The Little Shop of Horrors Dark Ending

[Metallixs Girl]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaBJDRIgJRY Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUiz4WgTB7c&mode=related&search= Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddIK3CIMzFs&mode=related&search= Part 3

Oh man I had been dying to see this ending! If they had kept this one and fine-tuned it, Audrey II could have had the glory he deserved, heh. His song was saying that he was meant to be the greated movie monster ever, and with this ending he could have been. It's called Little Shop of Horrors, but where was the horror? They could have at least fixed it up and kept it on the DVD instead of a measley discription of it.

I kind of felt cheated by the happy ending, and it didn't really make sense. Audrey was chewed up, of course she would be almost dead. She says "Yes - no!" faints and then springs back up. Then she runs around the windows watching Audrey II sing about he's the greated monster ever, and then he's electrocuted.

I mean, okay, I'm glad they lived happily ever after, but I just wish they had at least kept the dark ending on the DVD, it's the true one after all...

But which ending do you like better?

[Blademaster]

Wow...

'The greatest movie monster ever?' No. But still a pretty good one. Original ending all the way.

[Metallixs Girl]

Wow...

'The greatest movie monster ever?' No. But still a pretty good one. Original ending all the way.


Oh, come on, what is more terrifying than a 20-foot-tall, singing, swearing, blood drinking, man-eating, deep-voiced Venus fly trap who tricks people with greed into feeding other people to him and ends his movie like THAT footage? ^_^

I mean they felt this ending was TOO scary for the movie, that must mean something, lol :)

[Drago]

Key note, Audrey II is female. I think.

Anyway, the dark ending might have been all well and good for the stage production (and a similar idea in the original 60s(?) film, too), but it wouldn't have sat well in this movie. The whole film is dark, but kind of friendly in a way. We want to see Seymour succeed, we want to see Audrey finally be happy. Most audiences can't hack a confronting, depressing ending where Rick Moranis is eaten by a hungry plant. Makes people feel glum. To that note, I believe (don't quote me on this though) in preliminary screenings the dark ending was used, but audiences didn't like it one bit. So they stick in a bright and cheery ending (with Audrey II having like the BEST death line ever), and by having the little Audrey plant in the end, kind of maintains the idea that the plants will take over, only in a less tragic way.
I grew up with this film, and it wasn't until a couple years ago that I saw the original film and the stage production, and I'm still glad they changed it. The dark ending shouldn't be hidden away, no way in hell, it's a great series of footage, and who doesn't love the train going into the mouth... But it should stay where it is, as an alternative. Most movie-goers like to think that, if you fight hard enough, good will succeed. To essentially say, no it won't, screw you, is a smidgen sad.

I love the idea that, if Audrey carks it and is fed to the plant, she does in fact go 'somewhere that's green'. Of course, the initial 'Somewhere That's Green' song gives off a completely different vibe with that ending, even if the song is done exactly the same. Whereas with the happy ending it's a segment of dreaming and hoping, with the dark ending it's all in vain, it becomes a very sad song, because she's dreaming of what will never be... Anyway, that much is obvious, I just love this film a lot, and just had to stick in a word or two. ;)

[.hacker]

I'm glad that I got to see this ending, but I'll take the one as shown in the completed film. It took way too long, and it followed the old b-flick formula of Godzilla destroying the city (maybe that was intentional). It felt like it was not meant to be in the film, it wouldn't have flowed correctly....

But, I have always wanted to see the original ending, but I'll keep the movie as it is today.

[Metallixs Girl]

[color=mediumpurple]Yeah you guys are right, the happy ending was way better for the movie, really. I remember, I loved Rick Moranis as a kid, and also Audrey II horrified me. So if I actually saw that dark ending at the age I saw the film, it would have been very traumatic. But now that I'm old enough to appreciate the movie, I really wish they had added the alternate to the DVD. They actually did, but the director got upset and made them take it out, and my DVD didn't have it.

DK - you could be right, since the guy who voiced Audrey II voiced Mother Brain in Captain N. But it's more freaky to think of her as a guy, with his deep voice, and male alien plants having babies. Maybe plants are transgender, lol.

[Blademaster]

Maybe plants are transgender, lol.

Well, plants DO have both male and female sex organs...

Right, shutting up now. :p

[Metallixs Girl]

Well, plants DO have both male and female sex organs...

Right, shutting up now. :p


[color=mediumpurple]LOL! I can't believe I forgot that... I got a poem published in fifth grade called "the Parts of a Flower" that I wrote after science class. ^^

[.hacker]

What's interesting is that Frank Oz, the director of the film version, prefers the original dark ending, but changed it because the test audience hated seeing Audrey and Seymour get eaten. He thought the happy ending was wrong for the movie, but as he said on the DVD, "It's what the audience wanted."

[Metallixs Girl]

What's interesting is that Frank Oz, the director of the film version, prefers the original dark ending, but changed it because the test audience hated seeing Audrey and Seymour get eaten. He thought the happy ending was wrong for the movie, but as he said on the DVD, "It's what the audience wanted."


[color=mediumpurple]Yeah, all the more reason he should have let it on the DVD. I mean they spent $5 Million on that footage for gosh sakes! That's all wasted money now for no reason, while fans could have been enjoying it this whole time. The reason he didn't want it on the DVD was he thought maybe he could put it in theaters again someday with the bad ending, but that really wouldn't be very logical, it would be better on the danged DVD.

[.hacker]

[color=mediumpurple]Yeah, all the more reason he should have let it on the DVD. I mean they spent $5 Million on that footage for gosh sakes! That's all wasted money now for no reason, while fans could have been enjoying it this whole time. The reason he didn't want it on the DVD was he thought maybe he could put it in theaters again someday with the bad ending, but that really wouldn't be very logical, it would be better on the danged DVD.


David Geffen, producer of the film, is the one who will not release the original ending on DVD. What's ironic is that when the film first became available on DVD, the initial batch had the original ending on it without his permission. Geffen ordered these DVDs to be returned and the next set of DVDs did not include the ending. There were rumors of a 20th anniversary DVD edition with the ending included, but that doesn't seem to be happening.

[Metallixs Girl]

David Geffen, producer of the film, is the one who will not release the original ending on DVD. What's ironic is that when the film first became available on DVD, the initial batch had the original ending on it without his permission. Geffen ordered these DVDs to be returned and the next set of DVDs did not include the ending. There were rumors of a 20th anniversary DVD edition with the ending included, but that doesn't seem to be happening.


[color=mediumpurple]Yeah ok, him then. I know SOMEBODY wasted $5,000,000 and ruined a DVD. ^_^