The History of the Original Ending of Little Shop of Horrors
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- Опубліковано 19 чер 2024
- UPDATE (3/11/23): A 1991 television broadcast in which "Don't Feed the Plants" was aired in Australia has surfaced. It is the first known public release of the footage. Little Shop Archive has uploaded it here ( • Eat Carpet: Visual Eff... ), and I wrote about it here (zacksmusicalmusings.wordpress....
In which I discuss the various twists and turns the dark ending of Little Shop of Horrors faced before finally being released to the public.
I am SO grateful and thankful for the many resources I had for this video, including (but certainly not limited to) The Little Shop Archive, MonsterLegacy.net, the Little Shop Wiki, and the anonymous person who uploaded the color workprint in 2013.
Also, HUGE thank you to all of my new subscribers! Around when I uploaded my last video, I saw an influx in new viewers indirectly because of Sideways uploading his essay on Into the Woods. I hope you stick around and enjoy!
Lastly, thank you to my longtime subscribers for your patience. School has been chaotic and I just made a major move, so it’s a bit of a shock that I even got this out, so THANK YOU for sticking around! 💕🎞
00:00 Intro
2:06 Pre-Production
5:55 Production
10:08 The Test Screenings
13:19 Reshoots/Release
16:34 The 1998 DVD Release
21:48 The 2012 Restoration
25:58 What is the “Definitive” Cut?
32:55 Conclusion
FURTHER READING/VIEWING:
Special: The Plant Conquered the World (Monster Legacy)
monsterlegacy.net/2014/04/23/...
Little Shop of Horrors - Deleted Scenes
• Little Shop of Horrors...
SOURCES:
Gartler, J. (2012, May 15). 'Little shop OF Horrors: A Q&A with Frank Oz. EW.com. Retrieved September 23, 2021, from ew.com/article/2012/05/15/fra....
Willman, C. (1998, March 6). Little shop OF Horrors: Rare Footage recalled. EW.com. Retrieved September 23, 2021, from ew.com/article/1998/03/06/lit....
NYFF Q&A: Little Shop of Horrors. (2012). Film at Lincoln Center. Retrieved September 23, 2021, from • NYFF Q&A: Little Shop ... .
Shewey, D. (1985, July 21). On the go with david geffen. The New York Times. Retrieved September 23, 2021, from www.nytimes.com/1985/07/21/ma....
Zalben, A. (2012, October 9). Interview: Film restoring with Kurt Galvao, From 'Little shop of HORRORS' TO 'Blade Runner'. MTV News. Retrieved September 23, 2021, from www.mtv.com/news/2626741/inter....
Botto, L. (2017, July 27). How Howard Ashman and Alan Menken created the Iconic Little shop of Horrors. Playbill. Retrieved September 23, 2021, from www.playbill.com/article/how-....
Gartler, J. (2012, November 20). Bringing horror back to 'little Shop'. Animation World Network. Retrieved September 23, 2021, from www.awn.com/vfxworld/bringing....
Alter, E. (2016, October 31). Mvps of horror: The 'little shop of horrors' puppet master who brought the blood-thirsty plant to life. Yahoo! News. Retrieved September 23, 2021, from www.yahoo.com/news/mvps-of-ho....
Attanasio, P. (1986, December 19). "Little Shop of Horrors" (1986). The Washington Post. Retrieved September 23, 2021, from www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv....
Willman, C. (2004, December 3). The story behind ''little shop'''s extended dvd. EW.com. Retrieved September 23, 2021, from ew.com/article/2004/12/03/sto....
Jones, A. (1987, January). Little Shop of Horrors. Cinefantastique, 17(1).
Weintraub, S. (2017, October 26). Frank oz on Little shop of HORRORS original ending and the Dark Crystal. Collider. Retrieved September 23, 2021, from collider.com/frank-oz-intervi.... - Розваги
I watched Little Shop in theaters with the original ending with a friend, and she had only ever seen the theatrical ending and she had no clue the ending would be different. Yes, she was traumatized
I would howl an evil laugh if my family wasn’t asleep 😂
Well, say to her Although the musical show ends like this(the movie is based on the musical show "Little Shop of Horrors (1982) make by Howard Ashman (Lyrics and Book) and Alan Menken(songs)) , the original ending was faithful to the end of the play. Watch the musical "Little Shop of Horrors", it's very incredible (and the film kept the essence).
