Ages and ages ago, I cracked myself up reading the stage play while on the beach, and longed to see the live show. I never did, but I do know that the very ending has the plant growing over the entire audience.
Always loved the fantasdtic "Skid Row" opening and the cruelly funny "Be a dentist". Too bad they didn't get the guts to release the original ending in theater, it's so much a better logical end for the whole story than "Cool, here's an electric cable : glad I didn't die smashed under the crumbling house !"...
I think you missed a bit of the alternate ending. Prior to the scene you start watching, Audrey 1 is eaten by the plant and Seymour doesn't save her. That's when Seymour fights Audrey 2. I like the theatrical version. Though the alternate version is true to the stage version and Roger Corman's original non musical movie.
Absolutely love Rick Moranis. he was huge star with great movies behind him then one day just 'Nope, I'm done gotta take care of my family' and he left Hollywood. So much respect.
When I found out why he stepped away from acting I was saddened by all the great Moranis content we missed out on but I have mad respect for him putting his children first.
Frank Oz explained that the original ending of the stage version had Audrey and Seymour eaten and the plant taking over the world. And that was the ending they filmed. Then at test screenings they realised that on stage, even though the two leads died, they still come out for the curtain call and leave the audience feeling good. There is no curtain call in a movie, and killing off Seymour and Audrey was just too much of a downer. Oz said the worst part was having to tell the special effects department that all their hard work on the final scene would be cut.
I simply can’t understand why they didn’t have their cake and eat it too! The dark ending could have been a nightmare Seymour wakes up from just in time to save Audrey and get the happy ending!
I think Frank Oz is wrong when it comes to why that audience reaction happened. The movie is different form the stage musical in that movie Seymour is more innocent than the stage version, yet suffers a less dignified death. In the stage version, Seymour finds redemption in death whereas the more innocent film version gets cruelly beaten and him being eaten is less a risk he made and more just a cruel fate. It doesn't fit the same because the circumstances just aren't the same. Had Seymour been a darker character in the film and died the way the stage version did, I think audiences would have accepted it a little more.
Seymour has to chop up Orrin Scrivello, DDS, because Twoie isn’t big enough to swallow him whole. He grows enough to do just that to Mushnik a day later, though.
You missed the beginning part of the alternate ending. Audrey winds up being fatally wounded by the plant and Seymore winds up sacrificing her to the plant.
Nominated for 2 Oscars: Best Visual Effects, lost to ALIENS Best Original Song, lost to Top Gun. The Directors Cut has a much more darker, and controversial ending, which test audiences immediately rejected for a much more happier ending.
Yep! a cold bloodied murderer and greedy asshole suffering no consequences for his shitty behavior is a happy ending. But then Seymour is "nice"! Whatever.
@@johnpaullogan1365 I simply can’t understand why they didn’t have their cake and eat it too! The dark ending could have been a nightmare Seymour wakes up from just in time to save Audrey and get the happy ending!
The two of three girls singing background, Tichina Arnold and Tisha Campbell, went on to star in the sitcom "Martin". Audrey ll was voiced by Levi Stubbs, lead singer of the Motown group The Four Tops.
The latter (specifically the late Stubbs) also voiced Mother Brain on Captain N - The Game Master, following which he was diagonsed with cancer in '95; suffered a stroke in 2000 (resulting in being unable to tour with the Tops anymore), and then passed in his sleep in the fall of '08.
Fun fact: Little Shop of Horrors was a 1960s Roger Corman flick first, because some one bet that he wouldn‘t be able to produce a film in two days, so he just did it. It featured Jack Nicholson in one of his very early roles. It was later turned into a musical on stage, which then was turned into this movie. Talking of stage, this movie was shot on the 007 Stage, which was originally built for the tenth James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved me. Later versions of the plant were too big to operate in real time, which means that Rick Moranis was acting and pretending to sing in 16 FPS, which makes his performance even more impressive.
@@looneytoon76and the dentist tools in this movie were later reused as jokers torture tools, meaning jack Nicholson got to use the tools used on his character in a version he wasent in, it all comes full circle
Ellen Greene, who was also the original Audrey on stage before the movie, reprised her Audrey when NY City Center did a concert production starring Jake Gyllenhaal a few years ago - still blew the roof off, she’s a very special underrated actress.
In the original stage version, the plant ears everyone and when they do the final encore, the actors playing Audrey and Seymour come out in plant costumes. So the alternate ending is actually the original ending of the show
Fun fact: one of the “do wah do…good for you” fellas is in a British show called Red Dwarf. Danny John-Jules is his name. He’s a brilliant singer and dancer. Look up Tongue tied Red Dwarf and you’ll see. It was him singing and dancing. Very funny too.
25:11 There's a bit before the 11-minute video on RUclips, where after Seymour rescues Audrey from the plant, she realises she's going to die soon anyway from her wounds, and asks Seymour to feed her to Audrey II, so in a way she'll always be with him as he tends to her/Audrey II. So he then feeds her to Audrey II before the video on RUclips starts.
Venus flytraps don't excrete, but they can't process the skeletons (of the bugs) they eat, so they leave them behind. Artistic license that Audrey II doesn't do that.
The alternate ending was an elaborate version of the stage show where everybody dies and the plant in some productions actually comes after the audience and vines drop down from the ceiling! But it's stupid fun and everybody comes out and bows. When Audrey and then Seymour got eaten in the _movie_ the audience just stopped enjoying the extended carnage because death in film is much more final than on stage. Audiences were silent through the last 20 minutes of the original cut because they were really rooting for a happy ending. But I totally think they tried to remain true to the dark humor of the show and this is a Frank Oz masterpiece.
Try and find the Directors' Cut version of this movie, it sticks to the original play ending where (SPOILERS) Seymor saves Audrey from the plant, but she is dying, and begs Seymor to put her back in the plant so she will be, finally "Somewhere That's Green". He does, the plant eats her, and then Seymor battles the plant, and loses.
It's not for all "tastes", I suppose, but I *love* this movie. The wonderful music, the sensational cast, the clever innovative direction - it's a winner all around. And your reaction was great!
"Directed by Frank Oz..." You know that's *Yoda* right? And Miss Piggy, and Grover (He got a lot of mileage out of essentially one character voice) and that's why the creature FX are so good in this.
It has been revived in a great new Off-Broadway production. The alternate ending is the way the original production Off-Broadway ends and plant vines fall over the audience.
Great film and great reaction. One thing that alternate ending didn't show you was that Audrey had already perished. Seymour pulled her out of Audrey 2 but her wounds were fatal and then Seymour decided to feed her body to the plant before deciding that he needed to stop it. As for my preference between endings, I prefer the happier ending. I know that the I know that the original ending, now the alternate ending, is more inline with the original movie and the subsequent stage production. I also know a lot of work went into it and it gives Seymour comeuppance for his transgressions but, its such a downer of an ending even though the aftermath with the ending of the world is fun to watch. But, the idea that both Audrey and Seymour went through their lives on Skid Row, feeling nothing but dejection and low self-esteem/self-worth, finally they realize they like each other despite their disbelief that they could be loved due to their own feelings of not being good enough. Now, for the briefest of moments they have found happiness but then it is ripped away from them and they both perish having never escaped from Skid Row...it's just too depressing for me, and clearly for test audiences as well. Not saying someone is wrong for liking the alternate ending, because that total chaos is amazingly fun and Seymour does receive his comeuppance, just saying why I prefer the theatrical ending over it. 😊
the whole movie has a lot of themes echoing the story of faust so him not getting a happy ending definitely feels like it fit the tone of the movie. the problem is thaat rick moranis was too unskilled as an actor to get the audience to dislike seymour
@@johnpaullogan1365 I don't think it had anything to do with Rick's acting. If you think the character was supposed to be disliked then it would have been the problem with the writing and directing. As the character was written Seymour was a guy completely down on his luck with low self-esteem and working a job that was on the brink of going under just because he liked plants as well as the girl that worked there. His heart is in the right place at the start of the movie but he is too much of a nice guy and easily manipulated as a result. His boss over works him and Audrey 2 taints him with the promise of fame; which Seymour believes is the only way Audrey would ever love him even though she already does, though she never says it because she feels she has no self-worth and doesn't deserve a great guy like Seymour. The only thing Seymour really does wrong is allow himself to be so manipulated. He doesn't kill anyone, though you could argue that his not stopping the deaths of the dentist and his boss are on him. Yes, he backed his boss into Audrey 2 but he was under duress from both the pressure from Mr. Mushnik and Audrey 2 at the time. Mr. Mushnik threatening, at gun point, that Seymour would either be arrested or have to leave town and leave the plant behind, which is of course Mushnik's true aim because he has become greedy for the fame and fortune Audrey 2 provides. And Seymour is pressured by Audrey 2's earlier promise of being able to be with Audrey, Seymour's truest desire, which he would lose by complying with Mr. Mushnik. But he didn't push Mr. Mushnik into the mouth of Audrey 2, and in fact he seemed to come to his senses, albeit too late, and even tried to warn his boss of what was about to happen. If the character was supposed to be disliked then the dentist wouldn't have been as detestable of a human as he was, Seymour would have shot and killed him instead of letting him perish due to his own gas contraption. And Seymour should have also push his boss into Audrey 2's mouth to make sure the plant got him. He could have also reveled in the fame and fortune the plant brought him rather than seemingly being whipped around in the storm of it all. All of these things could have been written into the story or Rick could have been told to add these actions or perceptions in. Yes, actors can add their own takes and personalities to the characters they play but if that was not what is supposed to be portrayed as such then the writing should have corrected that or the director should have insisted the character be played as such.
