UW Cinematheque | Little Shop of Horrors – The Director’s Cut (1986)

Skid row florist’s apprentice Seymour (Moranis) discovers an exotic new plant and soon finds fame, fortune, and love with co-worker Audrey (Greene). The Faustian twist is that Seymour’s plant is a mean, green mother from outer space who feeds on fresh, human blood. The musical movie version of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s off-Broadway and Broadway smash, itself adapted from Roger Corman’s 1960 low budget comedy horror cult classic, was originally released with a more upbeat ending demanded by test audiences. This slightly longer Director’s Cut retains the stage version’s original conclusion, a sequence featuring brilliant and elaborate special effects.