As a kid, I hated the alternate ending. I couldn’t believe they would end a movie in such a depressing and terrifying way. But now that I understand the film’s themes and ideas better, I kinda prefer it. That being said, I have nothing against the theatrical version, at the end of the day, I do love a happy ending.
Besides, it gave us the greatest villain death quote of all time: Oh, shit!
It's also the last line of the whole movie. What more is there to say?
In the play, the ending doesn't seem nearly as grim. It's more tongue in cheek than how it's presented in the Director's Cut. And, of course in the stage play you don't have all that death and destruction
as you do in the film
Yes! " Oh Shit!" is, to me, one of the absolute, BEST closing lines of a feature film in the entire history of US cinema
@@chrismulwee4911 And you also know that all the actors who are "dead" will shortly be taking a curtain call... (And of course they appear in the final number "Don't Feed the Plants")
@@chrismulwee4911 😊😊😊
The (Don't feed the Plants) ending to this day is my absolute favorite. The ending that was released in theaters lead me to believe there would be a sequel. To this very day Little Shop of Horror is my Number one favorite movie of All Time 💯
Good comprehensive review .... I'm one of the plants on top of the Statue Of liberty right at the end but not having seen it until a couple of years ago I can't remember which one ..... I was on the film for about 4 and half months ... Great days and a joy to be involved with.
The abrupt tonal shift of the original ending reminds me of Shaun of the Dead. At first I really hated it, it felt like the film had completely shifted gears. But it grew on me, and I realise that a happy ending wouldn't necessarily be right, but it wouldn't be wrong either. And the same for this. I do quite like the tacky Hollywood happy ending, but I respect the original ending, and I'm slightly annoyed it wasn't left alone.
I agree that the original ending feels too much like the movie switchdd gears to the point that it doesn't fit but I also agree that the Hollywood ending is annoying, a happy medium could've been found.
I like the happy ending of the movie. I need to escape my own demons and need to be uplifted when i go to the movies.
Personally I'd love movies with multiple endings to just let you select the version.
I created my very own custom director's cut edition, in which before DFTP, there's a line mentioning how the guy from before found the last Audrey 2. So we can both get the theatrical ending and the director's cut one.
The 1998 was notorious not only for the workprint ending, but for the isolated score track, a practise that was rare and excised shortly into the DVD lifespan, over mechanical rights.
first time I watched the movie, it was with the directors ending. I dont think it would have made such a lasting impression on my if I had watched the "good" ending. I hope anyone who watches the movie for the first time have the jaw dropping experience I had, one of my favorite movies.
I do think there are moments in the alternate takes that make Seymour less sympathetic. Seeing him actually feed the body of Orin to the plant instead of it obscured by the newspaper entirely makes the act feel a lot crueler, and him sleeping after, albeit uncomfortably, makes him look pretty shady too.(In the final cut he’s traumatized by the action to the point he’s sitting up all night.)
As for Mushnik, the direction in the workprint edit makes it look like Seymour knows what he’s doing luring him into the plant. Purposely dragging out his sentences, constantly looking at the plant opening its mouth and saying nothing.
The Meek Shall Inherit completes the arc. Seymour is beyond a shadow of a doubt a monster trying to get a girl using murder. He makes the choice, and the song is apparent about it. What Oz thought was too silly to show in the final film is probably the most crucial component in making the alternate ending work.
Still, I would cut down the ending to remove just a few overly mean spirited shots. The most noticeable for me is seeing the plant gargle Seymour around(Chewing? Not sure which) with a grin for a moment after shoving him into her mouth. Feels like you’re just rolling in his misery, just have Audrey II spit out the glasses immediately. Maybe cut down on the vines slowly pulling him in with the terrified close-ups too.
What I’m saying is the darker ending could work near perfectly, but it needs nuance with how it and the rest of the movie are cut together
The Seymore in the play was very Shady not in the Film. In the play the Audience could careless who died... Everything was just fun Goofiness'. I got to see the play when it popped up in 1982 it was more of a Horror movie.
The way the movie drags out Seymour's death in the original ending feels a little cruel for the sake of being cruel. Which is not out of character for Audrey II but i still don't like it.
Also, even with Seymour's character shown to be unscrupulous it's hard to not want him to live because he's played by the human embodiment of "puppy cuteness", Rick Moranis.
Moranis, much like Tom Hanks, could walk up to you on the street and punch you in the face as hard as he can and your first response would be "I'm sorry".
