#*cuts to orin abusing audrey*

[slashingdisneypasta]

I knoww that Audrey II is a plant. A man-eating plant, for that matter. But I feel that they would treat me better.

[skidrowflorist]

△ do you think Orin actually cares about you?

it's invasive questions o'clock! ask and audrey will rate their discomfort and answer them

"...Seven outta ten. It's—" She purses her lips, the fingers of one hand worrying at the back of the other. The way the question is asked hurts — as if it's obvious he doesn't, as if it's obvious Audrey isn't worth caring about. It sparks a reflexive need to defend her relationship. "It's complicated. He likes me, sure. Why else would he make me his girl? And I matter to him, 'cause I know he'd be mad if I left him. But does he care about me? ... I think he cares about me like somebody cares about a thing, not another person. He cares if I'm there, not if I'm happy." Her voice grows quieter and quieter as the murmurs a small refrain of comfort, something she's told herself over and over again to make Orin's behavior hurt less. "I think that's the only way he knows how to care. It's how he is. And if that's all he has, and it's what he gives me, then he loves me as much as he can. Some people just love wrong..."

[maxwellhauskaffee]

Spamton’s Personality and Complex Morality

Incoming autistic tl;dr ramble post while drunk concerning Spamton being woobified to the point of lacking any semblance to the original character.  

For some reason, many people forget or ignore Spamton's more of an “asshole victim” or “evil victim” by the time Kris and the gang met him. It’s interesting how frequent this is too. 

Of course, Spamton is not a woobie. He's not some innocent man caught in circumstance through no action or fault of his own. Neither is he someone who does things for "teh evulz". Spamton's more layered and complex than that imo, even with the limited information.

With that in mind, my interpretation of Spamton's entire being and arc through time has been inspired by several fictional characters I love. Those characters are: Kevin Lomax, Walter White, Seymour Krelborn, and Shou Tucker.

( I swear to god all of them wearing glasses and having themes associated with green was not initially intentional in my selection lmao. )

Currently, there's little to go on concerning Spamton's prior lore and who he was as a person through his actions. All we know is he was determined. He was anxious and desperate concerning the circumstances of this life. Of the lack of success in what it is an addison's meant to do. Those traits are expressed to varying degrees with each referenced character throughout all of Spamton's eras.

Kevin Lomax is a successful small-town lawyer whose innate pride makes it easy for John Milton, Kevin's future benefactor from NY, to exploit through tempting offers. Walter White's a brilliant and prideful chemist humbled by and chained to a more moderate and financially troubled life until given the choice to rejoin his former company or go his own way making meth. Seymour Krelborn's a meek, socially neglected / abused, and impoverished florist longing for a better life whose dreams turn to greed with the influence of Audrey ii. Shou Tucker’s a timid and desperate man who succumbs to harming those he loves to feed into his desperation and pride.

My take on Spamton encompasses all these traits into one little white fluffball. He's neurotic. Forever fearful of his misfortune and how others perceive him. This even extends to his big shot era where, despite his success, Spamton's aware of his incompetence and that the admiration's surface level is thanks to his benefactor. This is a trait and aspect of his arc he shares with Seymour in the 1986 LSoH film. He's a failure at what he does before his benefactor similar to Shou. No matter his attempts, he just can't cut it on his own. Like Walter, Spamton lives in obscurity compared to his peers with financial troubles far beyond his capacity to properly cope. And like Kevin, and later Seymour to some extent, when Spamton does obtain success through his benefactor, he pushes people away and causes strife through his hyper-focus on work and maintaining success.

All four men share aspects of greed and pride alongside Spamton. Kevin is successful on his own. Yet his wife Mary Ann, ironically a car salesman, and Milton both feed into his pride unintentionally ( via Mary Ann ) and intentionally ( via Milton ). Kevin, wanting more and knowing his capacity as a lawyer, accepts. While in NY, Kevin excuses his actions to explain and justify the consequences of them to continue the upward climb. It goes so far at the expense of his wife's life, though entirely unintentional on Kevin's part. Walter's similar, so I won't get into his arc.

Seymour's interesting in that he's also woobified by fans when in reality, he's a greedy and envious person, even if it's subtle. Greed allows Seymour to reluctantly excuse his actions to gain fame. His greed, envy of Orin, and resentment of Mushnik motivate Seymour to do horrible things. And of course, Shou needs little to no explanation. Greed tied with desperation fueled his actions...

I think Spamton's aspects of greed, envy, and pride were more subtle like Seymour's in the beginning. His personality and desperation more akin to Shou's. And honestly, a pinch of pride is good concerning self-esteem, determination, and motivation. It's when it's detrimental to one's self and others that it becomes a disorder.

Once Spamton gains a benefactor and becomes a big shot, his pride and greed metastasize to that of Kevin and Walter.

The other interesting thing of note is Seymour and Kevin both had benefactors giving them free will concerning choice laced with temptation.

Both Seymour and Kevin blame their benefactors for their inevitable misfortunes. When this happens, both benefactors correctly state they, Seymour and Kevin respectfully, made their choices with either clear knowledge of what could happen or knew their prior action's consequences and ignored them anyways.

"You blamin' me for Mary Ann? Oh I hope you're kidding… Mary Ann - you could've saved her any time you liked. All she wanted was love. ... Stop deluding yourself! I told you to take care of your wife! What did I say? 'The world would understand.' Didn't I say that? What did you do? 'You know what scares me, John? I leave the case, she gets better, and then I hate her for it.' Remember?" - John Milton

I think something similar occurred with Spamton and his benefactor. Despite his complaints and awareness of restrained free will, he still had some level of it. Even if he was controlled in a manner akin to Seymour, Spamton chose things that caused him and others harm along with his success. During this time, he also began rubbing his success in the faces of colleagues and friends who doubted or mocked him. Eventually, it got to the point that it caused his closest loved one, Blue, to disengage.

I think Spamton, despite the limited lore, has the potential for rich complexity concerning his more sour traits as a person. Like both games, there are many realities and routes. What you do decides what innate traits grow.

Spamton, to me, is in all paths of the game, corrupt on some level. None of them show a reality in which he is, by all accounts, a good man. And this is to not dismiss the reality that he is a victim of society, best explained here. We don't know much about his big shot era beyond him becoming a bit pompous. But... Wouldn't the best addison be that? A braggart of their wares and a confidence man? But he's also a culprit of his own demise while being potentially exploited by other entities.

With this in mind, Spamton best mirrors Seymour in the totality of his arc.

Both Spamton and Seymour are pathetic men by societal standards. While Seymour has a talent as a self-taught botanist of sorts, he's relegated to a basement at a struggling florist shop. His meekness and apathy are mirrored by his living conditions.

Spamton's similar in a different way. Unlike Seymour, he's determined, but like Seymour, is likely too meek and neurotic to be effective in his goals. Spamton can't keep a clear head nor direct himself convincingly.

Both men are forced into societal roles with limited choice. Seymour by Mushnik is pushed around and then later so by Audrey ii. Spamton, despite his passion to be a salesman, is seemingly limited to that alone based on what he is, an addison. It is likely taboo for an addison to have any passion outside of that. In one of my fics, Spamton was a mailman before attempting to work in sales and admits to loving that job.

Seymour and Spamton have benefactors. Seymour's is Audrey ii. Spamton's the person on the phone.

Both operate under the commands, suggestions, and temptations their benefactors provide. And both find success with their benefactors.

Seymour clearly loses aspects of free will with his due to his meekness and their relationship. I imagine Spamton, on some level, endured something similar. Especially with his theme being the loss of autonomy the more he pursues it.

Both are seen as tools by society and exploited as such; living in poverty in some regard with Spamton becoming homeless.

