![[box cover]](../../reviewimgs/l/littleshopofhorrors.jpg)
Little Shop of Horrors
omeone, somewhere, loves us. That's the only explanation this writer can come up with for Warner Brothers' glorious DVD reissue of Frank Oz's celebrated musical comedy Little Shop of Horrors. While the screenplay itself isn't likely to win the Pulitzer Prize, the story of Seymour (Rick Moranis, fresh from the success of Ghostbusters), a humble florist who dreams of leaving Skid Row and finding the girl of his dreams, is handled with immense care by Oz. Seymour tries valiantly to win the heart of his beloved co-worker, Audrey (Ellen Greene), while simultaneously nurturing an unusual plant, a botanical oddity he christens Audrey II. Like the real Audrey, the Audrey II is a head-scratcher — a personable, man-eating plant who sings and talks! Seymour recognizes that the botanical wonder could be his ticket out of the slums... but what lengths will he go to give his new friend the blood he desperately craves? Little Shop of Horrors is overflowing with stunning tunes — "Skid Row (Downtown)," "Suddenly Seymour," the raucous (and rockin'!) "Mean Green Mother From Outer Space," "Somewhere That's Green," and Steve Martin's showstopping ode to sadism, "Be a Dentist" — all of which effectively convey the fact that although the film is sublimely silly, it nonetheless takes itself seriously. The story believes in itself, making the movie an utter joy to watch. The DVD is overflowing with special edition content, including a fascinating audio commentary track with director Frank Oz, which takes you deep inside the filmmaking process and reveals many of the secrets Oz and his crew used to bring Audrey II alive. Other highlights include an isolated musical score, two theatrical trailers, numerous TV spots, a digitally remastered soundtrack (which will "wow" you with its clarity; it's literally one of the finest sounding discs we've heard), a reel of bloopers and deleted scenes (narrated by Oz), an excellent "making-of" featurette (which includes an interview with Roger Corman, the schlockmeister who made the movie upon which Oz's film is based), and numerous textual supplements. Little Shop of Horrors is a cinematic gem which belongs in the DVD collection of any comedy fan. Snap case.
—Joe Barlow
