History Fridge / LittleShopOfHorrors

** It's not a secret that ''Little Shop'' is played as Greek Tragedy. Look at the murders by Seymour: enemy, father, love, himself, in that order.

* Creator/HowardAshman wrote that ''Little Shop'' parallels the legend of ''Myth/{{Faust}}'', which many people cite to argue that it needs to end tragically, because the legend traditionally ends with Faust going to hell. But the most famous retelling of the myth, [[Theatre/{{Faust} Goethe's version]], has an AdaptationalAlternateEnding where Faust is redeemed and goes to heaven instead. So the happy ending of the ''Little Shop'' movie has some precedent!

** In the same song, Seymour mentions he wants to cruise around on a motorcycle like Creator/JamesDean, who died in a motorcycle accident in his 20s.

* Some productions start out with plenty of extras playing hobos on Skid Row. After ''Feed Me (Git It)'', the number slowly dwindles until the Finale where the few leads are left. [[NightmareFuel Where else do you think they went in a musical about a man eating plant that slowly grows in size the more it eats?]]
* I could never put my finger on exactly ''why'' Seymour seemed so much more sympathetic in the 80's film that people would think he deserved a happy ending, since his actions are the same even with some of the subplots removed, but then I realized: his lack of direct involvement isn't set up as passivity, it's set up as karmic retribution for his victims. When he says "it's not what you did to me, it's what you did to ''her''," while standing over Orin and pointedly ''not'' gleefully thinking to himself that [[MurderByInaction he can kill him without doing anything]], and when he doesn't stop Mushnik from getting too close to the plant while being {{blackmail}}ed into giving up his fortune instead of telling him the money is in the plant, the implication is that he isn't killing them through inaction, he just isn't saving them from the consequences of their own actions. Of course, Creator/RickMoranis's performance doesn't hurt, but the way morality tends to work (in films, anyway), the little guy who lets the big guys fall hard is usually the unambiguous hero, especially when he has a scene where he saves his damsel in distress and she deserves a good ending even more than he ever could.
* In the movie, during "Somewhere That's Green," in Audrey's fantasy of living in the suburbs as Seymour's wife, she imagines their bedroom with [[SleepingSingle separate beds.]] At first glance, this detail just seems like a spoof of '50s sitcoms where married couples weren't allowed to be shown sharing a bed. But as Audrey's fantasy, it actually makes perfect sense. Audrey has been over-sexualized all her life, by Orin, by other bad boyfriends she might have had, and by the men she used to dance/strip for in The Gutter. She's tired of having to be a sex kitten, so it's no wonder that she dreams of living the wholesome, idealized suburban life she's seen in magazines and on TV, where there's plenty of love, but sex isn't a big deal.

* In the movie, during "Somewhere That's Green," in Audrey's fantasy of living in the suburbs as Seymour's wife, she imagines their bedroom with [[SleepingSingle separate beds.] At first glance, this detail just seems like a spoof of '50s sitcoms where married couples weren't allowed to be shown sharing a bed. But as Audrey's fantasy, it actually makes perfect sense. Audrey has been over-sexualized all her life, by Orin, by other bad boyfriends she might have had, and by the men she used to dance/strip for in The Gutter. She's tired of having to be a sex kitten, so it's no wonder that she dreams of living the wholesome, idealized suburban life she's seen in magazines and on TV, where there's plenty of love, but sex isn't a big deal.

** In the same song, Seymour mentions he wants to cruise around on a motorcycle like Creator/JamesDean, who died in a motorcycle accident in his youth.

* "Get It" has a subtle, clever pattern of comparing Seymour's potential life if he listens to Tooey to a number of wealthy, successful people... who ''died young'', and as a direct result of what gave them their iconic images. Seymour mentions he wants to cruise around on a motorcycle like Creator/JamesDean, who died in a motorcycle accident, and Tooey suggests Seymour's life could rival "King Tut's"... but UsefulNotes/Tutankhamun is believed to have been murdered in a case of palace intrigue before he hit 20 years of age. Clever foreshadowing here.

** Goes right back to FridgeHorror when you realize, if there's one bud, there could be more.

** You also have to ask how it got there. Are the aliens capable of planting as many Audrey IIs as they want, anywhere? In the play, it's only North America that's destroyed, but if you run with the implications the movie is easily worse.

* It hit me in Advanced English (while reading Jane Eyre, of all things) that Little Shop has many of the elements of a Greek tragedy (albeit, a very funny one). While it is certainly modern in much of its set-up, much of it seems to root in tragedy: The Doo-wop girls are a Greek chorus. The reversal (peripiteia) comes after he kills Mushnik. Anagnorisis (moment of recognition) comes when Seymour realizes Audrey II had planned this from the start. Pathos (scene of suffering) is when Audrey is killed by Audrey II. And Seymour fits the bill for a tragic hero: "a great man who is neither a paragon of virtue and justice nor undergoes the change to misfortune through any real badness or wickedness but because of some mistake (flaw)."

** Supporting the theory he's just as selfish as the antagonists is his first wish during ''Feed Me (Git It)''. It's not for Audrey's love but a desire to be seen as a hot shot just like Orin ("Gee, I would like a Harley machine / fooling around like I was James Dean / making all of the guys on the corner turn green"). The ''only'' time Audrey is mentioned is when Twoey brings her up ("Come on, kid, what will it be? Money? Girls? One particular girl? How about that Audrey?"). This adds a new layer to why Seymour is interested in Audrey in the first place. He doesn't love her for her personality but because Orin (everything he wants to be) has her.
*** Actually, it's heavily implied that it's the other way round: he wants to be like Orin because Orin's the one that has her. In the show, he approaches Audrey at the start of Act II wearing Orin's jacket and asks if she likes it. When she has a negative reaction to it, he instantly takes the jacket off and even says that he'll burn it. There's no doubt that Seymour ''is'' just as selfish as everyone else in the story - Audrey II would never have been able to prey on him for that long if he wasn't. And then there's the fact that Audrey II keeps on the hook with the promise of purely material things.