I think what makes Spamton woobie fodder is the state we find him in. The fact that by all accounts, he did what he was expected to do as an addison. That when he needed help the most, he was neglected and worse still, everyone knew and did nothing.

His friends and colleagues knew where he was as they show up at the end of the battle. They did nothing for years.

And it's this I think that blinds people to the fact that Spamton knowingly sold harmful and useless wares at his shop. That he tried convincing Kris to commit to his delusional murder-suicide pact so they'd both be free. That, in the Snowgrave run, he takes over Cyber City like a virus to the harm of its citizens. That the thorn ring "might sting" instead of "it literally takes away your life" when selling to Kris for Noelle to use.

At the end of the day as a said before, Spamton's more akin to an "asshole victim" than a full-on woobie. But maybe we can get the best of both. He can be the "asshole woobie".

Thanks for coming to my autistic Ted Talk.

[littleshopofchaos]

Little Shop Of Chaos: The Basic Plot.

This is the basic plot, I'm still working on the more detailed outline with all the backstory and stuff with the rest of the crew

Its under the cut so you dont get ya dash clogged up.

I know quite a few people are interested in this so Im tagging a few of you

@bardic-tales @moremysteriesthantragedies @glbettwrites @watermeezer @seastarblue

@pluttskutt @thorlokibrother @holfelderwrites124 @stripesysheaven @lordkingsmith

Gordon is Mr Mushnik Leighton and Cillian are Audrey and Seymour Toby is just a friend/ customer Chaos/ Cain is the abusive boyfriend Orin

So the initial plans for the story is, is that Gordon will have stopped being a cop because of money problems and wanting to find a different path in life and he settles down on Skid Row, with the dream of selling flowers. He knew Leighton and Cillian from his time on the force and after they all fall upon money problems, they all decide to work for each other and Leighton has been secretly seeing Cain for a couple of months, an abusive boyfriend who regularly beats the shit out of her.

Cillian has always had a crush on Leighton, never done anything about it until Gordon trusts him with the plant that should be called Audrey 2, will be called Leighton 2 instead and good fortune seems to be coming their way.

Gordon soon realises that his brother Cain, is the abusive boyfriend of Leighton and plots with Cillian and Leighton 2 to get rid of Cain. We get some backstory on Cain and Gordon finding each other again after the fall

Cain, the god Chaos, was cast out of the kingdom of Insomnia and Heaven and Hell by the Angels that overthrew him, made him mortal and obviously the fall to earth, hurt him. So now he had to get a real job as a dentist and is addicted to drugs and all that.

They manage to get rid of Cain, with Gordon apologising to his brother, but they’ve worked too hard to lose everything now and Cain gets fed to the plant after overdosing on painkillers anyway.

Leighton 2 is growing bigger by the day. Gordon finds out through Leighton 2, that Leighton 2 was sent by the Angels and Demons of the Kingdom of Insomnia to take over the world. Gordon tries to warn Cillian, but is promptly eaten by the plant and all that remains of him, is his jacket.

Leighton is worried about everything that has happened and is wondering if its her fault that everything has happened recently and confides in three of her friends, who point out that Gordon has been trying to get Leighton together with Cillian all along, despite the five year age gap. Leighton wonders where Gordon could have gone and starts trying to find her old boss. We get some Leighton backstory, about how she and Cillian first met and the jobs they used to do and how much money they used to make and all that

Toby, a friend of Gordon cannot find him and promptly starts an investigation into Gordon’s disappearance and ends up at the shop, where he finds Gordon’s jacket. He tries to fight back against Leighton 2 and is also promptly eaten.

Cillian has lost the plot trying to keep up with everything and keep sane and soon comes to the realisation that Leighton 2 is the problem, and tries to convince Leighton to escape Skid Row with him and leave for Ireland. They start planning their future when Leighton 2 starts mocking them, and reveals everything that has happened so far. Leighton 2 tries to take Cillian, saying Leighton deserves to live and watch as the plants take over the world, but Leighton bravely tries to stop Leighton 2

The ending: Two things could happen

Leighton could die trying to save Cillian, and both get eaten by the plant and Leighton 2 takes over Skid Row and then the world OR

Leighton manages to kill Leighton 2 with Cillian’s help and they flee Skid Row, going to Ireland and spreading the word about the crazy plants and ultimately either living happy ever after, or Leighton is raising her and Cillian’s children in their home in Ireland, when someone gives them another plant as a gift, the same plant that Leighton 2 was

[controversial-blorbo-bracket]

Controversial Character Tournament Round 2: Orin Scrivello DDS from Little Shop of Horrors vs Berdly from Deltarune

(remember that these characters are fictional and your fellow tumblr users are real. i will block you if you harass others in the notes, please consider sending your unhinged harassment to my inbox instead)

Propaganda under the cut, may contain spoilers:

Orin Scrivello DDS:

BOTH: - "The whole joke with his character is he’s the worst kind of person and everyone hates him and he’s the most easily justifiable murder (domestic abuser and sadistic dentist) and as a person I definitely find him morally reprehensible (especially for his realistically controlling dialogue with Audrey) but as a character the enthusiastic way he is portrayed is always really fun and silly to me. Dentist! is a delightfully mean song and Steve Martin’s portrayal and mannerisms of him in that leather (vinyl?) apron is honestly hot and he’s hilarious as fuck. Still a domestic abuser though"

Berdly:

LOVE: - "He DOES NOT deserve to be controversial, at least to the level he is. Yeah he can be an asshole both intentionally and unintentionally, and his personality can be understandably grating on some people, and he is a bit of a pathetic loser, and he was a shitty friend to Noelle, but that's not the reason he's so controversial. Just because he fits the "cishet incel nerd" archetype doesn't mean he is one! He isn't transphobic or homophobic he's not a chaser he's not the guy they hate but they act like he is, they don't hate his character they just use him as a vessel to hate people they do hate, which is annoying, he wouldn't say that, just because he reminds you of someone who would say that doesn't he is like them use critical thinkings skill god hell. although i'll be real though some people kinda over shoot in the other direction and act like he did nothing wrong.. like he had a arc about learning he was wrong you kinda have to do things wrong to have an arc about that" - "He is my scrunkle skringus and I love him very much but also he is designed to be the MOST ANNOYING CHARACTER so many dislike him. He is soooo funny and pathetic."

[nobrain-the-silly]

The plot of Little Shop of Horrors explained by a new fan who hasn’t watched the movie yet

Hey everybody hey! It had been not that long since I joined the fandom, but I already have a bit of an understanding of the plot. Yeah, here is the Little Shop of Horrors plot explained by me! A person who hasn’t watched the movie!

[Plot under the cut btw!]

Now, I am only going over the 1986 movie’s plot.

Okay so our protag is Seymour. He is autistic because I SAID SO. He is loserboy and works at a flower shop, with his gf Audrey and his boss (and possibly father figure) Mr. Mushnik. Seymour has this stupid plant that he found after a TO-TAL E-CLIPSE OF THE SUN (which is a major plot point). The plant is Audrey II! I am using She/Her pronouns for this plant.

Seymour is like “Hey guys! If we want more visitors to our florist shop, we should put this plant on display.” THE STORE IMMEDIATELY GETS LOTS OF COSTUMERS. The store suddenly is now popular.

However, poor Seymour does not fucking know what Audrey II survives on. The answer is blood. Seymour fucking HURTS HIMSELF (f u, roses!) and that’s how he figures out what the FUCK the plant eats.

Some time later, we get introduced to Orin Scrivello, Audrey’s abusive dentist boyfriend. He is not important yet.

So now Audrey II is big! And then Seymour realizes “Holy shit Mushnik is my father figure👍” via musical number. And then Seymour sings about how his life is changing so fast, and how the flower shop is becoming more better and shit.