I happened to watch a version with the dark alternate ending the first time! I was glad when I discovered that the 'canon' version had a happy ending because what I saw was a bit on the bleak side!
Right before the alternate ending started Audrey succumbs to her wounds and dies and she wants to be “somewhere that’s green” so she asks Seymour to feed her to Audrey II when she dies.
I really love this movie. If you're a fan of the Disney Renaissance, you might recognize the score and lyrics were done by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. (The last verse of Somewhere that's Green has the same structure and notes as the last few lines of Little Mermaid's Part of that World) I love Ellen Green's singing voice. She has a fantastic range, and I'm still fairly sure she can still hit most of these notes. Fun note, the original movie was made in a couple days when a director had a set for a few days and wanted to maximize his time with the set.
Haha, that “and where you live!” in the end song of the alt ending, in the stage version the line is actually “and this theater!” In the higher-budget productions, apparently vines descend from the ceiling, to indicate Audrey IIs attacking the theater. ^^ This is one of my favorite movies, it’s just such a fantastic musical, with absolutely phenomenal puppet work on Audrey II, and just an overall really solid movie. :D Ellen Greene, who played Audrey, actually originated the role of Audrey in this musical on Broadway, so major props to Rick Moranis for keeping up with her! Like you said, you can definitely hear the real power in her voice even behind the airy character voice she’s putting on. I was actually in a production of this as a kid, but not as any major character, I played a bunch of bit parts (I was one of the background singers in “Skid Row”, I was a customer during the “strange and unusual plant” bit, I was a magazine editor giving an offer to Seymour during “The Meek Shall Inherit”, and I was Patrick Martin at the end). What the test audience didn’t like about this ending wasn’t any of the effects or it not feeling “complete”, it’s that they didn’t like Audrey and Seymour dying in the end (and yes Audrey dies, the ending you watched seemed to start after that for some reason, but basically Audrey survived Twoey munching on her like before, but quickly succumbs to blood loss. She sings a sad (and dark when you hear the lyrics) reprise of “Somewhere That’s Green” where she asks Seymour to feed her body to the plant, so that it will grow big and strong and bring him all the success he deserves, and so that she’ll finally be “somewhere that’s green” (ie, the plant). And while some don’t agree with that decision and prefer the tragic ending of the stage musical (the story is narrated by a tragic Greek chorus for a reason, after all), a closer look at some of the smaller changes made from the transition from stage to screen, it actually starts to make more sense why Seymour’s death feels less earned than it does in the musical. Here’s a quick summary of some of the changes: - In the stage show, Mushnik never offered to cover up Orin’s murder just so he could get his hands on the plant. This addition makes Mushnik feels more sleazy and less sympathetic as a victim. - In the stage show, Mushnik doesn’t accidentally back into the plant. Instead, Seymour tells him he put the day’s earnings in the plant for safekeeping and tells Mushnik to go look in its mouth for the money, deliberately tricking him to his death instead of hesitating while Mushnik backed into his own doom. - There is a cut bit from the stage show’s version of “The Meek Shall Inherit” where Seymour debates whether to destroy the plant, but ultimately decides to stay with the plant and keep killing for it so he doesn’t lose Audrey. Him fully committing to this course, even if he never actually gets around to killing anyone else before dying himself, completes his character arc from mostly sweet sympathetic victim to murderer who made the conscious choice to keep killing no matter the justification. With all of these changes in mind, it’s easier to see how the stage show’s Seymour feels deserving of his fate and how it feels like a satisfying and fitting conclusion to his tragic character arc, and where the same might not be said of the film’s Seymour. A lot of his nastier choices as a person were removed from the story, ultimately making him feel much more sympathetic throughout. Audrey’s death is still a gut punch no matter which version you’re watching though. :P
Fun fact! Sequences with the big audrey plant were filmed with the puppet n actors doing everything at half time, so when it was sped up the puppets movements look more smooth A really cool way of making the animatronic/puppet look realistic for the time, it's also impressive on the actors parts
I was today years old when I found out that the voice of Audrey II was Levi Stubbs, one of the lead singers of the Four Tops. Wow. And the songs were written by Howard Ashman, who wrote the music for the Disney films The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast! And directed by the incredible Frank Oz of Muppets and Sesame Street fame, not to mention the all-star cast. This is such a fun, campy, musical horror comedy film.
I love this movie. One of my all time fav musicals for sure. The alternate ending you watched left out the part where Audrey dies. Audrey 2's bites actually caused her to die & Seymour feeds her to A2. He goes up to the roof to unalive himself but when he learns of A2 becoming a household plant, he tries to defeat it, then you saw the rest 😊 I prefer the theatrical version but that's probably cause that's the one I grew up with 😅
you forgot that while dying she asks seymour to feed her to it so she can contribute to his success and in a way always be with him. then launches into a reprise of somewhere that's green as she dies
Knowing you had no idea what was coming made your reactions such a joy to watch. And this is going to sound, well, waffle-y, but I like both endings. The first time I saw this, in the theater, I'd already seen the original Corman film and the musical it was based on, so the happy ending was a surprise. It was a pleasant surprise, though, because, in this film, I got so attached to Seymour and Audrey I was glad to see them survive. And, unlike a play, the film cast doesn't get to come out for a curtain call at the end. The little Audrey II in their garden was also a nice reminder that there's lurking evil even in the happiest of places. The alternate ending, though, is just fun, and has that open-ended quality that sci-fi classics of the '50's and '60's often had. I also really, really, really wish I'd been able to see it on the big screen.
I simply can’t understand why they didn’t have their cake and eat it too! The dark ending could have been a nightmare Seymour wakes up from just in time to save Audrey and get the happy ending!
This is one of my favorite musicals! From the genius minds of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken! I remember my first-year seminar in college was “Representations of the American Family.” When we came around to focusing on the representation of American families during the ‘50s, my professors played a clip of "Somewhere That's Green" in class since the song is a deconstruction/satire on what the American Ideal was around the time this musical takes place.
So glad you enjoyed this Chris. This movie came out when I was in high school. In college, it was one of the only videocassettes that my roommate and I had in our dorm room, so it was on our TV constantly 😂 It was really a full circle moment for me when I was able to perform in a stage version about 10 yrs ago. We did the "alternate" (original) ending. I've really loved this musical and movie for a long time and it was a blast singing these songs and telling this story on stage. This movie has great music, is fun, quirky and camp and has a really great cast. Really glad you were given this suggestion and that you enjoyed it.
Tragically underrated and overlooked movie. As a general rule, I'm not big on musicals. There are only a few I enjoy, and those are usually in spite of being musicals, not because they're musicals... but "Little Shop of Horrors" has been putting a big ol' smile on my face since I first saw it back in the late '80s. I've watched it at least a dozen times since then and loved it every time. I'd seen the original 1960 iteration a couple times on TV before I saw the '86 version. As much as I enjoyed the original, the reimagining blew me away. Brilliant movie! I get why the original ending wouldn't sit well with a lot of people, and I enjoy the theatrical ending just fine, but the cut ending is a treat in and of itself. Loved the reaction! EDIT: I kept singing Steve Martin's "dentist" song and annoyed most of my friends when I first discovered this movie, but Ellen Greene's singing voice is just on another level.
