, his tending it, his memories of discovering it? Success with sales? Cutting his finger and Audrey liking the drops of blood? The plant changing, his going to the radio interview? His dislike for Orin? Audrey and the demands for being fed? His confrontation of Orin with the gun, the irony of Orin's death, taking him home - and the humour of lumbering home, axing him into pieces, feeding Audrey? His facing of the problems? Mr. Mishnik's discovery of the truth? His love for Audrey, the plan for marrying her, changing his clothes and personality, the television? The confrontation of the Audreys and his rescuing his girlfriend? The confrontation of the plant and its offspring? His surviving the explosion? The awkwardness of the character, endearing style - and his All- American presence in Audrey's fantasy song about home and family?

9. Audrey as the dumb blonde, at work, Orin and her black eye, broken arm etc? Going home and going on a date? The satire in her dream about the ideal American home? Orin as her boyfriend? His sadism, bossing her round in a chauvinistic way, on the motor bike? His death? Her love for Seymour? The romantic song? Sweet to him? The wedding, her being swallowed by Audrey II, the rescue? The happy ending? The caricature of the dumb blonde? Pathos in her singing and character?

10. Mr Mishnik, hard attitudes, the shop, his attitudes towards Seymour, taking him out to tea - and then not, his greed, knowing the truth about Orin, Audrey II devouring him?

11. Steve Martin's comic clowning as Orin, appearance, Elvis Presley style, The Wild One and the motor bike, the lyrics of his song, sadism, the humour of dwelling on a dentist enjoying inflicting pain, his rudeness to Audrey, on the bike,- his smugness, teeth, attitudes towards his nurse, mauling his patients, the drill etc? Bill Murray as his guest and the root canal work, the confrontation with Seymour and the slides about his mouth, confrontation with the gun, the gas, his death - and being fed to Audrey II?

12. The radio interview and John Candy's comic style as the announcer and his coping with no effects in the studio? The television shows with Seymour? Jim Belushi's guest part at the end trying to get business deals?

13. The satire on suburbia, the satire on advertising, the ideal American home, 1960s style?

14. The character of Audrey, the small plant, growing, the voice and its intonations, character, speaking, singing, psychotic, monstrous, wanting world control, the plant's offspring and their songs, Audrey II's death by explosion - and the final Kermit-like smile of the surviving plant?

15. Humour, satire, the use of B-budget movie conventions to make something different?