So then Audrey II says “Feed me!” and Seymour is just like “HOLY FUCK! Twoey you talked!” So now Audrey II is explaining that she is hungry, and Seymour is just like “But you’re an INANIMATE object!” Audrey II is just like “I can talk, and I can move, so I think I can get you a Cadillac.” (That quote was from @lithuanianking’s review of this movie btw!)

So now that Seymour has his first target (which is Orin), we can finally see GAY SEX! Yea. Gay sex happens. Bill Murray appears for five minutes, to have gay sex with the dentist, and then is never seen again.

At some point, Orin accidentally overdoses of that gas and fucking DIES! Is it Seymour’s fault? Idk. But hey at least somebody can be chopped up and fed to a hungry plant!

After Orin is cutely fed to Audrey II, that is where Act 1 of the theatre production ends. And then Act 2 begins. DON���T ASK WHY I AM USING THEATRE TERMS HERE.

So Mushnik thinks Seymour is being suspicious. Mushnik proceeds to be eaten by plant. Some time later, the human Audrey (which she has hardly been mentioned in this entire post) is tricked into being eaten by Audrey II.

Now, this is where the story splits in two. This movie has not one, but TWO endings. I’ll go over the good ending first.

Seymour saves Audrey before she is eaten, and he kills Audrey II by electrocuting her. (“Oh shit!” are Audrey II’s last words. I know because I looked at all the TV Tropes pages for this movie.) And then everybody lives happily ever after.

Okay, time for the bad ending! Both Audrey and Seymour get fucking eated. Oh and capitalism reigns supreme, because Audrey II is being sold everywhere. Death to America happens.

That’s the end of my miserable plot recap of a movie about a bloodthirsty plant! Thank you for reading.

[bestfictionalplant]

Round 2 Group 1

Propaganda and spoilers under cut

Audrey II:

Oh my god the plant IS my blorbo. It/its Queen. Seymour Krelborn found Audrey 2 at a random market when there was a “Total Eclipse Of The Sun,” brought it to the flower shop where he worked and named it after his crush, Audrey. Eventually Audrey 2 started to crave blood (“Feed me, Seymour”), and Seymour ended up feeding Audrey 1’s abusive boyfriend Orin Scrivello (WHO HE DIDN’T KILL) to the plant. Eventually in the musical (and some versions of the movie) Audrey 2 eats every single main character, but before that in the movie it sings a song (“Mean Green Mother From Outer Space”) about how it came from… Venus I believe? Idk. And then in the movie it becomes a Kaiju. It’s my favorite plant quite literally ever and my dad played it in a summer camp production so it has to win. Vote Audrey 2! Previous propaganda: round 1

Togemon:

A Plant Digimon which has the appearance of a gigantic cactus. It can store nutrient data within its body, and can even survive for a long time in the empty desert areas. What it's thinking usually can't be understood at all by trying to discern it from its facial expression, as it spends most of the day staring off into space. However, once Togemon is angered, that expression changes completely, it starts getting violent, and it becomes unable to settle down. Its Special Move is further hardening the thorns on the ends of its arms and bang-bang striking with them (Chikuchiku Bang-bang). Previous propaganda: round 1

[our-future-is-up-to-us-2]

Go To Sleep, And Dream Of Pain

Posting late now, but what the hell, it's still something <3

Take some angsty vibes for fic number 4 @narcosfandomdiscord

Prompt #21, Book Of Nerves Of Steel: Cortisol

Word Count: 1K

Relationships: Seymour Krelborn & Audrey II, Audrey Fulquard/Orin Scrivello (background)

Warnings: Quite a few! All of these are compliant to canon: Blood loss, murder, mention of s/h, reference to abusive relationship

~ Read the fic under the cut ~

Seymour has, and always will be, a shy person. 

Shy, clumsy, forgettable, those adjectives always spring to mind. Oh, and unhygienic, if Mr. Mushnik’s words have any input whatsoever. (Of course, they do, after all, there’s nothing that the florist can refuse from the shop owner). 

Another word to add to the pile, something that only increases with each passing day: Anxiousness. 

Seymour frets and frets, rubbing over his hands. He works frequently with his plants, talking to them as though it will make them grow. He collects the inventory and keeps to himself, because no one really makes an effort to talk in return. 

Things are better that way. 

Well, until a beautiful yet shocking revelation can emerge, that is. 

And how better to do it than in the form of some… Venus flytrap, unidentifiable plant thing , Audrey II? 

Mushnik marvels at the plant’s unique traits, ready to show it off to the passers-by of Skid Row. Audrey squeaks, simply because she’s been given acknowledgement from Seymour, that the plant (and by extension, she) holds value.  

The florist stresses some more when the plant doesn’t grow, and makes his best efforts to revive it that very night. 

When he wakes up in the morning, everything is swell. 

If being on the anaemic side of things is a side effect, so be it. Business is booming and Audrey II’s been blooming away. 

Finally, Seymour Krelborn breathes in the fact that every bad feeling oh-so casually slips away. He can take control of his life, now, from an orphanage, to a fortune. 

Mushnik doesn’t despise him anymore, and Audrey looks at him nicely… He doesn’t need anything else. Yes, the environment could be nicer, but that is the point. Start off slow, in this dirty, dingy, depressed neighbourhood of Skid Row, and find a way outta here.  

He smiles at the plant, bigger and better than ever before, and hums as he walks towards the door, having closed up for the night. 

This thing is his ticket to heaven. He’s sure of it. 

***

The day to follow is even more strenuous than the last. 

The blood loss drives him insane, not literally, but he’s dizzy. Sometimes, it’s difficult to think rapidly, even to put one foot in front of the other. 

He’d rather sleep, give his aching fingers a few days to heal, and then continue with Audrey II. But that’s some distant dream, nothing like Audrey’s… 

She thinks of the future, of optimism and whimsy. The American dream, the white-picket fence and a dashing husband to boot. She’ll be the perfect housewife, living in serenity, dressed to the nines and with enough money to last a lifetime. 

Seymour doesn’t exactly doubt Audrey, but he’s seen many a harsh day, and would rather try his best to see things moment by moment, progressing at pace. One foot in front of the other. 

Until it’s near closing time, and that eccentric dentist guy, Orin, has picked Audrey up, swept her off her feet and onto a motorbike… Not without mentioning he does so in the least of romantic fashions, whilst ignoring her and screwing around with nitrous oxide. 

Unfortunately, there’s not much he can do. He’s discussed it time and time again with Mr Mushnik: Audrey is not a healthy girl, and neither is Audrey II. 

At least, it wasn’t before.  

Now its leaves make it an enigma, and the bud is a luscious green, making the plant seem like it's from a jungle. 

“Aw, Twoey,” Seymour mumbles, leaning against it, “It’s crazy, how the world works. She should be with a prince, not a sadistic creep like him!” He feels the anger rise in his voice, opting to run his bandaged fingers over Audrey II. He’ll calm himself down, and the cortisol in his body will surely take effect soon. “Look, at least we got each other, right? I’ll see you in the morning.” 

He lets out a delayed breath as he reaches for the doorknob, twisting it. He barely feels the air on his face when he startles, hearing the plant slump from behind him. 

The florist has no option but to close the door. 

Even less of a choice, he’ll have to talk to the withering thing, just to make him seem sane. Perhaps it’s on instinct, too, and he just can’t help his nature. 

“I– Twoey! I haven’t got much left, seriously– We can start on the left hand when I’m better, and–” 

He kneels down, pressing his glasses closer to his face. 

Feed me!  

It’s bizarre. 