If they had made him like how he was in the play audience wouldn’t have a problem with the og ending
I have loved Little Shop since my mother showed it to me when I was 10. The concept fascinated me and the music is so catchy. But, of course, when I was 10, the directors cut hadn't been released yet. I think my mother once told me that there was a different ending but it pretty much just left my mind. Just let me jam to "Feed me". But when I was 16, my father, stepmother, and I went on a bit of a road trip. And my father downloaded a bunch of movies to his tablet (for legal reasons, I will not confirm nor deny the legality of the downloads) with LSOH being one of them. Of course I watched it. But then it all changed near the end. They all died. I was kinda confused at first but honestly, I ended up absolutely adoring that ending. It just felt so much more... real. And "Don't feed the plants" goes kinda hard. For me, it had the same kind of vibe as when a band you love breaks up and a few years later releases a previously unreleased song. Just that bit of "new" content regarding Little shop made me really happy. And it was really cool to hear the history and story behind the og ending. Also, fun fact for the people who read this comment made by some rando on the internet, did y'all know that there was a 13 episode long animated series based on the 1986 movie just titled "Little Shop"? I'd place it in the same realm as the Beetlejuice animated series.
Ha, "Back to the Fuschia." 😂
I remember my aunt was taking me to see the stage version of Little Shop. My mom decided to get me familiar with the story, the thing was, she gave me the movie version. So when I went to see the stage version, I was expecting a happy ending and was “shocked” when they all died. My first real exposure that not all stories have happy endings. Also, something weird that I remember was whoever was in the Audrey II costume and puppeting it, I saw their hand at one point. For some reason it always stuck with me, peeking behind the curtain maybe
That’s an……. Interesting experience.
My first exposure to not all stories having to end in a happy ending is Halo Reach.
You get so attached to these characters and one by one they began getting killed off.
Not even the player character is safe since the game ends with you, the player fighting off what’s left of the Covenant on Reach
I got cast in my schools production of little shop of horrors as seymour! wish me luck!
Very well-thought out and well-produced essay! I really love the part where you talk about Little Shop of Horrors. Can’t wait for the next one!❤️
Roger corman has his fingers in everything..
while the "don't feed the plants" ending is undoubtedly insanely technically impressive, it definitely worked far better in theater
i saw another pretty good comment on this on another video, saying that while audrey 2's rise is definitely symbolic of seymour's sins catching up with him, the theatrical ending shows that you can come back from those sins better than you were before! but even so, evil still lurks unseen, giving a shit-eating grin to the camera as it waits for the right moment
and it has "OH SHIT," which everyone and their mom agrees is the single best final words said by any villain ever
I think that what they should have done is have it so that Audrey survives and goes outside of the shop(like in the theatrical cut), then, Seymour gets knocked unconscious by the rubble of the shop and dreams about the giant plant invasion, and then, wakes up and blows up Audrey 2.
Interesting that you bring up the blooper reel! I wonder how the test audiences would have responded if they saw bloopers spliced along with the credits. Do you think it would have had a similar effect to the audiences seeing the cast bow on stage?
So something additional that Oz mentions when talking about the difference between theatre vs film that didn’t make it to my final cut is how theatre, at all times, is a wide shot to an audience member. Film, on the other hand, comes in close and captures every nuance of various emotions. With that, I don’t think including a blooper reel in the credits would’ve helped either just because the experience of watching someone you’ve gotten (quite literally) that close to over 90 minutes carries its own level of heartbreak that can’t solely be made up for during a credits sequence.
I think he tried to accomplish that with the clips re-running during the credits saying who played who, but I think Zack's comment sums up how that could've made it worse lol
Probably not, Moranis and Greene had apparently turned in such great performances that test audiences had grown attached to Seymour and Audrey.
Not sure if it would've worked here or not, but that actually seems to be a reason why they show nearly the entire main cast of Predator when the credits begin; you get to like those guys too much, so their deaths are necessary but harsh for the viewer, so you give them a little "bow" in the form of what almost feels like a sitcom credits reel!
I remember being absolutely obsessed with Little Shop Of Horrors as a kid, and it wasn’t until I got to play the voice of Audrey 2 (which is strange since I’m a skinny white guy) that I first learned about the missing song/deleted scene. Now I listen to it at least once a month while watching the fantastic puppetry. Such a shame that Oz broke under studio pressure.