I’ve loved this one since I was a kid, so much fun and one of the soundtracks I dig out for long car journeys as the songs are frickin’ amazing! I love the background singers/chorus singers - those three ladies are just perfect!
If you get a chance to see a good version of this at a live theater, go for it. At a family reunion, I once convinced about a dozen family members (including my cousin the dentist) to go to a local summer musical production and we had a blast.
I was always conflicted regarding the ending. In the theatre, I played both Orin the Dentist AND Audrey II, so I was on both sides. Not to mention that I really always wanted to play Seymour. The original ending was always more fun to play, though. And I really regret not getting to sing Mean Green Mother, as that's just for the film.
@@CasualNerdReactions I simply can’t understand why they didn’t have their cake and eat it too! The dark ending could have been a nightmare Seymour wakes up from just in time to save Audrey and get the happy ending!
The original 1960 version of this story was directed by Roger Corman and was not a musical. It did have a very young Jack Nicholson in the Bill Murray role.
Lil cameo that's easy to miss: Christopher Guest is the first customer who sees the very interesting plant in the window. He plays the 6 fingered man in The Princess Bride, and Guffman in Waiting for Guffman, and the doctor in A Few Good Men, and, and, and...
Chris I enjoyed your reactions and comments for LSOH very much. This was a treat for me ; Little Shop of Horrors is a favorite movie of mine and I have lost count of how many times I have seen this movie . Thank you so much for cheering me up here . I know it's not the usual cheer up movie but the singing gets me every time . Audrey's voice with Seymour's pulls me in for all the feels ....such a creepy, brilliant, and romantic movie . Thank you again for this treat and I look forward to many more movies in your channel .
The other, OTHER real ending, Audrey is dying, and begs Seymour to feed her to the plant. She sings: [AUDREY] When I die, which should be very shortly, give me to the plant. So it can live and bring you all the wonderful things you deserve [SEYMOUR] You don't know what you're saying! [AUDREY] But I do! It's the one gift I can give you. And if I'm in the plant, then I'm part of the plant. So in a way, we'll always be together! (sung) You'll wash my tender leaves You'll smell my sweet perfume You'll water me and care for me You'll see me bud and bloom I'm feeling strangely happy now Contented and serene Oh, don't you see? Finally I'll be Somewhere that's green…
This is about as good as movie reactions get; the editing, your overall attitude and contribution (and being in key haha!), the way you handled both endings...chef's kiss!! I don't have strong feelings on one ending vs. another but I will say the fact that there are two endings was a surprise to me that I discovered when I watched it the second time ~10 years after the first time and the ending was totally changed, I thought my brain had failed, it was so strange trying to square that circle until I learned about the alt ending 😅
I absolutely loved this reaction. It may even be my favourite of yours. Your singing added to the enjoyment too, which is a very rare thing for me to say to a youtube reactor (probably the first time actually). I've seen the film so many times since I was a kid in the 80's and 90's, but had no idea there was an alternative ending. It's certainly very different and quite impressive.
Little Shop of Horrors is one of my all-time favorite movies. It makes me happy every time I watch it. It is a sort of remake. The original was a black & white Roger Corman horror film from 1960, which is notable for being one of Jack Nicholson's first film roles. (He plays the Bill Murray role.) The original is not a musical, but it was adapted into a Broadway show, which was later adapted into this film. Ellen Green (Audrey) was the only actor held over from the Broadway version to the screen version. The film's original ending was truer to the original film and the Broadway version, but test audiences wanted a happier ending, so this ending was shot. Since the release of the Director's cut, I can barely stand to watch the classic ending I grew up with. The cuts are too evident to me and I feel derailed. The restored ending is so much more poetic, with a lovely reprise of Somewhere That's Green that will rip your heart out, and then an added closing number, Don't Feed the Plants, that should never have been left on the cutting room floor. There has been talk of a remake, but I just can't imagine how you could improve on the music, the casting and the effects in this movie.
Although Rick Moranis's voice is good, the three standouts are Bertice Reading ( the bag lady who starts Downtown) Ellen Greene and Levi Stubbs Junior Excellent film 😊😊😊
You didn't get the full alternate ending. It starts where Seymour pulls Audrey out of Audrey II. Rather than surviving and getting a reprise of Suddenly Seymour, there's an alternate reprise of Somewhere That's Green as she dies and then he feeds her to Audrey II. Then he goes up to the roof to jump off and that's when he encounters the guy who wants to take cuttings from Audrey II to grow more and put them in every home, and he decides to try to kill it, and that's where you picked up.
@@CasualNerdReactions Oh, and fun fact, anytime someone is on screen with the plant being puppetted, they had to shoot it in slow motion and speed it up and dub over the vocals. So anytime Rick Moranis is on screen singing with Audrey II he's having to act, sing, move, etc. at 3/4ths speed and make it look natural. Took about 2 dozen takes per scene to get right. Any time the plant is alone it's shot at 12fps and doubled to 24 (so 2 seconds of footage becomes 1 second), and both on screen together is done at 18fps.
Not sure what version you saw but the entirety of the alternate ending. Do you see that Seymour feeds Audrey to the plant because? That's her last request and and the alternate ending is actually the original ending of the broadway play
"Feed me, Seymour!" A cocaine fueled fever dream, is what best describes this movie. I'm always excited to see which version of this movie people pick to watch. Fun Fact: As part of the film's promotion, the Audrey II (Levi Stubbs) plant was occasionally interviewed, in character, by the press. On at least one occasion, the interview concluded with Audrey II "eating" the interviewer. Rainbow Connection Fact: The puppeteers who designed and operated Audrey II (Levi Stubbs) were veterans of the Jim Henson company. One of the operators was Brian Henson, Jim's son. The young girl leaving the dentist's office before Bill Murray's scene is Heather Henson, daughter of Jim Henson. What Script Fact: Bill Murray's scene in the waiting room was filmed as scripted, but there was virtually no written dialogue when his character got into the dentist's chair, except for ecstatic cries of pleasure. Over the course of the two days that he filmed, Murray kept riffing various ad-libs, which presented a challenge for the editor to assemble a coherent version of the scene.
I LOVE this movie. But amazingly, the very first version I ever saw was the old B&W Roger Corman version, which isn't a musical and darker. Having that reference, this version was such a surprise. ruclips.net/video/fINOBT6cAdU/видео.html
I love being active in local theatre, and this musical has to be the absolutely most fun to perform! In the finale, when the girls sing, "in your town!", plant vines drop from the ceiling into the audience! The tech for this show is amazing. So much fun with this reaction!
The alternate ending you watched isn't the complete alternate ending. It should have started with Seymour saving Audrey from the jaws of Audrey II. The alleyway sequence is different as well.
Wonderfully fun as always, Chris! "Sounds like Oogie Boogie." Yeah, about that. Both roles were voiced by Broadway legend Ken Page. (He also originated the role of Old Deuteronomy from "Cats" on Broadway.)
As to the two different endings, I think what happened was this: The original Broadway ending was probably a more logical resolution for the story, but judging by some original cast performances I watched on the Tonight show at the time, Seymour was played as a much less sympathetic character, someone you didn't mind seeing die at the end. When Rick Moranis took the role in the movie version, he came across as so likable that I can easily see how the preview audience wanted him to survive; and I think they were probably right, so long as he was doing the role. Seymour can easily be played as either sympathetic or not, and I think the proper choice of ending depends on how the character is portrayed. By the way, you're probably aware that the Broadway musical was based on a very low-budget 1960 horror spoof movie; did you know that the part Bill Murray plays in the musical was played in the original by a very young Jack Nicholson?
Your joy matched my own when I saw this in the cinema. I watched a stage production after and that darker ending worked way better in that medium. Frank Oz deserves more accolades as a director. His Death at a Funeral was perfect.