It’s just him in this dingy room, trying to grapple with a plant that needs a lot of nutrition. Clearly, Seymour’s blood sacrifices aren’t cutting it anymore– But, then, maybe it’s the blood loss! Just a dream, a hallucination! How’s he going to snap out of it?! 

The voice, rich and baritone, rings again. 

Feed me, Krelborn, feed me, now!  

Who else knows him like this? So personally? Who’s been with him through everything? 

Oh. Seymour thinks, his eyes glaring at Audrey II’s bulb. Is that the only option, is it really?  

“I can’t feed you!” He finally says, shuffling away. “I’ve told you too many times!” 

“But I’m starving! ” The lips move. The trap, the thing, he doesn’t have a clue – on the plant , no less – says something. “C’mon, Krelborn, feed me now!” 

“I’m a human, Twoey!” The florist exclaims, backing away, “I’ve only got a limited blood supply.” He watches as its vines flop up and down, “What? You want me to slit my wrists?!” 

“Mmm,” Audrey II responds, and Seymour’s hands start to tremble. 

No! He thinks, This is too much, isn’t it?! That’s disgusting, isn’t it?! How inhumane! So… So vile.  

And yet, Audrey II’s newfound rhetoric works its way into Seymour’s mind and heart: Hey, what if you killed someone? Someone oughta deserve it! Feed me, get me some lunch! You’ll be rich if I keep growing, imagine it, kid!  

Both he and the plant take their eyes to the window, seeing heartless Orin and innocent Audrey… The scene before them both sends a shiver down the florist’s spine. 

“Alright,” He whispers, “You need blood, and Orin’s got more than enough.” 

***

Seymour chops Orin up, but doesn’t kill him. 

The images of blood and body parts keep him awake for hours, and he knows that the cortisol in him isn’t doing its job. 

He should be asleep by now, he should be thinking of tomorrow’s troubles… 

Instead, Seymour stays awake, and thinks about the hole he’s dug himself: Deep, irreversible, and bloody. 

[comshipbracket]

Antis DNI

Remember, you are voting for the ship you prefer, not the ship you find more problematic

Propaganda for both ships under the cut.

Spoilers for both medias under the cut

Niffany Propaganda (Abusive Dynamic, Arguably Yandere, Unhealthy Obsessions)

"Tiffany and Nica are just the cutest couple in the Chucky tv series. Tiffany is so in love with Nica that she was willing to kidnap and CHOP THE LEGS AND ARMS off of her just so they could be together forever. Every morning TIffany feeds Nica in bed, dresses her in adorable dresses, and then gags her with a cute pink ball gag so she doesn't scream while guests are over. Later in the series, Nica escapes with the help of Tiffany's two kids, and she becomes obsessed with getting revenge on Tiffany, wanting to torture her for what she did to Nica. I just think they're such an interesting pair and a super fun ship!!"

Seymorin Propaganda (Abusive Dynamic)

Seymorin as very much unwanted and suppressed mutual sexual attraction is an extremely fun dynamic that compliments and highlights the characters' personalities and motivations well. For anyone who hasn't seen Little Shop of Horrors, Seymour is in love with his coworker/friend Audrey, who is in a relationship with Orin, an abusive and sadistic dentist. Seymour lets Orin die to save Audrey from his abuse, and they start dating shortly after that. Audrey uses a fantasy of being a traditional 50s housewife as a coping mechanism for her horrible quality of life, and I swear that this fact will be relevant to the propaganda."

"Some of the other concepts I will bring up in this propaganda might not immediately appear to be relevant to the ship between Seymour and Orin either, but it'll all tie together in the end. Another important consideration is that the lines between subtext that objectively exists in the story and was intended by the writers and stuff that I completely made up aren't even clear to me, and there are substantial gray areas between those two extremes, but it's still a very fun dynamic."

"There is a decent amount of evidence in the text of the play and movie that Seymour believes that Audrey likes abusive guys like Orin, the two strongest pieces of evidence being that (in the play) he tries to impress her by wearing Orin's leather jacket (a week after his death, great going Seymour) and that (in the play and the movie) he states through a metaphor that he wants to be Orin or at least be a guy like him so that Audrey will want him. The line in question is `Gee I'd like a Harley machine, toolin' around like I was James Dean, makin' all the guys on the corner turn green!` and he sings this a few minutes after he saw Orin for the first time. Orin was driving a motorcycle, presumably a Harley but I don't know the difference between different kinds of motorcycles, and he drove off on it with Audrey. Seymour wants to be 'properly masculine' for Audrey like he thinks she deserves and wants and sees Orin as having this masculinity (as symbolized by his motorcycle, a symbol of masculinity, and the reference to James Dean, also a symbol of masculinity) despite his hatred towards him and his abuse of her."

"This is because he is presumably familiar enough with her to know that she fantasizes about being a 50s housewife and living a traditional 50s middle class suburban life, and thus he wants to be a proper '50s husband and provider figure' type guy for her to fit into that life. As this system of 50s gender norms was a breeding ground for abuse ranging from violent domestic abuse to inherent power gaps in romantic relationships, Seymour's sort of adoptive father and model for masculinity was neglectful and arguably abusive, and Audrey has probably been in some kind of abusive relationship for most of the time that he's known her, he believes that abuse is an integral part of this 50s lifestyle fantasy both objectively and from Audrey's perspective. The husband being a provider and protector is also an integral part of this fantasy in his view, and thus he conceptualizes of Audrey's hatred towards Orin and his abuse of her as resulting from Orin's failure to protect and provide for her, thus placing his abuse towards her in an 'improper' context. Despite this, he in a sense desperately 'wants to want' to be properly masculine like Orin and to be capable of providing for ALL of Audrey's desires like she deserves despite being viscerally uncomfortable with everything involved in Orin's hypermasculinity and having an 'inherent nature'/personality that is completely counter to it. He wants this so much that it starts to bleed into 'wanting' Orin himself in a sense despite him in theory only wanting women and in practice being extremely fixated on wanting Audrey to the exclusion of everyone and everything else."

"From Orin's side of things, I like to imagine that he heard Seymour's radio interview and figured out that 1. his girlfriend has a job outside of The Gutter (the way I phrased that is representative of his thought process and not mine, I love Audrey) and 2. Her coworker at that job (Seymour) obviously has a crush on her. This inspired him to go pick her up for a date at her other workplace so that he could show off his control over her to this guy who dares to have a crush on his girlfriend, assert dominance over him, and further prove his masculinity by doing so. And then said guy had the audacity to be cute. Which is incredibly annoying to Orin, because gay attraction (in his view) is feminine and not proper for a REAL man like him. And thus he, with the power of staggering amounts of cognitive dissonance, invites this guy in for a dental appointment so that he can torture and then kill him. Because if he kills him, he won't have to deal with the fact that he derives sexual gratification from him any more (but also he totally doesn't in the first place don't worry about it he's definitely completely straight), AND he can derive sexual gratification from the process of torturing and killing him. And of course someone who is good enough at cognitive dissonance to be completely joyful and at ease while torturing people every day is going to be able to hold these two conflicting motivations in mind without recognizing that something's off there or that his attraction towards his girlfriend's coworker miiiiiight have implications for his sexuality."

[princesssarisa]

Fictional character ask: Audrey Fulquard from the musical Little Shop of Horrors

Favorite thing about them: How sweet and gentle she is, how full of dreams and yearning for a better life, and how she grows in self-confidence thanks to Seymour's understanding and love. (Although it's too bad that she thinks Seymour "purifies" her, since by the time they get together, she's the morally purer one.) Even though she's a little silly and caricatured, just like all the other characters, she really is the heart of the musical.

Least favorite thing about them: That she has to be abused so much, and then (in the original stage version and the director's cut of the movie) gets killed through no fault of her own.

