Little Shop of Horrors

Cinema Shock Roulette II

For this entry in our Cinema Shock Roulette series, we’re digging into one of the weirdest cult musicals to ever sprout up in mainstream Hollywood: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS.

We’ll explore the origins of the story — from its roots as a Roger Corman B-movie, to the off-Broadway musical adaptation, and finally to Frank Oz’s lavish 1986 film version. Along the way, we’ll examine how this bizarre tale of a man-eating plant got greenlit by a major studio, how the jaw-dropping puppetry brought Audrey II to life, and how the film’s original ending proved to be way too dark for test audiences.

It’s a tale of practical effects wizardry, showstopping songs, and one of the biggest compromises in cult film history.

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Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, and Todd A. Davis.