I loved your reaction! I had this movie on VHS as a child and its still one of my favorite, and its so much better when I'm older! Always having most of the songs in my playlist :3 The best part with the ending of them taking over the world, everyone who had one had to feed them, I think its kind of interesting go down the road of how many people would kill for succés. And that's why it's a greater ending, because I would believe it 100%
I remember when this came out on DVD and it had the original ending as a black-and-white work print. WB hadn't cleared that with the filmmakers, and they also neglected to get the music rights for the additional song. Because it was over a few minutes in length it was subject to additional ASCAP royalties. To further complicate things, Howard Ashman had died making getting a quick licensing deal impossible and they had to recall the DVD (the first DVD ever to be recalled IIRC). It became an instant collectible.
Audrey died and as per her request Seymour fed her to the plant to keep it alive. After that Twoey ate him. This is one of my favorite musicals. I saw the off Broadway production with Ellen Greene when I was 6. The show ends with Seymour and Audrey dying. Plot wise It seems more realistic. It’s unlikely Seymour could really kill the plant and he is “punished” for the Faustian deal he made with Audrey II. It’s based on the original ending of the Roger Corman film.
Every time I think of Rick Moranis, I think of this Reddit comment I ready years ago. Its well known that he quit acting when his wife passed away so that he could focus of his kids completely. An Ask Reddit thread was asking "What would you name a celebrities memoir?" and someone named Rick's 'Honey, I Raised the Kids' . 😭Gets me every time.
11:26 - If Orin Scrizzelo was a REAL Sadist, he would immediately dump Audrey for Herb Denton because he's the perfect masochist. It's not causing pain that Orin loves, it's causing misery. 17:05 - Mushnik's conniving nature is delved into more in the stage play. He didn't deserve DEATH, but neither was he a nice man. 25:11 - It seems like you're watching a version that starts with Mean, Green Mother. The FULL alternate ending begins right after Seymore pulls Aurdrey from Twoie's mouth. Here it is: ruclips.net/video/ub2bxfLU2Sg/видео.html After this scene there's a different version of the businessman proposing cuttings of Audrey 2, THEN it goes into Mean Green Mother. 26:46 - So THIS is the original ending as it happens in the stage play. People in the test screening hated that Seymore and Audrey ended up dead, so they changed it to give them a happy ending.
The first time I saw any version of this was live. I ushered at a summer stock theater, and I got to watch the musicals for free. This one was a wild ride! The songs are so memorable. When the movie came out a few years later and included the Broadway Audrey and that cavalcade of Hollywood stars, it exceeded all expectations. My favorite ending is the happy one, but my favorite line is from the original awful one. Audrey basically saying after the plant devours her she will finally be somewhere that's green! So well written!
Thanks for watching this one. I grew up watching this movie on repeat. I love this movie on so many levels. Had to wait 20 years before I was able to see that alternate ending. While it was extremely impressive, I still prefer the original ending. Also, the alternate ending, which is a part of the director’s cut, had Audrey die from her wounds after being rescued from the plant.
Hi my favorite version is the happier version where Seymour and Audrey one get married and live together partially because I feel like he got caught in something he wouldn’t have been caught up in in normal circumstances and because the person whose body he cut up was abusive to Audrey and he never actually fully killed anybody. I also like the happier version better because I don’t think you saw the part in the alternative ending where after the plant doesn’t fully kill Audrey for the first time Audrey because of the pain she’s in from the plant and the plant somewhat making her crazy she tells Seymour to feed her to Audrey 2 and sings somewhere that’s green again implying living in the plant is green too, and Audrey never did anything wrong at all. With that being said I somewhat find the directors cut with the plant taking over the world in some ways more plausible to the way a lot of the storyline was going.
yeah the story had a lot of themes reminiscent of the story of faust and given that the both of them dying makes a lot more sense. probably would have beaten aliens for best visual effects oscar too if they had left it in
One of the best movie musicals, directed by Frank Oz. The songs are all fantastic, the cast is wonderful and the puppetry is delightful. I prefer the theatrical end 😅
I’ve loved this musical since I was teenager and when the college by my house was performing it I had to go see it. I was also shocked about how it really does end. I did get to see a production of it here in San Francisco when I came and I took my sister to see it because we love musicals and I just watched her face to see how she reacted to how it actually really does end. I like the happy ending better and we still have another Audrey 2 in it so it works for me. Just don’t feed the plants.
Other than the world domination, the alternate ending is close to the original 1960s movie ending where Seymour does get eaten by Audrey Jr. (as the plant is known in that movie). I think it's on RUclips. I'll see if I can find a link for you.
My mom gave me this when it came out on VHS in 1987. I watched it over and over until I was quoting it word for word while riding my big wheel around the yard. I still can’t believe “Mean Green Mother From Outer Space” lost the Oscar for best original song to “Take My Breath Away” from Top Gun. Though I agree that ALIENS should have gotten the best visual effects Oscar over this movie, but just barely.
it was the first oscar nominated song to contain profanity. probably why they chose to pass on letting it win too. aliens had great visual effects but for pure amazing puppetry nothing in history has ever matched this movie.
Also changing the ending of the musical for the film was ridiculous. That's why studios should never listen to test audiences. The show has run for decades with the ending where the plants win.
I remember my mum showing me this when I was a kid and from the first moment of the intro I was hooked, I knew I was in for an amazing ride. I listen to the songs from this weekly till this day 🤣
This movie was so much wilder than I expected, and the alternate ending even more so! What's YOUR favorite part of Little Shop of Horrors?
When I was younger, I didn't like the director's version. However the older and more cynical I get, I appreciate the director's version more and more.
Ages and ages ago, I cracked myself up reading the stage play while on the beach, and longed to see the live show. I never did, but I do know that the very ending has the plant growing over the entire audience.
Skid Row. That song gives me chills every time. It's an incredible way to start the movie.
Always loved the fantasdtic "Skid Row" opening and the cruelly funny "Be a dentist".
Too bad they didn't get the guts to release the original ending in theater, it's so much a better logical end for the whole story than "Cool, here's an electric cable : glad I didn't die smashed under the crumbling house !"...
I think you missed a bit of the alternate ending. Prior to the scene you start watching, Audrey 1 is eaten by the plant and Seymour doesn't save her. That's when Seymour fights Audrey 2.
I like the theatrical version. Though the alternate version is true to the stage version and Roger Corman's original non musical movie.
Absolutely love Rick Moranis. he was huge star with great movies behind him then one day just 'Nope, I'm done gotta take care of my family' and he left Hollywood. So much respect.
When I found out why he stepped away from acting I was saddened by all the great Moranis content we missed out on but I have mad respect for him putting his children first.
From what I’ve heard he’s back and is doing a sequel to honey I shrunk the kids
That’s right! Shrunk is a series coming soon to Disney + starring Rick Moranis and Josh Gad.
Sorry to say it’s been cancelled
Frank Oz explained that the original ending of the stage version had Audrey and Seymour eaten and the plant taking over the world. And that was the ending they filmed. Then at test screenings they realised that on stage, even though the two leads died, they still come out for the curtain call and leave the audience feeling good. There is no curtain call in a movie, and killing off Seymour and Audrey was just too much of a downer. Oz said the worst part was having to tell the special effects department that all their hard work on the final scene would be cut.
I simply can’t understand why they didn’t have their cake and eat it too! The dark ending could have been a nightmare Seymour wakes up from just in time to save Audrey and get the happy ending!
I love how those three girls are like the Greek chorus
I think Frank Oz is wrong when it comes to why that audience reaction happened. The movie is different form the stage musical in that movie Seymour is more innocent than the stage version, yet suffers a less dignified death. In the stage version, Seymour finds redemption in death whereas the more innocent film version gets cruelly beaten and him being eaten is less a risk he made and more just a cruel fate. It doesn't fit the same because the circumstances just aren't the same. Had Seymour been a darker character in the film and died the way the stage version did, I think audiences would have accepted it a little more.
@@RLucas3000 Oh. Right. Shoot.
"This is the most disturbing Bill Murray role I've ever seen." Let me tell you the tale of a live action/animated film called Osmosis Jones.
Seymour has to chop up Orrin Scrivello, DDS, because Twoie isn’t big enough to swallow him whole. He grows enough to do just that to Mushnik a day later, though.
But, after Seymour first feeds Audrey 2, you see how fast it grows
You missed the beginning part of the alternate ending. Audrey winds up being fatally wounded by the plant and Seymore winds up sacrificing her to the plant.