Three things I have in common with them:

*I can be too much of a pushover.

*I sometimes struggle with low self-esteem.

*I think nothing is more romantic than sweet understanding.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*I don't work in a flower shop.

*I've never dated an abusive dentist.

*I'm not blonde (though she's probably not a natural blonde anyway).

Favorite line: The lyrics to "Somewhere That's Green" and "Suddenly Seymour"

brOTP: Crystal, Ronnette, and Chiffon.

OTP: Seymour.

nOTP: Orin, Mr. Mushnik, or Audrey II.

Random headcanon: Like her most iconic actress Ellen Greene, she's Jewish by birth. She doesn't practice the religion, though, and as part of her idolizing the "typical" suburban American life, she loves celebrating Christmas.

Unpopular opinion: I wish more people would talk about the movie's two alternate endings as they relate to Audrey, not just to Seymour. Most people think the original dark ending is superior, because it's true to the stage version and because Seymour deserves comeuppance for the deaths of Orin and Mr. Mushnik. Others defend the reshot happy ending because the film makes Seymour less to blame for Orin and Mushnik's deaths. Just once, though, I'd like to see someone defend the happy ending because Audrey, a lifelong victim of abuse, poverty, and low self-esteem, gets to escape and have all her dreams come true, instead of just reaching the verge only to die as part of Seymour's karmic retribution. I'll concede that it's an ancient and often dramatically powerful tradition for a tragic hero's mistakes to doom the woman he loves. But I'd still enjoy hearing someone say "Audrey deserves better" instead of just arguing whether Seymour deserves better or not.

Song I associate with them: "Somewhere That's Green"

"Suddenly Seymour"

Favorite picture of them:

Ellen Greene in the original 1982 off-Broadway production, with Lee Wilkoff as Seymour:

And in the 1986 film:

Kerry Butler in the 2003 Broadway revival:

With Hunter Foster as Seymour:

Sheridan Smith in the 2007 London revival, with Paul Keating as Seymour:

Frances McNamee in the 2015 Salisbury Playhouse production:

Michaela Jaé Rodriguez in the 2019 Pasadena Playhouse production – casting a transgender woman of color in the role adds several new layers to Audrey's struggles and character arc.

[kevinsreviewcatalogue]

Review: Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material including comic horror violence, substance abuse, language and sex references

<Originally posted at https://kevinsreviewcatalogue.blogspot.com/2023/05/review-little-shop-of-horrors-1986.html>

Score: 4 out of 5

Adapted from a 1982 off-Broadway musical comedy that was itself a parody of a 1960 Roger Corman B-movie, Little Shop of Horrors is one of the great horror-comedies from a decade that had no shortage of them, an affectionate homage to '50s sci-fi monster movies and '60s Motown with a great cast, even better songs, outstanding special effects and production design, and (in the director's cut that I watched) a gutsy ending that, together, help it overcome the rougher spots like uneven pacing. It's the kind of movie that's best experienced with a crowd, as I did courtesy of Popcorn Frights this past weekend, but it's also a movie I could happily watch at home and sing along to, especially when the monster opens its big mouth and joins in on the sing-along. And if I ever have kids, I also imagine that it'd be a movie that they'd love and would probably get them into horror, between its cool plant monster, the fact that one of the bad guys is a dentist, and the fact that, while it is rated PG-13, its great special effects don't involve the gore typical of '80s horror movies. It's a movie that still holds up nearly forty years later, a kooky and family-friendly throwback that put a big smile on my face.

Set sometime during the Kennedy administration on the skid row of an unnamed city, our protagonist Seymour Krelborn is an utter dweeb who works at a struggling flower shop whose grumpy owner Mr. Mushnik pays him in room and board. He has a crush on his co-worker Audrey, who's dating a man named Orin Scrivello who's at once a handsome, upwardly-mobile dentist and also a leather-clad biker and all-around lout who abuses her. Mr. Mushnik is ready to close the shop for good due to lack of business, only for Seymour to turn things around with a mysterious carnivorous plant that he discovered at a Chinese flower shop during a solar eclipse, which he names "Audrey II" after his co-worker and crush. Business starts booming as passersby see Audrey II in the window and step into the store intrigued, turning Seymour into a local celebrity. Unfortunately, not only does Audrey II turn out to be intelligent, but he subsists on a diet of flesh and blood, and while he's initially content with just a few drops from Seymour's finger, as he grows he demands far more, forcing Seymour down an increasingly dark path to feed this mean, green mother from outer space.

The first thing you need to ask about any musical is whether or not the music is any good, and this movie delivers in spades. From the moment we meet our Greek chorus of three women who look and sound like a Motown girl group, we get a soundtrack rich with homages to classic R&B, soul, and rock & roll from the '50s and '60s. The whole cast are great singers, even those actors who I knew mainly for their non-musical comedies, but the standout was undoubtedly Audrey II himself, voiced by Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops as a smooth yet intimidating villain who felt like he was very much enjoying himself as he grew, literally and figuratively, to take over Seymour's life. The production design wisely leaned into the artifice that I've always felt was necessary to take a movie where the cast regularly bursts into song and make it work, crafting a mid-century urban slum that felt not quite real but still quite lived-in and interesting to watch on screen. Nowhere was this more apparent than with the effects for Audrey II, a masterpiece of practical puppetry where you can immediately tell where most of this film's budget went. Once Audrey II starts to grow, he looks and feels like as much a character as any of the humans around him, a massive presence where you can readily figure out why Seymour wants to keep him happy even discounting the fact that he lives in the same building as this thing. This is the kind of elaborate effect where you know that, if they made it today, they'd use CGI because it's the kind of thing you supposedly can't do practically. When it came to both the music and the visuals, I was frequently impressed by what this film was able to pull off.

That's not to say it's all flash and razzle-dazzle without any substance to back it up, though. I was often especially intrigued by Seymour, a character whose lovelorn motivations, combined with the directions that the film takes him, make him a very dark take on the archetypal nerd heroes we often see in movies. His obsession with Audrey, paired with his hatred of her abusive boyfriend Orin who he sees as somebody she's too good for, could've played out in an extremely questionable manner that inadvertently celebrated a particular type of bitter "nice guy" attitude towards women, but without going into details, this film depicts his attitude as a key part of the reason why everything goes wrong and the thing that enables him to start chipping away at his soul to appease Audrey II, while also showing why Audrey, who's spent most of her life poor, would see a loutish-yet-wealthy man like Orin as her ticket out of the ghetto even if she secretly longs for a guy like Seymour. It's here where I prefer the director's cut (which Popcorn Frights showed), as it shows Seymour suffering a real comeuppance for how he's spent the entire movie doing increasingly horrible things, even if he feels bad about them later. The theatrical ending, by contrast, ended things a bit too neatly and happily from what I've read of it. Also, the director's cut gives a great homage at the end to classic monster movies, one that ended the film on a high note and sent me home smiling.

The Bottom Line

Little Shop of Horrors is at once an entertaining monster movie and a very enjoyable musical parody thereof, one that I'd recommend to fans of musicals, fans of mid-century pop music, people who want to see some outstanding effects work (and the kind you can show your kids), or anybody who just wants to have a good time with a movie.

[the-acid-pear]

I think everyone should look at this actually it's so fucking good.

[onesingulartheaterkid]

In Defense of Audrey

I don't know how much of a hot take this is, but Audrey from Little Shop of Horrors is so insanely overlooked. So here's an analysis of her that no one asked for because I can.

This will go by each song in the stage musical soundtrack (specifically the 2003 revival because Kerry Butler slaps). I'll try not to put too many things from the movie and just stick to the musical the movie is based on, since the movie cut a few things (and the endings of the movie and stage show are extremely different).

