Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
87%RT Audience Score: 79%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 2 Oscars
2 wins & 14 nominations total
Remixing Roger Corman’s B-movie by way of the Off-Broadway musical, Little Shop of Horrors offers camp, horror and catchy tunes in equal measure — plus some inspired cameos by the likes of Steve Martin and Bill Murray
Little Shop of Horrors is a hilarious and catchy musical that will have you singing along to its jazzy tunes. Ellen Greene’s singing is impressive, and Steve Martin’s portrayal of the sadistic dentist Orin Scrivello is side-splittingly funny. The man-eating plant from outer space may be forgettable, but the rest of the movie is a pulp pop twist on the original Roger Corman horror comedy that’s well worth its reputation. Plus, who doesn’t love a good dentist joke?
Production Company(ies)
Amigo Media,
Distributor
Warner Bros., Warner Home Vídeo
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
London, England, UK
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material including comic horror violence, substance abuse, language and sex references
Year of Release
1986
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 33m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 19, 1986 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 2, 2002
Genre(s)
Comedy/Musical
Keyword(s)
starring Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Steve Martin, John Candy, Bill Murray, directed by Frank Oz, written by Charles B Griffith, Howard Ashman, comedy, musical, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Walter Goodman, Pat Graham, Richard Corliss, Variety Staff, Geoff Andrew, Janet Maslin, Levi Stubbs, PG-13, David Geffen, Warner Bros., Warner Home Vídeo
Worldwide gross: $39,032,786
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $108,147,681
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 977
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 11,793,640
US/Canada gross: $39,032,001
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $108,145,506
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 696
US/Canada opening weekend: $3,659,884
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $10,140,398
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 953
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $25,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $69,267,206
Production budget ranking: 605
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $37,300,390
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $1,580,085
ROI to date (est.): 1%
ROI ranking: 1,390
Ellen Greene – Audrey
Steve Martin – Orin Scrivello, D.D.S.
Vincent Gardenia – Mr. Mushnik
Tichina Arnold – Crystal
Tisha Campbell-Martin – Chiffon
Levi Stubbs – Audrey II (voice)
Director – Frank Oz
Producer – David Geffen
Writers – Charles B. Griffith, Howard Ashman
Director(s)
Frank Oz
Writer(s)
Charles B. Griffith, Howard Ashman
Producer(s)
David Geffen
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 2 Oscars
2 wins & 14 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (51) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (46) | Rotten (5)
Levi Stubbs’s big voice explodes from the insatiable plant, and there’s a knockout turn by Steve Martin and Bill Murray as a sadistic dentist and his masochistic patient.
January 9, 2018
Walter Goodman
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
The best moments in this 1987 release belong to Dr. Steve Martin as a dentist with a professional yen for pain.
May 25, 2011
Pat Graham
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
You can try not liking this adaptation of the Off-Broadway musical hit — it has no polish and a pushy way with a gag — but the movie sneaks up on you, about as subtly as Audrey II.
August 25, 2008
Richard Corliss
TIME Magazine
TOP CRITIC
A fractured, funny production transported rather reluctantly from the stage to the screen.
August 25, 2008
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
This wild and witty musical is great fun.
June 24, 2006
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
A full-blown movie musical, and quite a winning one.
May 20, 2003
Janet Maslin
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
One of the more delightful aspects of Little Shop of Horrors is how well it blends tragic characters and bloody murder with a genuine, heartfelt romance – an unlikely balance.
February 12, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
Ellen Greene shows off her formidable singing ability, while Steve Martin is hilarious as the sadistic dentist Orin Scrivello.
August 31, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
A pulp pop twist on the original Roger Corman horror comedy that’s funny, fun, catchy, and well worth its reputation.
October 1, 2014
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed
Comic book creepiness, jazzy tunes, and fab cast.
December 19, 2010 | Rating: 4/5
Joly Herman
Common Sense Media
As a whole, the story is uninteresting, most of the characters contrived, and the vast majority of the 94 minutes is almost instantly forgettable, especially the man-eating plant from outer space.
August 4, 2009 | Rating: 3/5
Blake French
Filmcritic.com
Oz was no doubt hired to handle the plant monster puppet, but his brisk, lightweight direction spreads satisfyingly across the entire movie.
July 4, 2008
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid…
Plot
Seymour Krelborn is a nerdy orphan working at Mushnik’s, a flower shop in urban Skid Row. He harbors a crush on fellow co-worker Audrey Fulquard, and is berated by Mr. Mushnik daily. One day as Seymour is seeking a new mysterious plant, he finds a very mysterious unidentified plant which he calls Audrey II. The plant seems to have a craving for blood and soon begins to sing for his supper. Soon enough, Seymour feeds Audrey’s sadistic dentist boyfriend to the plant and later, Mushnik for witnessing the death of Audrey’s ex. Will Audrey II take over the world or will Seymour and Audrey defeat it?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Steve Martin and Bill Murray make inspired cameos as a sadistic dentist and his masochistic patient.
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