Nominated for 2 Oscars:
Best Visual Effects, lost to ALIENS
Best Original Song, lost to Top Gun.
The Directors Cut has a much more darker, and controversial ending, which test audiences immediately rejected for a much more happier ending.
Yep! a cold bloodied murderer and greedy asshole suffering no consequences for his shitty behavior is a happy ending. But then Seymour is "nice"! Whatever.
a shame about the ending a full fifth of the movies budget was spent on that deleted scene. and it fit the movie's faustian bargain theme much better
@@johnpaullogan1365 I simply can’t understand why they didn’t have their cake and eat it too! The dark ending could have been a nightmare Seymour wakes up from just in time to save Audrey and get the happy ending!
@@RLucas3000 Because putting two showdowns in the third act, one of them being a dream sequence, is usually considered bad storytelling?
Mean Green was the first nominated song that contained profanity. Levi Stubbs performed it live. There is a swaying Audrey II in the background.
The two of three girls singing background, Tichina Arnold and Tisha Campbell, went on to star in the sitcom "Martin". Audrey ll was voiced by Levi Stubbs, lead singer of the Motown group The Four Tops.
The latter (specifically the late Stubbs) also voiced Mother Brain on Captain N - The Game Master, following which he was diagonsed with cancer in '95; suffered a stroke in 2000 (resulting in being unable to tour with the Tops anymore), and then passed in his sleep in the fall of '08.
Fun fact: Little Shop of Horrors was a 1960s Roger Corman flick first, because some one bet that he wouldn‘t be able to produce a film in two days, so he just did it. It featured Jack Nicholson in one of his very early roles.
It was later turned into a musical on stage, which then was turned into this movie. Talking of stage, this movie was shot on the 007 Stage, which was originally built for the tenth James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved me.
Later versions of the plant were too big to operate in real time, which means that Rick Moranis was acting and pretending to sing in 16 FPS, which makes his performance even more impressive.
Nicholson played the Bill Murray role of the dental patient masochist in the original
@@looneytoon76and the dentist tools in this movie were later reused as jokers torture tools, meaning jack Nicholson got to use the tools used on his character in a version he wasent in, it all comes full circle
Ellen Greene, who was also the original Audrey on stage before the movie, reprised her Audrey when NY City Center did a concert production starring Jake Gyllenhaal a few years ago - still blew the roof off, she’s a very special underrated actress.
There is a clip that shows Audrey’s “sacrifice” and death. It’s really moving and what happens in the original off Broadway show
In the original ending Audrey dies in Seymours arms after being pulled from the plants mouth.
In the original stage version, the plant ears everyone and when they do the final encore, the actors playing Audrey and Seymour come out in plant costumes. So the alternate ending is actually the original ending of the show
Fun fact: one of the “do wah do…good for you” fellas is in a British show called Red Dwarf. Danny John-Jules is his name. He’s a brilliant singer and dancer. Look up Tongue tied Red Dwarf and you’ll see. It was him singing and dancing. Very funny too.
25:11 There's a bit before the 11-minute video on RUclips, where after Seymour rescues Audrey from the plant, she realises she's going to die soon anyway from her wounds, and asks Seymour to feed her to Audrey II, so in a way she'll always be with him as he tends to her/Audrey II. So he then feeds her to Audrey II before the video on RUclips starts.
and does a reprise of somewhere that's green
Venus flytraps don't excrete, but they can't process the skeletons (of the bugs) they eat, so they leave them behind. Artistic license that Audrey II doesn't do that.
I love this movie I didn't even realize it was an alternate ending until many years later
The alternate ending was an elaborate version of the stage show where everybody dies and the plant in some productions actually comes after the audience and vines drop down from the ceiling! But it's stupid fun and everybody comes out and bows. When Audrey and then Seymour got eaten in the _movie_ the audience just stopped enjoying the extended carnage because death in film is much more final than on stage. Audiences were silent through the last 20 minutes of the original cut because they were really rooting for a happy ending. But I totally think they tried to remain true to the dark humor of the show and this is a Frank Oz masterpiece.
FYI, “Mean Green Mother from Outer Space” was the first Oscar nominated song with an obscenity in it.
Ellen Greene can STILL sing like this, even at 65+ years old. There are some videos on RUclips of her performing live in the 2010's.
The 3 girls singing were an homage to the classic Greek chorus. LOVE this movie - I still get chills, no matter how many times I watch it!!!
I love that they all have names of girl groups of the time-Crystal, Ronette, and Chiffon.
I love the theory that they're also aliens
@@kieranraynor6405 oh man- i hadn't heard that! Lol
@@kathyastrom1315 that's awesome! Never put that together.
These songs were written by the same duo that wrote all the songs for the original Little Mermaid cartoon
Try and find the Directors' Cut version of this movie, it sticks to the original play ending where (SPOILERS) Seymor saves Audrey from the plant, but she is dying, and begs Seymor to put her back in the plant so she will be, finally "Somewhere That's Green". He does, the plant eats her, and then Seymor battles the plant, and loses.
The original ending to this movie has to be the most expensive deleted scene in history.
Yes! I think I read it was 5mil of the films 25 million budget. Crazy!
It's not for all "tastes", I suppose, but I *love* this movie. The wonderful music, the sensational cast, the clever innovative direction - it's a winner all around. And your reaction was great!
"Directed by Frank Oz..."
You know that's *Yoda* right? And Miss Piggy, and Grover (He got a lot of mileage out of essentially one character voice) and that's why the creature FX are so good in this.
It has been revived in a great new Off-Broadway production. The alternate ending is the way the original production Off-Broadway ends and plant vines fall over the audience.
Great film and great reaction. One thing that alternate ending didn't show you was that Audrey had already perished. Seymour pulled her out of Audrey 2 but her wounds were fatal and then Seymour decided to feed her body to the plant before deciding that he needed to stop it.
As for my preference between endings, I prefer the happier ending. I know that the I know that the original ending, now the alternate ending, is more inline with the original movie and the subsequent stage production. I also know a lot of work went into it and it gives Seymour comeuppance for his transgressions but, its such a downer of an ending even though the aftermath with the ending of the world is fun to watch. But, the idea that both Audrey and Seymour went through their lives on Skid Row, feeling nothing but dejection and low self-esteem/self-worth, finally they realize they like each other despite their disbelief that they could be loved due to their own feelings of not being good enough. Now, for the briefest of moments they have found happiness but then it is ripped away from them and they both perish having never escaped from Skid Row...it's just too depressing for me, and clearly for test audiences as well.
Not saying someone is wrong for liking the alternate ending, because that total chaos is amazingly fun and Seymour does receive his comeuppance, just saying why I prefer the theatrical ending over it. 😊
the whole movie has a lot of themes echoing the story of faust so him not getting a happy ending definitely feels like it fit the tone of the movie. the problem is thaat rick moranis was too unskilled as an actor to get the audience to dislike seymour
@@johnpaullogan1365 I don't think it had anything to do with Rick's acting. If you think the character was supposed to be disliked then it would have been the problem with the writing and directing. As the character was written Seymour was a guy completely down on his luck with low self-esteem and working a job that was on the brink of going under just because he liked plants as well as the girl that worked there. His heart is in the right place at the start of the movie but he is too much of a nice guy and easily manipulated as a result. His boss over works him and Audrey 2 taints him with the promise of fame; which Seymour believes is the only way Audrey would ever love him even though she already does, though she never says it because she feels she has no self-worth and doesn't deserve a great guy like Seymour. The only thing Seymour really does wrong is allow himself to be so manipulated.
He doesn't kill anyone, though you could argue that his not stopping the deaths of the dentist and his boss are on him. Yes, he backed his boss into Audrey 2 but he was under duress from both the pressure from Mr. Mushnik and Audrey 2 at the time. Mr. Mushnik threatening, at gun point, that Seymour would either be arrested or have to leave town and leave the plant behind, which is of course Mushnik's true aim because he has become greedy for the fame and fortune Audrey 2 provides. And Seymour is pressured by Audrey 2's earlier promise of being able to be with Audrey, Seymour's truest desire, which he would lose by complying with Mr. Mushnik. But he didn't push Mr. Mushnik into the mouth of Audrey 2, and in fact he seemed to come to his senses, albeit too late, and even tried to warn his boss of what was about to happen.
