The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)
“The flowers that kill in the spring, tra-la!”
Streamed free from the Internet Archive · no signup, no cost — this film is in the public domain.
Synopsis
On skid row, bumbling florist's assistant Seymour Krelboin works at Gravis Mushnick's failing flower shop, pining for his sweet coworker Audrey. To save his job, Seymour cultivates a strange exotic plant he names "Audrey Jr." — which, he discovers, thrives only on human blood. As the plant grows, talks, and demands "Feed me!", it draws curious crowds that revive the shop's fortunes and pull Seymour into an escalating, increasingly macabre scramble to satisfy its appetite. The result is a fast, farcical black comedy that builds to a darkly memorable finale.
Cast
About the Director
Roger Corman — Roger Corman was the legendary "King of the B-movies," a famously fast and frugal independent producer-director who mentored a generation of future stars and filmmakers. He directed 'The Little Shop of Horrors' on a shoestring, leaning on his stock company of regulars and a quick, improvisational style. The film became one of the most celebrated examples of his gift for turning near-zero resources into an enduring cult favorite.
Why It’s Free: The Public-Domain Story
'The Little Shop of Horrors' is in the public domain because Roger Corman never copyrighted the film, believing it had little commercial value beyond its initial release. With no copyright ever secured, the picture entered the public domain immediately, and it has circulated freely for decades in countless copies of varying quality.
Behind the Scenes
The film is famous for its breakneck shoot: Corman had temporary access to interior sets left standing from his earlier 'A Bucket of Blood' and resolved to shoot a whole movie before they were struck, completing the interiors in roughly two days. The script by Charles B. Griffith evolved from rejected ideas about a vampire and a cannibal chef into the tale of a man-eating plant, partly hashed out during boozy nights touring downtown dives. Exteriors were filmed cheaply over later weekends, with winos and neighborhood kids paid pennies to appear as extras. It premiered in 1960 and slowly built a cult following.
Did You Know?
- A young, pre-fame Jack Nicholson appears as Wilbur Force, a masochistic dental patient who delights in pain — a tiny role now heavily promoted on the home-video releases.
- The man-eating plant's growling "Feed me!" voice was provided, uncredited, by screenwriter Charles B. Griffith.
- The score by cellist Fred Katz was actually recycled from 'A Bucket of Blood' — Katz reportedly resold the same music to Corman more than once as if it were new.
- It was screened out of competition at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival.
Reception & Legacy
Reviews were generally favorable, and the film grew from a throwaway B-movie into a beloved cult classic. Its cultural footprint is enormous: it inspired the hit 1982 Off-Broadway musical "Little Shop of Horrors," itself adapted into the popular 1986 feature — and it stands today as one of Corman's signature works and a landmark of low-budget horror-comedy.
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