Reviewing Cult Classics: Little Shop of Horrors
By: Tracee Carter
Little Shop of Horrors saw poor numbers upon its release back in December 86’, leaving many feeling like the audience could not connect to what they perceived to be a dark musical. However, “Little Shop” is no ordinary film. It tackles domestic violence, homelessness and questions how far one would go to achieve fame and wealth.
On the surface, Little Shop of Horrors is a movie about Audrey II, a human eating plant from outer space, an unlikely hero in the form of Seymour Krelborn, a helpless shell of a woman by the name of Audrey, a sadistic dentist named Orin Scrivello and a money hungry flower shop owner, Mr. Mushnik.
Seymour Krelborn, an orphaned young man, is taken in and given a job at Mr. Mushnik’s flower shop in Downtown L.A.. Audrey, who works at the flower shop, is a timid and flamboyantly dressed woman who secretly harbors a reciprocated crush on her co-worker, all while in a relationship with the heartless Dr. Scrivello. One day, Krelborn buys an unusual plant from a nearby merchant and decides to nurture it as a showpiece, but soon finds it requires more than plant food. The organism feeds on human blood. He feeds the evil boyfriend to the plant, and allows it to eat his heinous boss right before destroying it and riding off into the sunset with Audrey. While the premise is entertaining, it is not all there is to the story.
Krelborn possesses an unhealthy fixation with achieving a level of wealth and fame that will ensure he never goes unnoticed again. He is small in stature and often a victim of bullying, but soon finds himself presented with a possible way out; feeding Audrey II means the lives of others matter less than his desire to be seen. Much like some who justify the harshest of actions for a like on Instagram, Krelborn started believing what he was doing was not so bad. After all, the finely oiled machine needed blood and his bullies had more than enough.
Meeting Audrey reveals the many injuries she has sustained from Dr. Scrivello, defining our character as a domestic abuse survivor. Her desire to be loved is to blame for why she endures such terror. It is not uncommon to meet people who have placed themselves in toxic situations, hoping someone sees them or maybe sends a friend request. The need to feel loved by others, as counterfeit as those feelings may be, is an all-consuming emotion that walks a fine line. If Audrey had known she was enough, or simply slid into Krelborn’s DM’s, she would have confidently went after the happiness she deserved.
Little Shop of Horrors was shot on a set resembling Skid Row, a sector in Los Angeles known for its overgrown homeless population. In fact, it houses one of the largest stable homeless populations in the entire U.S. A drive down Skid Row reveals entire families living in tents on the street. “Little Shop” sheds light on these devastating conditions, and the endless grind others face just to make a meaningless existence during the film’s musical number, “Skid Row (Downtown)”.
If there is one thing that can be learned from looking back at Little Shop of Horrors is that the movie brings much more to the table than initially imagined.
Cult classics are appreciated by smaller audiences because they contain messages that are typically not recognized by the masses. Either way, gratitude exists for these projects as they challenge our everyday lives, expose truth and force one to take a good long look in the mirror and decide whether the beast they have become so accustomed to feeding, is really themselves.