Well, the studio doesn't need the approval of the director of a movie. The studio, for better or worse, can do whatever they want with the movie because they own it.
@@Optimegatrongodzilla yeah but Oz was called back to do the reshoots but I'm sure at that time there wasn't much he could do and they would just find a different guy, most of the new ending was just done in editing though.
@@Mr.Marketing I know, but that's exactly my point. They would have gotten a reshoot done with or without him.
I saw the cut ending in high school on UA-cam and initially I hated it and went back to te theatrical version. Then not long after, I started thinking that the theatrical ending felt like a cop out. Now I accepted the cut ending, and it’s the only version I watch
I like both endings don’t get me wrong the original is incredible and the puppetry was amazing, but I think the happy end matches the Seymour in the movie better. As much as I love the movie it takes out the moments that show Seymour’s turning points that deteriorate his character at the end. Mainly cutting out its just the gas, shorting the meek shall inherit and changing in the interaction between Seymour and musnik during super time took away the moments that showed Seymour’s turning points. It makes movie Seymour more sympathetic which is fine I like movie Seymour that’s also why the original ending didn’t work.
Seymour and Audrey’s death didn’t feel deserved. Because the characters were good people the death ending didn’t feel like the right ending. He reasons it’s because “they came out for a bow” I think it’s more due to thouse changes that made you love Seymour.
They made Seymour a good person. Not a weak person who seems nice at first. I love the original end and I think it’s more then appropriate for the musical Seymour, but the good ending is better for the movie. Either way they did such a great job that ending aside the movie was incredible.
I love the original version of Little shop of horrors which I saw as a teenager back in the '80s. But about 10:15 years ago I found a CD of the soundtrack to the stage play and because I enjoyed the music so much I would play it a lot and the first time I played it and realized the ending was different to the play, I was shocked and thrilled. I've got to find me a copy of that Blu-ray with the original ending in it to see how it went and see how I feel about it watching it. Thank you for giving us the story about the movie and it's different iterations. That was fascinating.
If Little Shop gets another re-release, I think it needs a extended cut with bits that still haven't appear in the film yet.
Here's a way to satisfy both sides:
The building falls down on Seymour, and Audrey II laughs with his pods, and Seymour dreams up the "Don't Feed the Plants" number with the destruction caused by the plants, and after that, we cut back to Skidrow, and Seymour electrocutes the plant, and, well, you know the rest.
Well done! I adored this.
I wrote an essay for university on this whole thing in 2012....wouldn't you know it, just months before the restoration. All I had at the time was the 1998 DVD and Cinefantastique to work from. I never expected to see this whole thing put back so beautifully and so quickly. It's wonderful to see how much more there was to know and see about the process and history.
I'm really glad I clicked on this video. I thought I knew the history with the basic tale of "test audiences didn't like the original ending so they reshot it, but this is the directors cut with the original ending!" Knowing it's much more complex than that gives me a greater appreciation for the restoration of the ending and the other small changes that remain lost to time. I didn't grow up with this movie, I actually just watched it for the first time recently during the short stint that youtube movies had it for free, I loved it, the musical numbers were great and I loved all the characters, but it was the comments talking about the ending that lead me to buying the blu ray and watching the alternate cut. It feels strange to say but this little 80s musical suddenly became one of my favorite films of all time and I frequently put it on in the background while doing other things just because I like the numbers so much.
Also since it's basically required at this point to comment on it, I prefer the darker ending, some of the foreshadowing for the dark ending still remains in the film, the biggest one that caught my attention was the meek shall inherit. It's got a clear dark tone, "You know the meek are gonna get what's comin to 'em" just drips with dramatic irony that's begging the audience to question if things are as good as they seem. Also as you said, Seymour for all his lovable, affable, Rick Moranis charm and relatability, is responsible in part or in whole for the deaths of 2 people. Giving him a happy ending with no strings attached feels dishonest. That said, I don't think the matchbox house ending ruins the film, I loved it when I saw that cut, the entire film leading up to it remains excellent. But it does give the feeling that it was tacked on.
Wow, you poured an amazing amount of effort and passion into this video, well done! I never realized there was so much information about the ending!
I literally gasped and grabbed my friend's arm when I saw him in Knives Out.
Fantastic video. Thank you!
I rarely see UA-cam videos as comprehensive as this one; it's fantastic! I never knew about the rich history of this movie, thank you for your outstanding work on the video! As I was watching, I ordered a copy the 2012 Director's Edition; I can't wait to experience this original ending in its entirety.
