Mushnik's Flower Shop is a location featured in the 1986 film Little Shop of Horrors. It is a run-down, small flower shop located on Skid Row in urban New York City. The shop is owned and operated by Mr. Mushnik, a stern and financially struggling man. The shop's primary employees are Seymour Krelborn and Audrey, who work alongside Mushnik.
Background[]
The shop's significance in the film lies in its connection to the mysterious and unusual plant, Audrey II, which Seymour discovers and brings to the shop. Audrey II quickly becomes the star attraction, drawing in customers and revitalizing the shop's business. However, as the plant grows and its insatiable hunger for human blood becomes apparent, Mushnik's Flower Shop becomes a focal point for the film's dark and comedic narrative. Throughout the movie, the shop serves as a central backdrop for the characters' interactions and the evolving story of Seymour's moral dilemma regarding Audrey II. Its shabby appearance and the juxtaposition of the unusual plant within the shop's interior contribute to the film's unique charm.
The flower shop is located on Skid Row, a rundown and impoverished area of the city. It is owned by Mr. Mushnik, a grumpy and greedy florist who employs two workers: Seymour Krelborn, a nerdy and timid orphan, and Audrey Fulquard, a sweet and naive woman who is abused by her boyfriend, a sadistic dentist named Orin Scrivello. The shop is struggling to attract customers and faces the threat of closure, until Seymour finds a strange and unusual plant that he names Audrey II, after his crush on Audrey. The plant, which turns out to be a carnivorous alien that can talk and sing, draws attention and fame to the shop, but also demands human blood for its growth.
Seymour reluctantly agrees to feed the plant, hoping to win Audrey’s love and escape Skid Row. However, as the plant grows bigger and hungrier, it manipulates Seymour into killing more people, including Orin and Mr. