The Little Shop of Horrors1960

75/100 Well, it's certainly not much comparing it to the much more popular, and much better, musical. However, Roger Corman's original The Little Shop of Horrors proves a fun comedy-horror in its own right. Now, I will admit right away that the film relies somewhat on Jewish stereotypes, especially in the character of Gravis Mushnik, who is mostly the stereotypical money-grubbing Jew. However, given that it is unintentional and that it's merely a small aspect of the film, I'm more forgiving than I would usually be, especially with how good the rest is. The writing here is really funny, and I found myself chuckling at most of the jokes. This plays out like a comic version of a Greek tragedy, complete with satirical riffs on 1960s consumerism. The movie moves quickly from one joke to another, making sure the viewer is never bored. My favourite of these jokes is when Seymour has just killed the sadistic dentist Dr. Farb only for a masochistic patient to walk in, enjoying Seymour's amateur performance as dentist due to the pain it causes him. This patient, Wilbur Force, is famously played by a young Jack Nicholson, who even as young as he is here, shows off his acting skills, turning a decently funny joke hilarious through his performance, especially with the scene where he walks away after the performance with half his teeth just gone. Great stuff. Overall, this movie will always be stuck for me as the one that inspired two of my favorite pieces of media ever in the 1982 stage show and it's film adaptation. However, judging it on its own, I found it a decently fun time and an overall good movie.