The first time i saw this film it was a DVD copy from the library and it was the Audrey's taking over the world thing. Recently i watched a DVD copy that i purchased at a thrift shop and it was the happy ending!!! I was so confused, hence i found your video. I was also prompted to listen to a Spotify full album from the original musical and loved it with the more grim ending. Good stuff!!!
This video is amazingly informative!
The two different endings are both so valid, I can't think of another alternate ending which has the integrity and heart, I love both endings.
Thank you for making this video. It was very well put together and very informative. Excellent job!
Perfect editing, Zack!!!
This was a great video! I was checking it out to work on a video of my own I wanna do about it. A lot of it was things I already knew about from doing my own research but at the same time, there are things I learned, like the history of DVD re-releases. I love listening to takes on how people feel about this crazy story and what it means for the film itself. Excellent work on this!
This is a great video essay, it gave me some info I did not previously know. I watched the movie when I was a kid and I found the '98 DVD version of the original ending on UA-cam. The stark black-and-white made the ending more unnerving to me and it took me years to re-watch the movie. I got back into the movie and gained a new appreciation for the original ending and looked for more set photos and info on it right before the director's cut was announced and I got it on DVD.
(In a weird bit of trivia, Richard Conway did some model work for 70s Doctor Who, including The Seeds of Doom, which is an episode with a giant plant monster as a villain.)
(Also the shot of Audrey II exploding reuses the effect of Krypton exploding from Superman: The Movie)
Speaking of Doctor Who, the Supreme Dalek is one of the bums in the movie...or at least his human form, John Scott Martin.
Thank you for this Zack. I was fascinated by your research and attention to detail.
As I have a personal connection & experience with both the stage show, in the original West End production, the film & various productions from the UK tour to Repertory productions and a season in Frankfurt, Germany, I really enjoyed this 'History'... Congratulations.
This is one of the best video essays I’ve seen in general! Thanks for making such great content!
Great video dude!
I love the original ending but do feel like the happy ending fits the movie better.
Same
Nah, I prefer the original
@@justcallmebrian793 Ok. That's nice.
I really hope we get to see the workprint version fully resorted someday. I know we won't get it, especially with the WB company going through hell right now, but if it ever does I'm getting that 4K Blu-ray day one.
I have that 1998 DVD version which I bought in Vancouver in 1998. It's in my salt mine safe.
Although I like the happy ending. The original ending is the one I saw first then the happy ending so I have more of a connection to the don’t feed the plants ending
Wow. I stumbled into your video after falling into a google hole about the film. I watched the whole video through without stopping. When I was finished I went to toss you a Like, only then to be flabbergasted at how few views this has! Amazing essay. You've got the polish of a very successful channel - please keep going. I hope your channel blows up and gets the recognition it deserves.
Godzilla(seeing New York being attacked by plants): Oh well, never mind.
This reeeeeeeeeeeally deserves more than 4k views your awesome man
What the hell? This only has 800 views! Dude, this deserves a million, very interesting video. I loved it
In regards to which ending should have been used I feel a good compromise would have been after Audrey 2 collapses the roof on Seymour the Don't feed the plants section is used as Seymour imagining what will happen, which motivates him to get back up and kill his mistake
Agreed! The plant apocalypse could be a dream he's having while laying unconscious beneath the rubble, then we flash back to reality where Seymour regains conscious and kills the plant.
@@chrismulwee4911 yeah, I think it would have been a good compromise so the hard work that went into the original ending didn’t go wasted
@@jackhamilton9604 Yes, the switch back to reality could happen right after Audrey 2 bursts through the screen, then we see that he's really still at the destroyed shop laughing just before Seymour kills him with the cable wire
I think they should have put this in the movie but as a scene of Audrey II explaining his plans.
A dark ending would have been such a bad idea, that’s why they lost it.
The darker ending is so much more thematically appropriate
Also he doesn’t explain his plans outright, by Seymour does, “that’s your plan huh? Little Audrey 2’s in every household in America”. Seymour figuring it out is what informs the audience
@@Foxy02016 Yeah, I think the original comment meant for a why not to ditch the effects work. It could have been a nightmare by Seymour or a voiceover by Audrey II.
I also kind of disagree with it being thematically appropriate, remember not all versions of Faust have a downer ending to begin with. I kind of dislike the idea that the characters are wrong for trying to get out of Skid Road. Seymour does awful things, but he didn't always have a choice. I don't think either character deserves such a fate.
Are they saying, that, the original color elements were found in various places all over the world? That would explain how it took quite some time to piece the full color version together.
Loved this!
Great job studying on the history of the film and it's original ending.
Great essay! And I always gasp when Frank Oz pops up 😄(I was also one of the only people in my theater to LOL at Daniel Craig’s Gravity’s Rainbow joke)
soo uhh why is cameron mackintosh a 'human trashfire' just curious
Thank you
I just had the opposite experience o what you had descibed. I first watched the film alone about a year ago, and I saw the alternate ending. Yesterday, when showing the movie to my friend, we watched the original ending, and I was left questioning how the film really ended. I wonder now if my friend will show it to someone else, only for them to see the happy ending..
I saw LSOH when it came out in 1986. I was like 4, and no i do clearly remember it having the "happy ending".
I found out in my teens about the legendary alternate and darker ending, and I remember seeing the b&w work print footage. I personally LOVE the "dark ending". However, since it did so poorly in test screenings and they reshot parts of "mean and green" to where the plant explodes and no grand finale, they really didnt have to go THAT far.
Like in the second ending, Audrey lives, and Seymour goes to battle. Seymour was obviously no match for the plant, so i always wondered why they didnt just reshoot with Seymour escaping out of the flower shop during its destruction, and have Audrey go to him, they grab hands and just run?
That wouldve satisfied all parties involved. Audrey lives, Seymour lives and they run away (seeing as Seymour is pretty much a murderer himself and insinuate they went into hiding), and the finale still couldve remained.
This video is so comprehensive!!! I just rewatched Little Shop without realizing it was the theater release version. It was weird to see Audrey survive, and then Seymour, and then they killed Audrey 2??? I prefer the “original” cut where Audrey 2 wins but I like the point made about there being multiple accepted versions. It’s a really interesting history with a lot of important context that is explained very well in this essay.
Ha, I just got to work on this show recently, and we had someone involved who had only known the theatrical ending who was shocked by what he saw on stage! Glad you mentioned how it's honestly a tough choice between which ending is "better"; the stage show does a better job of getting across that Seymour's doom has been building over the course of the story, and his more active role in getting Mushnik killed definitely helps that...and even then, he gets to go down fighting! Whereas in the movie, Seymour's even more likable, and his death is excruciatingly slow and drawn out, which just feels off given how the audience would care about him by the end.
But still, all those spectacular effects going to waste and not being seen in their full glory for so long just feels like such a waste, so I'm glad we're in a world where both endings exist.
I think the original ending would've gone over better with audiences if they kept the part where Audrey, Seymour, and the others come back as part of the plant. That way, they're not just dead, but transformed and still together.
I remember watching the don’t feed the plants ending years ago on Netflix. Recently I tried watching this with some friends, and had to watch it on another platform, I was genuinely at a loss for words when I saw the redone ending because I only knew the film ending with the plant winning. My friends, who liked musicals and grew up on a vhs of LSH, had no idea what I was talking about until I found don’t feed the plants on UA-cam. They shared a very different loss of words.
Idk y but the original ending makes me wanna cry
I didn't even know that the play had a bad ending when Audrey 2 succeeded and won on world conquest. Because I only saw the 1986 movie verison first. In which I did not know the 1986 movie had an original ending like the play. I didn't even also know the 1960 verison was THEE original LSOH. When I first saw the dark ending of the 1986 verison I didn't like it because it was somewhat disturbing especially how Audrey told Seymour to feed her to the plant and her dead body is slowly devoured by the plant alien. The original ending wouldn't work because movies are different than Broadway shows.
I think Seymour is a bit more unlikable in the play, the negative test screenings were probably a combination of the movie tweaking his character and Moranis just being hard to dislike, and Audrey's backstory and Greene's performance.
I only watched this movie for the first time yesterday, I found out about its existence less than a week ago thanks to a Suddenly Seymour cover that popped up and I fell in love with the song. I watched the director's cut, knowing there was another ending, tho didnt know much more. My reaction was just like Frank Oz said the test screening went, an Ice box. After finishing it I rushed and looked for the other ending where Audrey and Seymoure live. I loved Audrey so so much, I just could'nt stand her and seymour dying, and the plants taking over. I admire the original ending for its effects and visuals, but as the ending to the film... no, lol
I think that what they should have done is have it so that Audrey survives and goes outside of the shop(like in the theatrical cut), then, Seymour gets knocked unconscious by the rubble of the shop and dreams about the giant plant invasion, and then, wakes up and blows up Audrey 2.
One of my favorite movies. I didn't know it had an alternate ending
I first saw Little Shop when I was I was a kid (under 9 years old). It has always been one of my favorite movies. I have seen it more times than I can count and have even passed it down to my children. We listen to the music in the car quite a bit. I had no idea about the original ending. Things were different when we didn’t have the internet. Haha. That being said, the movie just always seemed perfect to me and I never questioned the ending. I have seen the original ending a few times and it’s so hard for me to say which is better. Is it the kid-version of myself that was so happy for Audrey and Seymour living their fairy tale ending finally? Or does it actually work better than something dark? It’s really hard to say since I can’t go back. It’s hard for me to not see Audrey (who has gone through all kinds of hell and abuse) not end up somewhere that’s green. Same goes for Seymour. He grew up as an orphan being used as a child slave by Mr Mushnick. Even though Seymour did bad things, it seems like he deserved a good ending. Audrey definitely though- she had the worst life out of anyone.
Very amazing
I did not know about the sad ending until I helped with makeup on a local theatre production some years ago. I like the happy one myself.
For me I grew up with the theatrical cut. I watched it alot and bonded with my family over how much we all loved it. I didn't find out about the original ending until about 2012ish and it made me so sad when Audrey died that I hated that version. Today though I'm still not a huge fan of it I can appreciate all the work that went into it and how fun the "Don't feed the plants" sequence turned out.
Idk I'm kinda mixed. I can understand Seymore dying but not Audrey
I love little shop of horrors, really interesting
i personally hated the theatrical ending cuz honestly, what person would give a plant their own blood? sure seymour was a gardner desprete to keep it alive but like, human blood for a plant should've set off several red flags even before he started getting drained dry. Basically, the alternative ending made more sense because if everyone was willing to give it blood at some point, we'd be doomed either way :"D
Umm? Actually, Frank Oz did NOT create or even perform Rowlf? That was Jim Henson? So, like? Did you even do your research?
I mean, clearly you did because literally everything else in the video is really well researched and very entertaining so you did a really good job!
How DARE you find a flaw in my work?? CLEARLY, I could NEVER make a mistake!!!!
Zack Paslay Unfortunately, he was telling the truth.
@@LarrytheKing16 Fun fact though. Jim Henson hired Don Sahlin to build the dog Jim had sketched. so yes Jim created. but Don Sahlin built from the sketch. Don built a lot of ideas Jim Henson sketched as his creations
I was in a stage production of Little Shop when I was in college. I got to be the voice of Audrey Two. It was a blast!
I should’ve know that Tisha wasn’t there for the ending scene when they showed Tichina and Michelle but not “her” it makes sense now I always wondered why they showed the other two but her
The original, original ending had Seamore die at the very end by being eaten by the plant.
Talk about artistic integrity, my sons high School theater group is now doing Little shop of horrors and they are taking out all of the domestic violence............ Like how!!! How is this even going to work (eye roll)
You’re not gonna get away with this-your kind never does!
I love Little Shop of Horrors but I had NO idea there was an alternate ending until I stumbled across this video tonight! 🤣
Everyone has their own opinion. My opinion is that I prefer the theatrical version. I feel like Seymour knew what he did was wrong, so he decided to stop it, and he did. Redemption and happy endings are things I enjoy.
I like the happy ending and saving the world to boot! So personally, I’m glad it got changed. But I get the original ending, the whole you sold your soul to the devil and now you have to pay!
I reacted to the original ending of the show much in the same way I reacted to learning "Into the Woods" had a second act at all. It was a "Oh... that makes a lot more sense" sort of thing. Yes it's darker, yes you don't get a happy ending--but so many songs have payoff that didn't before and it feels more COHESIVE. There are setups and payoffs that just don't exist in the other versions.
So yeah, either is technically fine but I'm going to prefer the intended version over the sweet, but downplayed one.
Trivia: Ellen Greene was also in the 1992 film, Rock-a-Doodle.
Yeah, controversially I prefer the happy ending. The romantic storyline takes up so much of the focus in the movie that it's too late for it to become a full blown creature feature by the time you get to the final act. The protagonist's passivity is also a major problem and having him actually win a battle does a lot to offset that. This could have been alleviated more had they retained the millionaire dream sequence, which also contained much of the anti-capitalist critique of the ending without the whole story going out on such a downer.