Quick content warning: This analysis will include mentions of abuse (physical, verbal, and emotional) since it appears in the musical. I encourage you to skip this if that is something that is triggering for you.

I will try to keep each section of the analysis as brief as I can, but just in case, I will highlight any key parts. Sorry if this is all incoherent or weird, I’ve never really written many character analysis. I also put a ”keep reading” thing because this bad boi is LONG and i didn’t want people to have to scroll forever and hate me (/lh)

There will also be spoilers for the musical, so if you haven't seen/listened to it and plan on doing so (which I highly recommend) you may want to skip this. Unless you don’t care for spoilers (i still recommend you watch or listen to the show or the movie.

Skid Row (Downtown)

Audrey's introduction to the musical, although small, gives a small window into mostly what Skid Row is like, but also a little about her life. She sings:

Where the guys are drips Where they rip your slips Where relationships are no go Down on skid row

Audrey calls the guys in Skid Row "drips", which could mean that she finds them boring and not all that interesting. The next line references her abusive relationship with Orin, her dentist boyfriend, and how Orin acts forceful toward Audrey. Based on the next two verses, it's very possible that Audrey knows that being in a relationship isn't the greatest idea, either because she's poor or because she knows how terrible Orin is.

The ending of the song (when Audrey and Seymour are singing in unison) shows that Audrey doesn't want the life she has and wants to leave it. This idea links into the next song she's in, her big "I Want" song, in which she perpetuates that idea that she wants a different life.

Ya Never Know

Audrey doesn't show up in this song, but she is talked about briefly by Mr. Mushnik and Seymour.

After Seymour's first (?) interview about Audrey II (the plant Seymour takes care of), Seymour asks Mr. Mushnik where Audrey is, and says, "she was s'posed to be here." Mr. Mushnik simply says "Forget about Audrey!"

Clearly, Audrey means a lot to Seymour. But she isn't too much of an importance to Mr. Mushnik because Audrey hasn't given Mushnik any success to the florist shop, unlike Seymour.

Somewhere That's Green

I used to absolutely despise this song because I always thought "All it's about is her wanting a husband. And it's heteronormative."

But the song isn't just about Audrey wanting a husband. It's about the life she wants based off the media she sees. Most of those things being around the time period the show takes place (around the 1960s).

Audrey bases her dream life off of idealized versions of life. She references several mid-1900s sitcoms, that are (by nature of the genre) idealizations of the white, suburban life. She also expresses wanting to be like Betty Crocker and Donna Reed, who are part of the housewife stereotype: being able to cook any meal (Betty Crocker) and beautiful (Donna Reed. but can you blame Audrey? Donna Reed was beautiful and awesome). She even references two magazines (Better Homes and Gardens) that were idealizations of the suburban home as a whole.

Audrey wants a life made from idealized media because they're simple. Unlike her daydreams, Audrey’s life is far from simple. Audrey lives in the economically poor Skid Row with an extremely abusive boyfriend, referenced in the beginning of the song.

But I'm dating a semi-sadist So I got a black eye and my arm's in a cast.

It's safe to assume Audrey probably knows that Orin is not good for her health, but is understandably afraid to break things off because he could do something to her. As she stays with Orin, she justifies staying with him. Right before "Somewhere That's Green", Audrey explains to Ronette, Chiffon, and Crystal why she stays with Orin. She says something along the lines of "if this is how he treats me when he likes me (referring to her broken arm and black eye), imagine how he'll treat me when he doesn't like me!". Having her little daydream might give her some freedom from Orin, even if it is for a short while.

Audrey's daydream acts as a way to escape from her current situation and imagine a happier life for herself.

When she talks about a "he" in the song, Audrey isn't necessarily talking about Seymour, even though she does talk about him at the beginning

Just me and the toaster and a sweet little guy--like Seymour!

It certainly sounds like she is thinking about Seymour since she talks about him in the beginning, and the lyrics "He rakes and trims the grass/ He loves to mow and weed" definitely seem like Seymour (considering Seymour knows everything about plants). But going back to the whole theme of idealization in the song, having a husband and being married would definitely be a staple of the middle class, suburban household, and something Audrey would want to complete for the ideal life.

That isn't to say Audrey doesn't care about Seymour, because she does! It’s just that at this point of the show, Audrey just wants the life she sees depicted around her, and part of that idealized life is having a husband.

(I hope I don't have to explain this, but just in case: obviously the idea that people have to be married and the heteronormative view of marriage is outdated. No one needs to have either of these to live a fulfilling life or have a meaningful relationship.)

Closed for Renovation

This song is more for exposition, but there's a few things to say about Audrey. Audrey expresses concern for Seymour because he's been getting hurt for reasons unknown to anyone except Seymour and the audience. So Audrey obviously cares about Seymour's well-being and him in general.

Audrey: You've been getting hurt so much lately!

There's also a use of flower symbolism within Seymour and Audrey's dialogue in the song. The flowers used for Audrey are fitting for her personality. Audrey talks about daisies and fleur-de-lis ("flower of the lily" in French) which both represent purity and innocence, and Audrey maintains her pureness throughout the show. She also mentions the forget-me-not flowers, which represent true and undying love, which could be Audrey hinting at Seymour that she actually loves him.

Feed Me (Git It)

This song introduces Orin and Audrey's dynamic and relationship. Orin repeatedly verbally and emotionally abuses Audrey. He tells her she's stupid for forgetting a sweater at the florist shop, and the whole situation seems to be overwhelming for Audrey.

She tries to act as if she's got it all under control, when in reality, Audrey doesn’t have any control over the situation and is under pressure from Orin’s irrational anger. At least in how it sounds in the soundtrack, Audrey sounds panicked and stressed as she says the lines:

Audrey: Hi, Seymour. I left my sweater here before...

We also see her stand up for herself when Orin hits her, to which Orin shows no remorse. Clearly, Orin doesn't care for Audrey at all, both for her well-being and what she wants, which is in direct juxtaposition to Audrey's care for other people.

It makes sense why, in Somewhere That's Green, Audrey would talk about wanting a life that's more simple (especially around a family life): she doesn't have a happy relationship with Orin at all.

Something else I noticed (I don't know if this is intentional or not) was that in Somewhere That's Green, Audrey says "he's father he knows best", saying that her Daydream Husband would be the head of the house. It would make sense, historically speaking, why she would say that. But Audrey could also be saying that because she believes that she is supposed to be the submissive housewife. Audrey is expected to be submissive toward Orin in their relationship, with him insisting on her calling him "doctor" (yikes), so she might have just assumed that's how all relationships are.

(((PS: has anyone noticed both the beginning of Feed Me (Git It) and Somewhere That's Green are the exact same music-wise?)))

Call Back in the Morning

This song is similar to Closed for Renovation in that not a lot is shown about the characters. It brings up some more flower symbolism, though. Audrey asks if someone would like carnations or yellow roses, which are both about romantic feelings. Carnations represent affection and love, feelings Audrey has towards Seymour. Yellow roses represent loss of love, which could be feelings Audrey either feels or thinks she needs to feel about Orin's recent death (occurs in ‘Now (It's Just the Gas)’).

Suddenly, Seymour

Okay, this might sound really bad, but hear me out: the beginning isn't actually horrible. In fact, Seymour singing

Lift up your head, wash off your mascara Here, take my Kleenex, wipe that lipstick away Show me your face clean as the mornin' I know things were bad but now they're okay

It actually serves a purpose.

The makeup in the song is more symbolic of Audrey hiding what she went through with Orin—as she has previously throughout the show. By telling her to take off her makeup, Audrey can finally admit (instead of hiding like she has before) that she went through abuse and confront that it existed, so she can begin to heal from it. It's not "Oh YoU dOn'T nEeD mAkEuP tO lOoK bEaUtIfUl To Me", but rather a "Hey, you went through a really messed up and harmful experience. We're going to face it together and begin healing." This post and this post both explain my thoughts on these lyrics excellently.

