Little Shop of Horrors: Director's Cut (1986)

At the time of this post in June 2012, no information from Amazon exists on this product page. This is the press release stuff I was able to cull from the internet.

Tech specs will include a 1080p digitally remastered high definition transfer for the Blu-ray. Audio will be mixed in 5.1 Dolby TrueHD for the BD.

This release will not only include the theatrical cut (on BD), but also a completely restored, never-before-seen Director's Cut of the film, featuring a drastically different, and much darker, 20-minute alternate ending.

Here's a note about the restoration direct from Warner, "The footage of the original ending was previously available only in black & white in the extra content of a limited number of copies of a DVD edition released in 1998. Now, with the help of production notes from Frank Oz and others on the film's creative team, WHV has meticulously restored and digitally remastered the ending, in full color, with the elaborate special effects in tact. Sound has also been rebuilt and mixed in Dolby 5.1. The theatrical version has also been re-mastered."

Extras will include the following (no word yet on which of these extras are exclusive to Blu-ray):

*Theatrical version of the film with optional commentary

*The Director's Cut featuring the newly restored 20-minute alternate ending

*Digitally re-mastered picture and 5.1 sound on both versions

*"Frank Oz and Little Shop of Horrors: The Director's Cut," an introduction by Frank Oz with Richard Conway

*"A Story of Little Shop of Horrors" (behind-the-scenes documentary)

*Outtakes and deleted scenes with optional commentary

*Two theatrical trailers

The Blu-ray will also include a 40-page Digibook with production notes, stills and rare insights.

[UPDATE] When I met Frank Oz at The Saturn Awards, he confirmed the original ending was finally seeing a release in this issue. He personally called the miniatures model maker to tell him that his fine miniature model work was finally going to be seen as the plant rips through cities in a Godzilla style rampage. Paul Dooley will also have his scene restored. He was replaced in reshoots but still got residuals payments on the film despite being cut out.

The transfer is great the colors are much more vibrant than on the DVD, and the picture is sharper.

The sound is incredible -the best mix of this movie, I've ever heard in any medium.

It's worth the price just to finally see the cut original ending.

... and the little note from Frank Oz about the cut ending is pretty great.

if you're a fan of this movie -YOU NEED THIS.

SPOILERS ALERT:

... more of a point of discussion (the cut ending in great to finally see -FIVE stars for this blu-ray)

... Technically, the cut ending of the movie is the ending of the off-broadway show, it's the same song, etc -but i can see why audiences didn't spark to the movie's end. For one thing it's played much sadder in the movie than the show. The slow death of Audrey, the close-ups of her tears, Seymour being devoured sooooo slowly... it's sad. in the musical, it all happens pretty quick, and it's pretty campy.

AND -more importantly -the musical ends on an UPBEAT note:

Sure, seymour and Audrey die -but they come right back on stage, to sing the final song. They're dead for thirty seconds, then they come out again, singing. And they're still together.

In Frank Oz's ending they die, and are gone forever, the monsters take over the world.

In the SHOW's ending -the last lines are:

"if we fight it, we still got a chance!"

then Seymour and Audrey sing to each other (albeit, as flowers) "We've got tomorrow!!!"

"Don't fee the plants"

Yes they die -but they come back, sing a really fun song, and say that they have tomorrow...

the movie ends with their death, and the end of the world...

I loved seeing it -and i can kinda see now, after all these years, why test audiences responded the way they did. I was confused why they though the ending was a bummer... the end of the musical is fun, not sad. The movie didn't quite achieve that.

that said -it's AWESOME, and cool to finally see -buy it, and see what you think.

Buy Little Shop of Horrors: Director's Cut (1986) Now

This is a brilliant, funny movie adapted in 1986 from the 1982 Off Broadway musical of the same name. That musical was, in turn, adapted from the 1960 Roger Corman film, "The Little Shop of Horrors" (non-musical, dark comedy). The 1986 film's musical numbers are wonderful, and Levi Stubbs delivers a fantastic performance as the plant, Audrey II. In truth, the entire cast is spectacular! If you are unfortunate enough to have missed this gem, pick it up now! This version is the one to get.

I was a little confused when I saw "Director's Cut" but the same runtime (94 min.) listed as that on my 1998 DVD. So, I did a little research and discovered that this new release has both the original theatrical release (94 min.) *and* a version with the original, darker ending! Better yet, the original ending is now in color! From Warner Home Video's announcement of the new release: "The footage of the original ending was previously available only in black & white in the extra content of a limited number of copies of a DVD edition released in 1998. Now, with the help of production notes from Frank Oz and others on the film's creative team, WHV has meticulously restored and digitally remastered the ending, in full color, with the elaborate special effects intact. Sound has also been rebuilt and mixed in Dolby 5.1. The theatrical version has also been re-mastered."

From IGN's website:

"Extras will include the following (no word yet on which of these extras are exclusive to Blu-ray):

Theatrical version of the film with optional commentary

The Director's Cut featuring the newly restored 20-minute alternate ending

Digitally re-mastered picture and 5.1 sound on both versions

"Frank Oz and Little Shop of Horrors: The Director's Cut," an introduction by Frank Oz with Richard Conway

"A Story of Little Shop of Horrors" (behind-the-scenes documentary)

Outtakes and deleted scenes with optional commentary

Two theatrical trailers

The Blu-ray will also include a 40-page Digibook with production notes, stills and rare insights."

So this is the version to buy! The 1998 DVD was also in 5.1 Dolby Digital, and many of the extras are repeated from the earlier DVD (the commentary, outtakes and gags, production notes, and trailers) but the remastering should make this movie pop on HD TVs!

Read Best Reviews of Little Shop of Horrors: Director's Cut (1986) Here

This dvd was released around March of 1998. (Which makes it rare to begin with, since dvd's really didn't even catch on until 2000.) Warner Bros. released this dvd, and about 1 or 2 days later, all the copies were recalled. Apparently, The alternate ending (which has the audrey II spawning, and creating more plants, and then using this plant army to dominate the entire world!!) was left on the cutting room floor, because, according to the commentary, when they screened this ending with a test audience, they were horrified... so it was relpaced with the happy ending. (The plant dies, everyone lives, yay!!!) However, when they released the dvd, they added this alternate ending in the special features, apparently without the permission of Frank Oz, the director. So he filed a lawsuit against warner bros., forcing them to recall all the unsold copies of the film. (The dvd was later re-released, without the alternate ending......)

Want Little Shop of Horrors: Director's Cut (1986) Discount?

What can I say, I think that this is a wonderful movie and musical. The setting takes place in a plant shop that is on the verge of bankruptcy. Mr. Mushnik is the boss and Audrey and Seymour work for him. Seymour buys a human eating plant for Audrey and names it Audrey 2. Seymour is hopelessly in love with Audrey, but unfortunately Audrey already has a boyfriend, Orin. Orin is a dentist and treats Audrey like dirt. Deep down, Audrey would rather be with Seymour than wit Orin. Finally Seymour kills Orin and feeds him to Audrey 2.

OK, here is why I did not give this movie five stars. As I imagine you all know, the play and the movie are different. In the play at the End Audrey 2 eats Audrey and Seymour feels so lonely without her that he commits suicide by feeding himself to the plant. In the movie on the other hand the shop caught fire and the plant didn't survive, but Audrey and Seymour got married. Another problem with the movie was that the poignant love song, "Suddenly, Seymour," was well overdone. Missing also is the catchy song "Closed For Renovation."

Other than that, this is a wonderful movie, and I would chose to watch it time and again. So go ahead, buy it. You will not be sorry.

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