There were small posters sporadically placed around the large building, set against a backdrop of lavish arches and beautiful architecture. On Thursday night The Winter Gardens in Blackpool was host to Aunty Social‘s latest filmic event. Inside the Pavilion Theatre, many people gathered to watch Little Shop of Horrors. The cult musical seemed the perfect movie to enjoy once seated inside the large auditorium. The brash, over-the-top comedy was more than up to filling the large space and the energy in the room grew with every laugh.
Little Shop of Horrors is a fun, if not slightly twisted, musical staring Rick Moranis who plays Seymour, a lowly worker at a downbeat flower shop in the heart of the slums on Skid Row. One day, “on the twenty-third day of the month of September” during a total solar eclipse, Seymour comes across an unusual plant that he quickly snaps up and takes to the shop to display in the window. The strange plant quickly attracts new customers and things seem to be looking up for Seymour, however, when the plant needs feeding things take a darker turn. This foliage doesn’t need water or soil or fertilizer, it needs blood, preferably that of a frustrated dentist.
In the heart of the Winter Gardens I found myself tapping my feet. After being ushered to my seat by Blackpool’s Roller Derby Team the film began, the tapping ensued and continued throughout most of the picture. Little Shop of Horrors contains some catchy tunes that beg to be a sing-a-long. As the film goes on, the situations and characters become more outrageous and consequently more entertaining. Steve Martian gives a wonderful turn as the afore-mentioned dentist. His scenes typify for me what the film is about; humour and a tinge of horror. However, Little Shop doesn’t shy away from the serious. One of our main characters is often abused by her boyfriend and comes into the flower shop nearly every day with a black eye. Although this is sometimes played for laughs and the escalating situation just adds to the increasing melodrama on screen, it shows how if you scratch the surface there is much more to enjoy in this film.
The performances are always spot on, Moranis’ worried looked and delicious expressions are only magnified by the cinema screen experience that Aunty Social presented. The screen was laced with flowers, presumably in tribute to the one and only Audrey II, the man-eating plant from outer space. That’s right, the man-eating plant from outer space. That’s the joy of Little Shop. For those ninety minutes, anything goes and what’s even better is that nobody questions it, the laughs keep rolling and the occasional squirms caused by the delectable tones of Levi Stubbs keep crawling into view.
Once again, Wordpool and Aunty Social bring affordable, and more importantly, fun treats to Blackpool. Seeing Little Shop of Horrors on a big screen in a great, grand venue was an entertaining trip. From roller derby ushers to man-eating plants, this night was great fun. Hopefully we will be seeing more filmic events like this one in Blackpool in the future. I, for one, cannot wait.
For more information about Aunty Social’s Pop-Up Picture House go online to auntysocial.co.uk or Like them on Facebook.
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