This song also gives us a closer look into Audrey's life before the events of the musical. Audrey's history with men was never good to begin with as her father abandoned her mother and Audrey. Then, Audrey fell into relationships where she became more submissive.

I'd meet a man and I'd follow him blindly He'd snap his fingers, me, I'd say, 'Sure'

At this point in the show (and song), Audrey is able to explain how much Seymour has affected her life. Seymour’s nothing like the other boys she's had in her life, and it's implied that she actually wants to be with him. This isn’t the first time Audrey has expressed wanting to be with Seymour either, because it's been stated before in the show.

“Still, that Seymour's a cutie  Well, if not, he's got inner beauty  And I dream of a place  Where we could be together at last” (Somewhere That’s Green)

Even knowing that Seymour isn't like the other boys she's met, Audrey is nervous about being with him because it's "still strange and frightening". In comparison to all the other relationships she's been in, being with Seymour would be different and strange.

Sominex/ Suppertime II

In her core, Audrey is a compassionate person and cares for other people. She is worried for Seymour and goes to check on him, only to be met by Audrey II.

While she is innocent and a bit naive, Audrey most certainly isn't ignorant. As Audrey II tries to get Audrey to "help" him, Audrey is initially cautious ("I don't know if I should!"). She wants to help the plant, but isn't sure it's a good idea, especially since she just found out Audrey II can talk. And I don't know about you, but if I witnessed a plant talking to me, I'd definitely be cautious about helping it.

Audrey isn't ignorant. She knows that there's something weird about Audrey II. It’s Audrey's innocence and drive to help people that leads her to override her initial concern about the plant. Audrey II also aides in this by taking advantage of Audrey's compassion and naivety. Both of these end in Audrey being hurt by the plant.

Somewhere That's Green (Reprise)

In "The Meek Shall Inherit", Seymour is afraid of Audrey not liking him anymore if he becomes poor. Which turns out to be very untrue because in this song, Audrey shows she cares about Seymour and doesn't care that Seymour murdered Mushnik and Orin to get famous (to each their own, I guess???).

In this song, Audrey is able to have her own autonomy within a relationship. Audrey tells Seymour to feed her to Audrey II as her "one gift" to Seymour, so he can become more famous and get all the things she believes Seymour deserves. Seymour respects Audrey's wish, and gives her to the plant.

This scene is important because it's the second time that Audrey expresses that she is in pain as a result of something happening to her— the first time being when Orin hit her. The way that both people involved react to her pain is different and shows their character.

Audrey: Orin, that hurt! Orin: Move it! (Feed Me (Git It))

In "Feed Me (Git It)", Audrey is the one to say she is hurt, only to have Orin not acknowledge that she has been hurt by him or that he cares. At least how Kerry Butler portrays Audrey in the scene, Audrey seems nervous to tell Orin he hurt her. Based on that, I'd assume this sort of behavior from Orin wasn't a one-time event, and it would explain why Audrey would be a bit more nervous to tell Orin.

Seymour: Audrey, are you alright? Audrey: Yes! No... (Somewhere That's Green (Reprise))

What makes this scene different from the one in "Feed Me (Git It)" is that Seymour is the one to ask if Audrey is alright. He is showing that 1) he cares for Audrey's well-being and 2) she is safe to tell him how she feels. Audrey understands that sentiment and tells Seymour how she honestly feels.

Ending Note

Hopefully, I was able to maybe get you to like Audrey more or at least notice maybe one new thing??? I've been putting off posting this because I want it to be as clear as possible what I'm trying to say, but I can't wait around forever. If you've noticed anything that I didn't mention, I'd love to hear it! If I said anything extremely wrong, please don't hesitate to tell me. I don't mean to hurt anyone. I might do some more characters, so if you have any you’d like me to analyze too much, I’d love to hear it! Or I might just do more that no one asks for cuz I had a lot of fun doing this!

[oliveroctavius]

ABSOLUTELY obsessed with the idea of Little Shop of Horrors AU (as inspired by last reblog). I think it would go like this:

Peter Parker as Seymour. Broke Jewish orphan in NYC with legendary bad luck, a dead end job, and an interest in science and strange plants like—

Venom as Twoey. Creepy black plant from outer space that wants to eat people. Nicknamed Gwendy II after—

Gwen Stacy as Audrey. Dreams of a little domestic life with Peter, but thinks it will never work. Dating Harry for the money even though his father—

Norman Osborn, as Orin, is bad news. Gwendy II convinces Peter that Norman deserves to die after seeing him be abusive towards Harry and creepy to Gwen. Peter can't bear to pull the trigger, but Norman asphyxiates on Goblin gas and saves him the trouble.

Harry Osborn doesn't have an exact match, but he's the next person to end up plant food. He figures out what happened, confronts Peter furiously, and gets sort-of-accidentally shot in "self-defense". Gwen is now single and has just inherited a great deal of money.

JJJ is Mr. Mushnik, adopting Peter to try to ride his coattails to success. He works out that there's some connection between Peter and the Osborns' death, but Pete uses his greed to trick him into climbing into the plant before he can tell anyone.

The ending goes pretty much the same as the extended cut—Gwendy II begins speaking to Gwen, Peter saves her a moment too late, then becomes furious and tries to turn on Venom only to be eaten in turn.

Eddie Brock gets a cameo at the end as the guy who comes and grabs a clipping. And curtain! Don't feed the plants! Or symbiotes!

[margoslxix]

Incoming mini-essay/rant on Little Shop of Horrors because I can't stop thinking about the movie and the musical and the different endings and all of that. I'm on mobile, or I'd put it under a cut.

Anyway, I keep thinking about how the ending of the musical was also originally the ending of the movie, and the fact that test audiences hated it, they were upset and felt cheated by it. And most people either basically chalk it up to "people who watch movies are too unsophisticated to appreciate unhappy endings" which... ugh, no; OR the more widely-accepted theory, "this isn't a play, so there's no curtain call, no assurance the actors are alright, they've simply been taken away and audiences feel that's unfair" which... what? Are we assuming that these people do not understand the concept of acting and can't handle character death?

No, I don't think that's the case at all.

For years, I struggled with the movie's ending. I thought it was silly, too predictable, a neat little Hollywood bow on a Faustian tale. But then, the last time I watched the movie, I completely changed my mind. I actually think I understand exactly what those test audiences saw that they didn't like.

Okay, bear with me.

I think that most of the test audience hadn't seen the musical. That's... probably obvious. What they had seen, though, was the whole beginning and middle of the movie which, being a movie, made some minor changes that changed everything.

Here's what I mean:

In the musical, Audrey II can barely move. The puppet is usually cool, but generally, you get full jaw motion and maybe a couple floppy tentacles. In the movie, however, they're this gorgeous Henson Workshop puppet, with an absolutely ridiculous amount of articulation that just wouldn't be feasible on stage. This leads to three huge changes:

1. There is no need for Seymour to trick Mushnik into climbing inside the plant. In the musical, we see Seymour calculate the most effective way to get rid of Mushnik, calmly telling him that the money is hidden deep inside the plant, easily cleaning up the loose end of Mushnik's suspicions. It's cold, it's premeditated, it's the first actual kill Seymour makes (we'll get to Orin later). In the movie, however, Rick Moranis is panicking as Mushnik accuses him, unable to get a word in edgewise as the accusations come between lines of the Suppertime song. They head up the stairs, and Audrey II easily snaps Mushnik up. Rick Moranis looks on, horrified, not necessarily consciously cornering him against the plant. It takes the agency, the premeditation, the decision to kill out of Seymour's hands.