If the character was supposed to be disliked then the dentist wouldn't have been as detestable of a human as he was, Seymour would have shot and killed him instead of letting him perish due to his own gas contraption. And Seymour should have also push his boss into Audrey 2's mouth to make sure the plant got him. He could have also reveled in the fame and fortune the plant brought him rather than seemingly being whipped around in the storm of it all. All of these things could have been written into the story or Rick could have been told to add these actions or perceptions in. Yes, actors can add their own takes and personalities to the characters they play but if that was not what is supposed to be portrayed as such then the writing should have corrected that or the director should have insisted the character be played as such.
I happened to watch a version with the dark alternate ending the first time! I was glad when I discovered that the 'canon' version had a happy ending because what I saw was a bit on the bleak side!
Right before the alternate ending started Audrey succumbs to her wounds and dies and she wants to be “somewhere that’s green” so she asks Seymour to feed her to Audrey II when she dies.
I really love this movie. If you're a fan of the Disney Renaissance, you might recognize the score and lyrics were done by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. (The last verse of Somewhere that's Green has the same structure and notes as the last few lines of Little Mermaid's Part of that World)
I love Ellen Green's singing voice. She has a fantastic range, and I'm still fairly sure she can still hit most of these notes.
Fun note, the original movie was made in a couple days when a director had a set for a few days and wanted to maximize his time with the set.
Haha, that “and where you live!” in the end song of the alt ending, in the stage version the line is actually “and this theater!” In the higher-budget productions, apparently vines descend from the ceiling, to indicate Audrey IIs attacking the theater. ^^
This is one of my favorite movies, it’s just such a fantastic musical, with absolutely phenomenal puppet work on Audrey II, and just an overall really solid movie. :D Ellen Greene, who played Audrey, actually originated the role of Audrey in this musical on Broadway, so major props to Rick Moranis for keeping up with her! Like you said, you can definitely hear the real power in her voice even behind the airy character voice she’s putting on. I was actually in a production of this as a kid, but not as any major character, I played a bunch of bit parts (I was one of the background singers in “Skid Row”, I was a customer during the “strange and unusual plant” bit, I was a magazine editor giving an offer to Seymour during “The Meek Shall Inherit”, and I was Patrick Martin at the end).
What the test audience didn’t like about this ending wasn’t any of the effects or it not feeling “complete”, it’s that they didn’t like Audrey and Seymour dying in the end (and yes Audrey dies, the ending you watched seemed to start after that for some reason, but basically Audrey survived Twoey munching on her like before, but quickly succumbs to blood loss. She sings a sad (and dark when you hear the lyrics) reprise of “Somewhere That’s Green” where she asks Seymour to feed her body to the plant, so that it will grow big and strong and bring him all the success he deserves, and so that she’ll finally be “somewhere that’s green” (ie, the plant). And while some don’t agree with that decision and prefer the tragic ending of the stage musical (the story is narrated by a tragic Greek chorus for a reason, after all), a closer look at some of the smaller changes made from the transition from stage to screen, it actually starts to make more sense why Seymour’s death feels less earned than it does in the musical. Here’s a quick summary of some of the changes:
- In the stage show, Mushnik never offered to cover up Orin’s murder just so he could get his hands on the plant. This addition makes Mushnik feels more sleazy and less sympathetic as a victim.
- In the stage show, Mushnik doesn’t accidentally back into the plant. Instead, Seymour tells him he put the day’s earnings in the plant for safekeeping and tells Mushnik to go look in its mouth for the money, deliberately tricking him to his death instead of hesitating while Mushnik backed into his own doom.
- There is a cut bit from the stage show’s version of “The Meek Shall Inherit” where Seymour debates whether to destroy the plant, but ultimately decides to stay with the plant and keep killing for it so he doesn’t lose Audrey. Him fully committing to this course, even if he never actually gets around to killing anyone else before dying himself, completes his character arc from mostly sweet sympathetic victim to murderer who made the conscious choice to keep killing no matter the justification.
With all of these changes in mind, it’s easier to see how the stage show’s Seymour feels deserving of his fate and how it feels like a satisfying and fitting conclusion to his tragic character arc, and where the same might not be said of the film’s Seymour. A lot of his nastier choices as a person were removed from the story, ultimately making him feel much more sympathetic throughout. Audrey’s death is still a gut punch no matter which version you’re watching though. :P
Fun fact! Sequences with the big audrey plant were filmed with the puppet n actors doing everything at half time, so when it was sped up the puppets movements look more smooth
A really cool way of making the animatronic/puppet look realistic for the time, it's also impressive on the actors parts
I'm not sure if my wording was right here, sorry if it doesn't make sense
I like the Alternate Ending! It seems a lot more Edgy and fitting for the crazy movie that this is...
My favorite part is the fight between Seymor and Audrey II. As soon as I found out what Audrey II lived on, I would have killed it.
I was today years old when I found out that the voice of Audrey II was Levi Stubbs, one of the lead singers of the Four Tops. Wow. And the songs were written by Howard Ashman, who wrote the music for the Disney films The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast! And directed by the incredible Frank Oz of Muppets and Sesame Street fame, not to mention the all-star cast. This is such a fun, campy, musical horror comedy film.
lyrics by ashnard. music by alan menken. for a list of his credits pretty much relist ashnard's and add the greatest series of all time, Galavant.
I love this movie. One of my all time fav musicals for sure. The alternate ending you watched left out the part where Audrey dies. Audrey 2's bites actually caused her to die & Seymour feeds her to A2. He goes up to the roof to unalive himself but when he learns of A2 becoming a household plant, he tries to defeat it, then you saw the rest 😊 I prefer the theatrical version but that's probably cause that's the one I grew up with 😅
you forgot that while dying she asks seymour to feed her to it so she can contribute to his success and in a way always be with him. then launches into a reprise of somewhere that's green as she dies
Any time I'm gardening or working with plants, I catch myself singing "Please Grow For Me"! 😄
Absolutely perfect.
Knowing you had no idea what was coming made your reactions such a joy to watch.
And this is going to sound, well, waffle-y, but I like both endings. The first time I saw this, in the theater, I'd already seen the original Corman film and the musical it was based on, so the happy ending was a surprise. It was a pleasant surprise, though, because, in this film, I got so attached to Seymour and Audrey I was glad to see them survive. And, unlike a play, the film cast doesn't get to come out for a curtain call at the end. The little Audrey II in their garden was also a nice reminder that there's lurking evil even in the happiest of places.
The alternate ending, though, is just fun, and has that open-ended quality that sci-fi classics of the '50's and '60's often had. I also really, really, really wish I'd been able to see it on the big screen.
I simply can’t understand why they didn’t have their cake and eat it too! The dark ending could have been a nightmare Seymour wakes up from just in time to save Audrey and get the happy ending!
Perfect songs for karaoke!! Suddenly Seymour is a great duet to sing with friends. Learning them is super fun.
This is one of my favorite musicals! From the genius minds of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken! I remember my first-year seminar in college was “Representations of the American Family.” When we came around to focusing on the representation of American families during the ‘50s, my professors played a clip of "Somewhere That's Green" in class since the song is a deconstruction/satire on what the American Ideal was around the time this musical takes place.
I love happy endings, so the original is my favorite ending.
The happy ending is not the original, though
So glad you enjoyed this Chris. This movie came out when I was in high school. In college, it was one of the only videocassettes that my roommate and I had in our dorm room, so it was on our TV constantly 😂 It was really a full circle moment for me when I was able to perform in a stage version about 10 yrs ago. We did the "alternate" (original) ending. I've really loved this musical and movie for a long time and it was a blast singing these songs and telling this story on stage. This movie has great music, is fun, quirky and camp and has a really great cast. Really glad you were given this suggestion and that you enjoyed it.
Tragically underrated and overlooked movie. As a general rule, I'm not big on musicals. There are only a few I enjoy, and those are usually in spite of being musicals, not because they're musicals... but "Little Shop of Horrors" has been putting a big ol' smile on my face since I first saw it back in the late '80s. I've watched it at least a dozen times since then and loved it every time.