… wait. How have I never seen this before?!
So somewhere in the world there are miniature stop motion props of the giant Audrey IIs. Welp know what im saving up for one day
I hope a search like that will happen with the wall.
Excuse Me Sir Please If You Have The Scene Of Patrick Martin Theatrical Can You Please Upload It On UA-cam
First off, many applause for your stunning video. Brilliant work! Please forgive the harsh honesty of my demurer. As a lifelong musical fan in his 70s weened on Rodgers & Hammerstein and Sondheim, I encountered Little Shop in its 1980s stage original. Loving Roger Corman’s film but never caring for R&R, I was still enchanted. That said, the film is a bitter pill. Its altered finale is rife with problems, but so is the movie as a whole, its changes to musical score and dramatic tone all misfires. Yes, the cast is brilliant. But Frank Oz was the wrong director, who got the comedy but missed the horror. See his Stepford Wives remake. I rest my case. If only Brian De Palma had made this film.
As much fun as "some fun now" is, it doesn't do the work of "meek shall inherit". Seymor's lyrics are super important- they show him make a deliberate choice to continue "doing bloody awful evil things" because "without the plant [Audry] might not love me anymore". It's the song that dooms Seymor, and makes his death "okay". Also, the stage version of "Don't feed the plants" brings the cast back out on stage dressed as plants. You can do stuff like that on stage, where in film it has t be realistic as opposed to presentational.
A bit of trivia connected to this story.... the original story was made in two days, sans copyright. So the original story was in the Public Domain.
David Geffen's name appears on a list of big names in the movie *"Phantom of the Paradise"* (1974) with names like Bette Midler, Peter Fonda, Dick Clark and Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern as well was,of course, WINSLOW LEACH.
I view the theatrical ending as Audrey's experience in heaven and Seymor's in limbo or whatever you want to call it. She gets her dream but he will always be a little haunted by the plant.
i think that it should all exist in some form or another. all cut stuff should be out there, all versions etc. like star wars. in todays world of interactive media and the 'watch what caters to you' format we have now where we can literally watch what we want and not just whats on at the time like it used to be. everyone should have a chance to own what they perceive as their version of films. for example my star wars are the Adywan cuts and i wouldnt watch them any other way, and LSoH mine has to have the world domination ending so a War of the Worlds sequel can exist in my head. so it should all be out there for everyone to choose their own little shop of horrors.
In addition, during the beginning of the finale when you see the stores and people buying Audrey IIs, there could have been "wanted for murder" posters of seymour, and "missing" posters for Audrey as the finale begins to play out.
I would've preferred Aubrey not die, however Seymour goes to prison for his crimes after Audrey 2 calls the police on him, it's demonstrated through a song of Audrey 2's destruction on the world and Seymour's prison time, Seymour is released as it's believed he is the only one who can get rid of Audrey 2. The three female singers who believed they would never amount to anything rise to fame as they were the ones who ultimately saved the world by destroying the plant. Seymour and Audrey live happily ever after and again with a plant in their garden to symbolize a sequel option.
What's wrong with Cameron Mackintosh? I never thought he was that hated
LOL you said they were having “some fun” 🤣🤣🤣
Was that intentional?
i love throwing in a subtle reference here and there 🥰
@@ZackPaslay It was definitely appreciated, and I’ve been jamming to the cast album all day thanks to you 😆
"Human trash fire?"
I am glad that they made the ending happy. I like happy endings.
I rewatched the theatrical cut for the first time in a VERY long time yesterday and it made me cringe
wait what? finite? if anything, i thought the plants taking left it open for a great sequel. A parody musical of war of the worlds with the plants representing corporations or any other world menace that seems like it takes over from the little guy, and then a new lead can actually save the woild. it was far from finite. I woud love to have seen that kind of sequel. they should reall pick their test audiences better and base them on who would likely go to see the film instead of a bunch of randoms.
Did Bran Ferran ever respond?
He did not - he's a busy dude, I'm sure. I'd still be happy to hear from him, but I'm also okay with keeping some ~mystery~ in the story 😅
@@ZackPaslay Did you see that the August 7th (i.e. the "John Smith" / final approved cut shown at both previews), August 22nd (apparently a response to the preview reaction) and October 1st (theatrical cut rough version) workprints leaked?
1980s Empire Strikes Back