Little Shop of Horrors: The Beloved Musical Makes Its Glorious UHD Debut (4K)

The Film:

Back in 1960, beloved campy director Roger Corman released a little horror comedy called "The Little Shop of Horrors" that didn't make too much of a splash at the time, though it did eventually turn a little profit, and even became a rather well-liked cult classic. One thing's for sure though, it certainly didn't seem like the kind of material that anyone could base a musical off of... except that's exactly what writer Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken did in 1982, delivering a massive Off-Broadway hit that would not only break records, but also win multiple major awards.

Naturally, its great success would very quickly lead to the planning of a big screen adaptation, where director/master puppeteer Frank Oz would take the reigns to help bring one of the most bizarre musicals ever made to theaters in 1986. The film was a modest hit at the time, but received wide-spread critical acclaim, and even earned a pair of Oscar nods (Original Song & Visual Effects) and Golden Globe nominations (Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy & Original Score). On top of all that, it became a huge smash on home video, and has been extremely popular ever since. To celebrate its 40th anniversary this year, Warner Bros. is giving the beloved hit a much-deserved UHD upgrade and throwing in bonus material both new & old, so now it's time to revisit this fascinating musical to see why it's endured so well over these past four decades.

The film primarily focuses on Seymour Krelborn (Rick Moranis), an orphan who lives in the Skid Row area of New York City and works at a flower shop owned by Mr. Mushnik (Vincent Gardenia). With the business struggling quite a bit, Mushnik decides to close the shop, but that's when Audrey (Ellen Greene), the other employee of the store, suggests that they might be able to attract some business by displaying a rather unusual plant that Seymour bought during a solar eclipse. The mouth-like plant, named "Audrey II," does indeed start bringing in business, but soon becomes sickly.

While desperately trying to figure out how to make it better, Seymour accidentally pricks his finger on some flowers and discovers that the plant needs blood to survive. With Seymour feeding it from his own supply, Audrey II soon grows significantly, turning the young man into a local celebrity. However, it soon becomes clear that Seymour doesn't have enough blood to sustain it, which is when Audrey II (Voice of Levi Stubbs) itself makes a rather radical suggestion. How far will Seymour be willing to go to keep up his new-found celebrity and possibly even get Audrey to see him as more than a friend?

When looking into why the film has had such popular longevity, one of the top reasons would have to be the sheer bizarre nature of the premise. You're certainly not going to find any other musicals out there relating the tale of an alien plant that comes to Earth, drinks blood, and helps a small-time florist become famous, with said florist trying to impress a girl he likes. It's quite a wild story, and on that basis, it ends up being a rather entertaining one that grabs your attention and doesn't let go for its brief 90-minute duration.

Then, naturally, you have the outstanding music, which features unforgettable songs that include "Grow for Me," "Dentist!," "Suddenly Seymour," and the Oscar-nominated "Mean Green Mother from Outer Space" (one of the greatest song titles ever to receive such a prestigious nomination). Just to give a brief testimonial on their unforgettable nature, I first saw the film over 30 years ago, and the songs haven't left my head since, but that's exactly what happens when they're this catchy and this well-written/composed. Again, it doesn't seem like the kind of premise that could be set to music of any kind, but somehow this team pulled it off quite brilliantly.

Of course, one has to acknowledge the incredible cast as well. Aside from the fantastic main line-up of Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Vincent Gardenia, the tremendous vocal work of Levi Stubbs, and a great supporting turn from Steve Martin as Audrey's abusive boyfriend, you also get several remarkable cameos from big comedians like Bill Murray, Jim Belushi, Christopher Guest, and John Candy. The film simply wouldn't have the kind of staying power it's had without their wonderful talent helping to bring it to life.

When it comes right to it, "Little Shop of Horrors" is just a fantastic musical, one that somehow managed to hit all the right notes with its music and bring together the perfect mix of creative elements to make this odd little story work. As mentioned earlier, its uniqueness certainly makes it stand out, and now it's been standing out for 40 years, but when you look at all it has to offer, it's hardly a surprise. With it making its 4K debut this week, it now looks & sounds better than it ever has, so whether you're seeing it for the umpteenth time or somehow just getting around to your first viewing, it easily receives a strong recommendation as a release that is very much worth adding to your personal collection.

*On a quick sidenote, this collection also comes with the somewhat controversial Director's Cut of the film, which features the infamous "downer" ending that tested terribly with audiences at the time and brought about the new, happier ending. Personally, I've never been a fan of the "downer" ending, but not for the fact that it is indeed a downer, but rather that that particular ending has never made much sense in regards to how things would've ever gotten to the point that we see during the closing scenes (though one does have to note the excellent miniature work done for them). I would recommend sticking with the theatrical cut, but would also recommend taking a quick peak at the other ending just to see how different it is.

Video/Audio:

"Little Shop of Horrors" comes to 4K in a 1.85:1, 2160p Ultra High Definition transfer of marvelous quality. The film has received a stunning upgrade, giving you a beautifully sharp picture throughout the entire duration of both cuts that highlights all of the hard work that went into its great visuals & effects. Likewise, the Dolby Atmos-TrueHD audio track is fantastic, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and the incredible music in excellent quality. Overall, Warner Bros. has done a wonderful job in both areas for the film's 4K debut.

Special Features:

Commentary with Director Frank Oz

To Feed or Not to Feed: For the Love of Little Shop (15 Minutes) (New): Frank Oz and Ellen Greene reminisce about the film.

Mean Green Mother - Creating Audrey II (8 Minutes) (New): Frank Oz and others discuss what went into bringing Audrey II to life.

Frank Oz and Little Shop of Horrors: The Director's Cut (11 Minutes): The director discusses the film's original ending.

A Story of Little Shop of Horrors (23 Minutes): An archival featurette about the film.

Outtakes and Deleted Scenes (9 Minutes)

Director's Cut Ending (22 Minutes)

Conclusion:

40 years later, Frank Oz's "Little Shop of Horrors" remains a uniquely marvelous musical, featuring a truly bizarre & entertaining premise, excellent music, and a top-notch cast filled with remarkable talent to help bring it all to life. It's hardly a wonder why the film is still so beloved, and now that it's making its glorious 4K debut, fans can revisit it in stunningly pristine quality as they add this easily-recommendable UHD release to their collections.

Score: 4/5

Available on 4K starting today.

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