* During the stage show's version of "Feed Me (Git It)", there is a clever use of foreshadowing based around the term "Git It". When Audrey II sings it, he's using the term in the positive sense (aka, you'll get what you want) but when Ronette, Crystal and Chiffon sing it, it's negative (aka, you're going to get what's coming to you).
* What is the significance of Seymour naming the plant after the woman he's secretly in love with? He behaves the way he does because (he justifies) of the chance Audrey would love him if he did, only to focus more on the plant until it destroys them? What else does this echo? That's right, [[DealWithTheDevil The legend of Faust]], made famous by Goethe and Marlowe.

* In the films opening number, the Greek Chorus stop inside the shop beside Mushnik and sing the lyrics "Best believe it, somethin's come to get ya" toward him. Later on, Mushnik is eaten by the plant who has come from outer space.

* “Feed Me” sees Audrey II promise Seymour that “[his] life will surely rival King Tut’s” if he feeds the plant. One would assume Audrey is promising Seymour riches, [[ExactWords but then one remembers the other thing Tut is known for:]] ''dying early'' at age 14.

* I could never put my finger on exactly ''why'' Seymour seemed so much more sympathetic in the 80's film that people would think he deserved a happy ending, since his actions are the same even with some of the subplots removed, but then I realized: his lack of direct involvement isn't set up as passivity, it's set up as karmic retribution for his victims. When he says "it's not what you did to me, it's what you did to ''her''," while standing over Orin and pointedly ''not'' gleefully thinking to himself that he can kill him without doing anything, and when he doesn't stop Mushnik from getting too close to the plant while being blackmailed into giving up his fortune instead of telling him the money is in the plant, the implication is that he isn't killing them through inaction, he just isn't saving them from the consequences of their own actions. Of course, Rick Moranis's performance doesn't hurt, but the way morality tends to work (in films, anyway), the little guy who lets the big guys fall hard is usually the unambiguous hero, especially when he has a scene where he saves his damsel in distress and she deserves a good ending even more than he ever could.

* In the film, look closely when Audrey II sings "When he's gone, ''the world will be yours''!" during ''Suppertime''. He's looking at himself in the mirror. He isn't talking to Seymour at all, he's talking to himself!

* The reveal that there is an Audrey II bud living in Seymour and Audrey's garden in the FocusGroupEnding is hardly a cause for concern, despite the [[TheEndOrIsIt implications]]: they know from experience not to listen to anything it will say, and it's too small and weak to stop them from destroying it.

* “Feed Me” sees Audrey II promise Seymour that “[his] life will surely rival King Tut’s” if he feeds the plant. One would assume Audrey is promising Seymour riches, [[ExactWords but then one remembers the other thing Tut is known for: ''dying early'' at age 14.]]

* It hit me in Advanced English (while reading Jane Eyre, of all things) that Little Shop has many of the elements of a Greek tragedy (albeit, a very funny one). While it is certainly modern in much of its set-up, much of it seems to root in tragedy: The Doo-wop girls are a Greek chorus. The reversal (peripiteia) comes after he kills Mushnik. Anagnorisis (moment of recognition) comes when Seymour realizes Audrey II had planned this from the start. Pathos (scene of suffering) is when [[spoiler: Audrey is killed by Audrey II.]] And Seymour fits the bill for a tragic hero: "a great man who is neither a paragon of virtue and justice nor undergoes the change to misfortune through any real badness or wickedness but because of some mistake (flaw)."

* In the films opening number, the Greek Chorus stop inside the shop beside Mushnik and sing the lyrics "Best believe it, somethin's come to get ya" toward him. Later on, Mushnik is eaten by the plant who has come from outerspace.

* At the end of the film adaptation, [[spoiler:a new Audrey II plant is growing and smiling]] in Seymour and Audrey's yard. In addition to the obvious that Seymour and Audrey's life together will be threatened once more, what if more of them appeared?
** You also have to ask how it got there. Are the [[spoiler:aliens capable of planting as many Audrey IIs as they want, anywhere?]] In the play, it's only North America that's destroyed, but if you run with the implications the movie is easily worse.

* Why Audrey dies even though Seymour got her out of the plant in the original ending. If you look closely her dress is ripped and covered in blood stains. In the theatrical ending there was no bloodstains shown. It was established in the movie earlier that it feeds on fresh blood to survive. So in the alternate ending, Audrey II sucked out all her blood until she died of blood loss.

* Why Audrey dies even though Seymour got her out of the plant in the alternate ending. If you look closely her dress is ripped and covered in blood stains. In the theatrical ending there was no bloodstains shown. It was established in the movie earlier that it feeds on fresh blood to survive. So in the alternate ending, Audrey II sucked out all her blood until she died of blood loss.

*** There's also the part where that scene is functionally the same in either ending. Audrey II thinks the same thing either way: Audrey is as good as dead and Seymour is going to feed her corpse to it, because the other option is leaving it on the street to rot. In the happy ending, he's just wrong. And why not? It's never had to deal with an ''injured'' human before, it has no idea what kind of injury a person could survive.