I'd seen the original 1960 iteration a couple times on TV before I saw the '86 version. As much as I enjoyed the original, the reimagining blew me away. Brilliant movie! I get why the original ending wouldn't sit well with a lot of people, and I enjoy the theatrical ending just fine, but the cut ending is a treat in and of itself.
Loved the reaction!
EDIT: I kept singing Steve Martin's "dentist" song and annoyed most of my friends when I first discovered this movie, but Ellen Greene's singing voice is just on another level.
Frank Oz should be hired to direct any and all movie adaptations of stage musicals! Just a knock-out!
I’ve loved this one since I was a kid, so much fun and one of the soundtracks I dig out for long car journeys as the songs are frickin’ amazing! I love the background singers/chorus singers - those three ladies are just perfect!
If you get a chance to see a good version of this at a live theater, go for it. At a family reunion, I once convinced about a dozen family members (including my cousin the dentist) to go to a local summer musical production and we had a blast.
Alternate ending is actually longer, Audrey gets eaten before Seymore does. Great reaction Chris!
I was always conflicted regarding the ending. In the theatre, I played both Orin the Dentist AND Audrey II, so I was on both sides. Not to mention that I really always wanted to play Seymour. The original ending was always more fun to play, though. And I really regret not getting to sing Mean Green Mother, as that's just for the film.
You need to rewind more for the alternate ending: you do see what happens to Audrey and it is important.
I've since learned this! It wasn't included in the version of the ending I found. 😭
@@CasualNerdReactions Ooo, a crime committed there! You need to find that missing piece: it's a very, good, very sad, rather twisted scene.
@@CasualNerdReactions I simply can’t understand why they didn’t have their cake and eat it too! The dark ending could have been a nightmare Seymour wakes up from just in time to save Audrey and get the happy ending!
WHOOP! Top-favorite-musicals afternoon Sing-a-Long! I'm SO in!
The happy ending is actually the alternate ending due to the test screening and they changed it, the disaster part is the real original ending.
The original 1960 version of this story was directed by Roger Corman and was not a musical. It did have a very young Jack Nicholson in the Bill Murray role.
This is my all time favorite movie. The cast, the songs, the script, all perfect. I do like the ending that was cut better than the one I grew up with
Lil cameo that's easy to miss: Christopher Guest is the first customer who sees the very interesting plant in the window.
He plays the 6 fingered man in The Princess Bride, and Guffman in Waiting for Guffman, and the doctor in A Few Good Men, and, and, and...
and Nigel Tufnel of Spinal Tap
Chris I enjoyed your reactions and comments for LSOH very much. This was a treat for me ; Little Shop of Horrors is a favorite movie of mine and I have lost count of how many times I have seen this movie . Thank you so much for cheering me up here . I know it's not the usual cheer up movie but the singing gets me every time . Audrey's voice with Seymour's pulls me in for all the feels ....such a creepy, brilliant, and romantic movie . Thank you again for this treat and I look forward to many more movies in your channel .
The other, OTHER real ending, Audrey is dying, and begs Seymour to feed her to the plant. She sings:
[AUDREY]
When I die, which should be very shortly, give me to the plant. So it can live and bring you all the wonderful things you deserve
[SEYMOUR]
You don't know what you're saying!
[AUDREY]
But I do! It's the one gift I can give you. And if I'm in the plant, then I'm part of the plant. So in a way, we'll always be together!
(sung)
You'll wash my tender leaves
You'll smell my sweet perfume
You'll water me and care for me
You'll see me bud and bloom
I'm feeling strangely happy now
Contented and serene
Oh, don't you see?
Finally I'll be
Somewhere that's green…
Jack Nickleson was in the 1960 non-musical version.
This is about as good as movie reactions get; the editing, your overall attitude and contribution (and being in key haha!), the way you handled both endings...chef's kiss!!
I don't have strong feelings on one ending vs. another but I will say the fact that there are two endings was a surprise to me that I discovered when I watched it the second time ~10 years after the first time and the ending was totally changed, I thought my brain had failed, it was so strange trying to square that circle until I learned about the alt ending 😅
One of my fave musical films! Yay!
You missed the other part of the alternate ending! The Audrey part!
This is one of my all time favorite musicals. If you ever get a chance to see it on stage in NYC too, 10/10 totally recommend.
I absolutely loved this reaction. It may even be my favourite of yours. Your singing added to the enjoyment too, which is a very rare thing for me to say to a youtube reactor (probably the first time actually). I've seen the film so many times since I was a kid in the 80's and 90's, but had no idea there was an alternative ending. It's certainly very different and quite impressive.
Little Shop of Horrors is one of my all-time favorite movies. It makes me happy every time I watch it.
It is a sort of remake. The original was a black & white Roger Corman horror film from 1960, which is notable for being one of Jack Nicholson's first film roles. (He plays the Bill Murray role.)
The original is not a musical, but it was adapted into a Broadway show, which was later adapted into this film. Ellen Green (Audrey) was the only actor held over from the Broadway version to the screen version. The film's original ending was truer to the original film and the Broadway version, but test audiences wanted a happier ending, so this ending was shot. Since the release of the Director's cut, I can barely stand to watch the classic ending I grew up with. The cuts are too evident to me and I feel derailed.
The restored ending is so much more poetic, with a lovely reprise of Somewhere That's Green that will rip your heart out, and then an added closing number, Don't Feed the Plants, that should never have been left on the cutting room floor.
There has been talk of a remake, but I just can't imagine how you could improve on the music, the casting and the effects in this movie.
Although Rick Moranis's voice is good, the three standouts are Bertice Reading ( the bag lady who starts Downtown) Ellen Greene and Levi Stubbs Junior
Excellent film 😊😊😊
You didn't get the full alternate ending. It starts where Seymour pulls Audrey out of Audrey II. Rather than surviving and getting a reprise of Suddenly Seymour, there's an alternate reprise of Somewhere That's Green as she dies and then he feeds her to Audrey II. Then he goes up to the roof to jump off and that's when he encounters the guy who wants to take cuttings from Audrey II to grow more and put them in every home, and he decides to try to kill it, and that's where you picked up.
Amazing how extensive the rewrite was. All of that context makes a big difference. 😳
@@CasualNerdReactions Here's the full thing, with the changes starting around 2:50 in: ruclips.net/video/gyQpDCAWpbs/видео.html
@@CasualNerdReactions Oh, and fun fact, anytime someone is on screen with the plant being puppetted, they had to shoot it in slow motion and speed it up and dub over the vocals. So anytime Rick Moranis is on screen singing with Audrey II he's having to act, sing, move, etc. at 3/4ths speed and make it look natural. Took about 2 dozen takes per scene to get right. Any time the plant is alone it's shot at 12fps and doubled to 24 (so 2 seconds of footage becomes 1 second), and both on screen together is done at 18fps.
Not sure what version you saw but the entirety of the alternate ending. Do you see that Seymour feeds Audrey to the plant because? That's her last request and and the alternate ending is actually the original ending of the broadway play
So good you knew about the original ending. That's my favorite part, them just laughing and destroying everything
"Feed me, Seymour!"
A cocaine fueled fever dream, is what best describes this movie. I'm always excited to see which version of this movie people pick to watch.
Fun Fact: As part of the film's promotion, the Audrey II (Levi Stubbs) plant was occasionally interviewed, in character, by the press. On at least one occasion, the interview concluded with Audrey II "eating" the interviewer.
Rainbow Connection Fact: The puppeteers who designed and operated Audrey II (Levi Stubbs) were veterans of the Jim Henson company. One of the operators was Brian Henson, Jim's son. The young girl leaving the dentist's office before Bill Murray's scene is Heather Henson, daughter of Jim Henson.
What Script Fact: Bill Murray's scene in the waiting room was filmed as scripted, but there was virtually no written dialogue when his character got into the dentist's chair, except for ecstatic cries of pleasure. Over the course of the two days that he filmed, Murray kept riffing various ad-libs, which presented a challenge for the editor to assemble a coherent version of the scene.
I LOVE this movie. But amazingly, the very first version I ever saw was the old B&W Roger Corman version, which isn't a musical and darker. Having that reference, this version was such a surprise. ruclips.net/video/fINOBT6cAdU/видео.html
I love being active in local theatre, and this musical has to be the absolutely most fun to perform! In the finale, when the girls sing, "in your town!", plant vines drop from the ceiling into the audience! The tech for this show is amazing. So much fun with this reaction!
