ARTS The Michigan Daily Wednesday, January 7, 1987 Page 7 'Horrors': B movie goes blockbuster By Seth Flicker grows at rapid rates only on a diet combination has made it into a of human blood. phenomenon." It has become quite a trend to "The film was nicely successful It was The David Geffen ransform stage plays into movies but not a runaway success," Company that acquired the screen Chorus Line, Crimes of the explained Corman, "It then became rights and seized the opportunity to Heart) and it is not completely a little bit of a Friday and Saturday produce a new film version of Little uncommon for movies to be made night cult film." Shop. It stars Rick Moranis, Ellen twice (The Wizard of Oz, It was years later that an Off- Greene, Vincent Gardenia, and Breathless, Lost Horizon ), but the Broadway group approached Steve Martin, and is directed by transformations undergone by Little Corman to ask him whether they muppet-master Frank Oz. Shop of Horrors are totally unique: could do a musical based on Little "The music was so terrific and what was first a low budget black Shop. From this emerged the the visual impact of this talking comedy turned Off-Broadway wildly successful Off-Broadway plant (Audrey II) was so strong that musical has become an all-star musical. I felt. it was perfect for a movie Musical movie. "We agreed that by nature it's an musical," said Oz, "I felt it was It all started with Roger Off-Broadway show and it's been very fertile ground for a movie. Corman, who made the original most successful as a show in "I tried to make it a major movie 1960 cult classic which was smaller theaters," said Albert but keep it very intimate. If you're completed in two days and one Polland, manager of the stage looking for a hundred chorus girls, night for under $30,000. Corman version of Little Shop. . singing and dancing, that ain't my told the Daily that he filmed the Since its opening on July 27th movie. I tried to handle it with as told ecmey"js much restraint as possible because I macabre comedy 'just for the fun of 1982, Little Shop of Horrors has dinh want a oerbl whale of it. No other reason than the fact won the Drama Critics' Circle didn't want an overblown whale of that I had nothing to do at that Drama Desk and Outer Critics' a musical. p b particular time and there were some Circle Awards for best musical of The $20 milhon plus budget and standing sets at the studio." 1982. It has also traveled over a year's shootig is a far cry The result was a crazy horror- xesvl rudtewrd from Corman's original B movie, Th eutwsacayhro-extensively around the world, but as Oz said, "I think if yoxr comedy about Seymour, a poor including a two-year run in London. you are schnook who discovers fame and "It's an old-fashioned musical in going to compare it to the black fortune by buying a plant a very hip genre," Pololand and white or going to compare it to nicknamed Audrey II (after continued, "It's the classic Faustian the Off-Broadway, then I think that Seymu's truelove Audrey) wi ch cte I thi hat Fat its a mistake. I made this movie to Seymour (Rick Moranis) is appalled to learn of Audrey II's strange appetite for human blood in the new Symour s rtheme. I think that that stand by itself." screen adaptation of 'Little Shop of Horrors.' Records Robert Cray Strong Persuader Mercury