The Film Masters Blu-ray release of THE TERROR (1963) contains a second disc with another famed public domain cult film: the original THE LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS.
The production history of the original LITTLE SHOP has become a film geek legend. Roger Corman's ultra-cheap, ultra-quick black comedy might even be his most famous film as a director. A follow-up to another gonzo dark satire, A BUCKET OF BLOOD, LITTLE SHOP bears more of the stamp of its writer Charles B. Griffith than Corman. But Corman must be given credit for letting Griffith's writing--and the comedic talents of the ensemble cast--hold sway. Said cast features Jonathan Haze as the pathetic but endearing Seymour, Jackie Joseph, Mel Welles, Dick Miller, and a memorable cameo by Jack Nicholson. (And don't forget the hungry plant, Audrey Jr.)
THE LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS became such a cult item it wound up being adapted into a cult stage musical, which itself was adapted as a big-budget film with a name cast. The film version of the musical has its own charms, but the original LITTLE SHOP is for me the best version of the tale. Its ragged, unpolished production fits the tone of the story perfectly. The musical version may have had a song about Skid Row, but the exteriors for the movie actually were filmed on Skid Row. LITTLE SHOP is ridiculously funny and entertaining, and its laughs per budget spent ratio has to be among the greatest in cinema history.
Like THE TERROR, LITTLE SHOP has had several fly-by-night home video releases over the years, and its even been sadly colorized at one point. Film Masters gives us a sharp HD black & white print presented in a 16:9 screen ratio. A few purists might be annoyed at that, but I felt the shot compositions came out very well. This print also has the complete opening & closing credits, which most public domain versions do not feature.
The extras on the LITTLE SHOP disc include a new audio commentary with Justin Humphreys and the movie's star, Jonathan Haze. It's a fun and informative one, with Humphreys providing the historical details and Haze sharing his memories of the shoot, Roger Corman, and the various personalities involved in LITTLE SHOP and other Corman pictures made during the same period. There is also a 17 minute featurette on the Filmgroup Comapny, Roger Corman's own unit, which the prolific director set up while still churning out features for American-International. (THE TERROR and THE LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS are actually Filmgroup productions--they were just released by AIP.) The featurette is narrated by C. Courtney Joyner. A new trailer for LITTLE SHOP is also provided. The booklet contained in this Blu-ray package has an article on the making of LITTLE SHOP by Mark McGee.
THE TERROR and THE LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS have long deserved proper, authoritative home video releases, and Film Masters has accomplished this. Film buffs and movie collectors will certainly want this Roger Corman/Jack Nicholson double feature, although it's more accurate to call it a Jonathan Haze/Dick Miller double feature.
I watched the Blu-ray Wednesday night. First time in many years, and I really enjoyed it. There were so many things I didn't remember about the movie, mostly how funny it was. The dialogue came fast and furious and the actors were terrific. Jack Nicholson certainly stands out, but Dick Miller and Mel Welles were both hilarious. I will definitely watch it again with the commentary.
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