Seeing this in the theater in its initial release was just a blast! I immediately bought the soundtrack and listen to it to this day.
The alternate ending you watched isn't the complete alternate ending. It should have started with Seymour saving Audrey from the jaws of Audrey II. The alleyway sequence is different as well.
I love every song in this movie❤
The Bill Murray role was Jack Nicholson in the original film,, perhaps his first role.
Wonderfully fun as always, Chris!
"Sounds like Oogie Boogie." Yeah, about that. Both roles were voiced by Broadway legend Ken Page. (He also originated the role of Old Deuteronomy from "Cats" on Broadway.)
The voice of Audrey II is not Ken Page. It's Levi Stubbs, lead singer for The Four Tops, a R & B group of the 60s.
As to the two different endings, I think what happened was this: The original Broadway ending was probably a more logical resolution for the story, but judging by some original cast performances I watched on the Tonight show at the time, Seymour was played as a much less sympathetic character, someone you didn't mind seeing die at the end. When Rick Moranis took the role in the movie version, he came across as so likable that I can easily see how the preview audience wanted him to survive; and I think they were probably right, so long as he was doing the role. Seymour can easily be played as either sympathetic or not, and I think the proper choice of ending depends on how the character is portrayed. By the way, you're probably aware that the Broadway musical was based on a very low-budget 1960 horror spoof movie; did you know that the part Bill Murray plays in the musical was played in the original by a very young Jack Nicholson?
Your joy matched my own when I saw this in the cinema. I watched a stage production after and that darker ending worked way better in that medium. Frank Oz deserves more accolades as a director. His Death at a Funeral was perfect.
I loved your reaction! I had this movie on VHS as a child and its still one of my favorite, and its so much better when I'm older!
Always having most of the songs in my playlist :3
The best part with the ending of them taking over the world, everyone who had one had to feed them, I think its kind of interesting go down the road of how many people would kill for succés. And that's why it's a greater ending, because I would believe it 100%
I love how much you enjoyed this, especially creating your own little sing along. And I vastly prefer the alternate ending. 😁
I tend to agree with you, especially after seeing the full ending. 😳 but I get why people didn’t like it- Rick Moranis makes him such a nice guy!
I remember when this came out on DVD and it had the original ending as a black-and-white work print. WB hadn't cleared that with the filmmakers, and they also neglected to get the music rights for the additional song. Because it was over a few minutes in length it was subject to additional ASCAP royalties. To further complicate things, Howard Ashman had died making getting a quick licensing deal impossible and they had to recall the DVD (the first DVD ever to be recalled IIRC). It became an instant collectible.
That's chaos and I love it.
u missed the FULL alternate ending
Audry fate is VERY memorable in the full ending
Yea it is! 😅 it’s also like the longest alternate ending in history.
Audrey died and as per her request Seymour fed her to the plant to keep it alive. After that Twoey ate him. This is one of my favorite musicals. I saw the off Broadway production with Ellen Greene when I was 6. The show ends with Seymour and Audrey dying. Plot wise It seems more realistic. It’s unlikely Seymour could really kill the plant and he is “punished” for the Faustian deal he made with Audrey II. It’s based on the original ending of the Roger Corman film.
Every time I think of Rick Moranis, I think of this Reddit comment I ready years ago. Its well known that he quit acting when his wife passed away so that he could focus of his kids completely. An Ask Reddit thread was asking "What would you name a celebrities memoir?" and someone named Rick's 'Honey, I Raised the Kids' . 😭Gets me every time.
That’s beautiful, honestly. I would pick up a copy for sure.
11:26 - If Orin Scrizzelo was a REAL Sadist, he would immediately dump Audrey for Herb Denton because he's the perfect masochist. It's not causing pain that Orin loves, it's causing misery.
17:05 - Mushnik's conniving nature is delved into more in the stage play. He didn't deserve DEATH, but neither was he a nice man.
25:11 - It seems like you're watching a version that starts with Mean, Green Mother. The FULL alternate ending begins right after Seymore pulls Aurdrey from Twoie's mouth. Here it is: ruclips.net/video/ub2bxfLU2Sg/видео.html After this scene there's a different version of the businessman proposing cuttings of Audrey 2, THEN it goes into Mean Green Mother.
26:46 - So THIS is the original ending as it happens in the stage play. People in the test screening hated that Seymore and Audrey ended up dead, so they changed it to give them a happy ending.
The alternate ending is a good allegory for AI, actually, now that I think of it.
The "alternate" ending is actually the original ending, which duplicates the stage version.
I grew up watching this amazing movie. I will never not love it!
I Voiced Audrey II In A High School Production A Month Ago And I Will Always Look At This Material With Love And Nostalgia. Glad To See You Enjoy This
The first time I saw any version of this was live. I ushered at a summer stock theater, and I got to watch the musicals for free. This one was a wild ride! The songs are so memorable. When the movie came out a few years later and included the Broadway Audrey and that cavalcade of Hollywood stars, it exceeded all expectations. My favorite ending is the happy one, but my favorite line is from the original awful one. Audrey basically saying after the plant devours her she will finally be somewhere that's green! So well written!
I don't think the original was awful, but more realistic and it teaches you lessons.
Ellen Greene has one of the best belts in musical theatre, and Suddenly Seymour is such a great song.
Ellen Green originated the role on Broadway. Music was done by Alan Menken who did the Music for Disney’s Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast etc.
Thanks for watching this one. I grew up watching this movie on repeat. I love this movie on so many levels. Had to wait 20 years before I was able to see that alternate ending. While it was extremely impressive, I still prefer the original ending. Also, the alternate ending, which is a part of the director’s cut, had Audrey die from her wounds after being rescued from the plant.
Hi my favorite version is the happier version where Seymour and Audrey one get married and live together partially because I feel like he got caught in something he wouldn’t have been caught up in in normal circumstances and because the person whose body he cut up was abusive to Audrey and he never actually fully killed anybody. I also like the happier version better because I don’t think you saw the part in the alternative ending where after the plant doesn’t fully kill Audrey for the first time Audrey because of the pain she’s in from the plant and the plant somewhat making her crazy she tells Seymour to feed her to Audrey 2 and sings somewhere that’s green again implying living in the plant is green too, and Audrey never did anything wrong at all. With that being said I somewhat find the directors cut with the plant taking over the world in some ways more plausible to the way a lot of the storyline was going.
yeah the story had a lot of themes reminiscent of the story of faust and given that the both of them dying makes a lot more sense. probably would have beaten aliens for best visual effects oscar too if they had left it in
One of the best movie musicals, directed by Frank Oz. The songs are all fantastic, the cast is wonderful and the puppetry is delightful.
I prefer the theatrical end 😅
I’ve loved this musical since I was teenager and when the college by my house was performing it I had to go see it. I was also shocked about how it really does end. I did get to see a production of it here in San Francisco when I came and I took my sister to see it because we love musicals and I just watched her face to see how she reacted to how it actually really does end.
I like the happy ending better and we still have another Audrey 2 in it so it works for me.
Just don’t feed the plants.
Other than the world domination, the alternate ending is close to the original 1960s movie ending where Seymour does get eaten by Audrey Jr. (as the plant is known in that movie). I think it's on RUclips. I'll see if I can find a link for you.
ruclips.net/video/-r3OOJ0DLAc/видео.html
GREETINGS EARTH MAN; My dentist told me he saw clips from this film in dental school.
My mom gave me this when it came out on VHS in 1987. I watched it over and over until I was quoting it word for word while riding my big wheel around the yard.
I still can’t believe “Mean Green Mother From Outer Space” lost the Oscar for best original song to “Take My Breath Away” from Top Gun. Though I agree that ALIENS should have gotten the best visual effects Oscar over this movie, but just barely.
it was the first oscar nominated song to contain profanity. probably why they chose to pass on letting it win too. aliens had great visual effects but for pure amazing puppetry nothing in history has ever matched this movie.
Also changing the ending of the musical for the film was ridiculous. That's why studios should never listen to test audiences. The show has run for decades with the ending where the plants win.
I remember my mum showing me this when I was a kid and from the first moment of the intro I was hooked, I knew I was in for an amazing ride. I listen to the songs from this weekly till this day 🤣