2. In the musical, Audrey simply comes to the shop because she couldn't sleep. She senses that something's wrong with Seymour, that he's been acting erratically, and she comes to check on him. Audrey II takes advantage of this and tricks her into falling into their mouth, ultimately leading to her death. In the movie, however, this bit of contrivance isn't necessary, and we don't see this thought process for Audrey. Audrey II directly manipulates the situation, calling Audrey on the phone to goad her into coming to the shop where they can easily grab and eat her. If the ending had stayed the same, this would have ended much the same way as in the musical, but with more manipulation by Audrey II and less concern for Seymour on Audrey's part.

3. Even with the originally-filmed Bad End, "Mean Green Mother" was an entirely new song and sequence added to the movie. It's a great showcase for both the beautiful Audrey II puppet and the singing talents of the legendary Levi Stubbs, who honestly would have been wasted without a big solo number. This is a thrilling, fully-choreographed fight scene that wouldn't have worked at all on stage, but it pits Seymour against Audrey II, and we watch Seymour's sad, hopeless attempts to destroy the creature he's created. We see him struggle and fight, not quite at the bottom of a downward spiral, but finally reckoning with the creature who's been manipulating him all this time.

Even aside from Audrey II's increased physical power and aggression, there are changes to the story. Like most movie musicals, several songs have been truncated or cut completely for time, and some of these are absolutely crucial to Seymour's fall as a tragic hero

First, there's "Now (It's Just the Gas)." In the musical, this represents Seymour being unable to kill Orin, but realizing that he doesn't have to, as he is about to asphyxiate. The whole musical number features an increasingly desperate Orin begging for his life, and Seymour responding with a sort of patter song about moral dilemmas. Orin is unaware that Seymour is trying to kill him, and does not stop begging for help.

It's the first time we really get to see Seymour calculate, see his lack of empathy (not that Orin necessarily deserved it, but still). It's the beginning of the end.

In the movie, the song is replaced with a scene in which Seymour confronts Orin more directly. Rick Moranis is clearly terrified the entire time, hand and gun shaking. Orin gets the chance to ask why he's doing this, and Seymour gets the chance to tell Orin exactly what he's done wrong, reminding the audience as well that this man is a villain, and that his death is justice. He asphxiates quickly and quietly, and Seymour barely has any time to think or process what's happening.

The other most important changed song is "The Meek Shall Inherit." It's long in the musical, and Seymour gets a soliloquy about his situation. At first, he resolves to kill Audrey II, only to talk himself out of it. He clearly states that what he's doing is wrong, he knows it's wrong, but he sees himself as so worthless that Audrey will no longer love him if he destroys the one thing bringing him wealth and fame. He then immediately, very clearly, asks "where do I sign," metaphorically sealing his Faustian bargain.

Movie Seymour does no such thing. The song has been shortened to a single chorus, sung at a frenzied pace compared to the musical's version, set to a rapid montauge of a distressed, confused, lost-looking Rick Moranis being herded around to various events and crowded by reporters. He barely looks like he gets any say whatsoever in this, his fame is a tide that he's utterly swept up in.

All of these changes utterly change the themes of the story. Seymour is no longer a desperate man who makes a deal with a being that is wholly dependent on him, consciously and coldly killing to sustain it, in the hopes of winning the heart of the girl of his dreams with money and fame, as he is in the musical. Instead, he's a poor, anxious man, helplessly being passed from an abusive father figure to a manipulative, dangerous, powerful alien who causes mayhem and violence around him.

For this Seymour, a tragic end is a slap in the face. It's a betrayal of the audience, who have been rooting for this poor guy to free himself of these influences in his life from the beginning of the movie. It would have been an empty, soulless ending for the musical, of course, but that's because the entire musical has been establishing the classic downward spiral of a tragic hero, while the movie really wasn't.

The thing is, I don't think any of these individual changes are bad, per se. I think that each one was pretty sensible to manage the runtime and spectacle of a feature film, as well as utilizing the cast to their potential. It just so happens that they all come together to make something that is fundamentally, incompatibly different from the source material.

And that's okay!

[countesssrostova]

i’m gonna rant about how absolutely bonkers free will is in little shop of horrors

this will probably be a long ass post so i’m starting with a read more thing so i don’t bombarde people with a wall of text

tldr; due to the nature of audrey ii’s mind control powers, there is no real way of telling if the characters within the show are acting by their own will or by its, thus putting little shop of horrors on par with greek tragedies of predestined fate and the struggle against destiny.

the opening song of little shop of horrors immediately keys the audience into the fact that the urchins are the greek chorus of the show, thereby omniscient and knowing the end before it’s even begun. this is a functioning tool of the show, arguably most notably utilized in ‘the meek shall inherit’. however, the fact that they interact with the other characters within the show rather than being an unseen outside force (as the chorus generally was in antiquity) adds the dimension that it is possible, within the very action of the show, for all the characters to be cognizant of where the story is going.

this matter is complicated further by the fact that audrey ii is apparently capable of mind control, or at the very least telepathy. in sominex, it’s heavily implied that audrey ii is actually feeding audrey the instinct to go and talk to seymour, thus drawing her into her trap--in the movie, the plant just calls her on the phone but i think the stage show vastly improves upon the structure of it as a whole so i’m focusing on that version, but i digress. this mind control is supported in the beginning by the random customer who comes in fascinated by the plant and then spends a hundred dollars on a bouquet of shitty flowers. while there isn’t a confirmed time setting for lsoh, it’s pretty clearly set in the late 50′s/early 60′s by most production styles and by cultural references within the show (howdy doody, the crystals/ronettes/chiffons, etc), which, adjusting for inflation, is just under $900 today. i don’t need to tell you thats too much money to pay for a dozen wilted roses. not to mention that the flower shop is located in downtown, again, very clearly stated in text to be a lower-income area where mainly blue-collar workers live. why someone would just be carrying nearly a thousand dollars on them (by todays standards) as pocket money and still be living there makes virtually no sense. in addition, the customer is usually directed to speak in a very stilted, exaggerated way: almost as if hes being puppeted by someone else. this customer is proof enough that audrey ii is capable of entirely controlling another person, possibly from long range if the customer does live uptown or enough to waste a good amount of savings on dead roses.

audrey ii, of course, hints at this power itself in git it! but i wanted to establish that it isn’t just a brag or narcissism, it’s established in text.

this facet of mind control in audrey ii’s powers halts the entire idea of free will in the show. there’s no way of knowing if anything in the show is untouched by its influence. did the plant salesman sell seymour the plant of his own volition, or did it force him too? did seymour really slip and cut himself, or was it a purposeful action explained away by his general clumsiness? does audrey even like seymour or is it just another machination to keep seymour feeding the plant? there are some things that predate audrey ii’s arrival (seymour’s crush on audrey, orin’s abuse/mental illness, etc) but who’s to say audrey ii didn’t just use those pre-existing factors to make the story work? even seymour’s attempts to kill the plant are futile; being entirely at the plant’s whim means that he couldn’t possibly succeed in killing it if it has the power to control his actions.

the only ones outside of it’s control are the urchins, who remain unaffected as narrators even as audrey ii conquers the earth. this would leave them as the only people who have confirmed free will within the show, yet they too are pinned in place by knowing how it ends, thus unable to stop it. little shop then becomes a tragedy of man against god, it’s hero eternally doomed to fail by the will of his creator. in essence, it’s an entirely supported interpretation of little shop to be audrey ii puppeting all the characters to fulfill the plot points that leads to it’s victories, with the urchins as knowing bystanders who can only foreshadow the other’s fates. 

and where does that leave you as an audience member, equally involved in the show as its players?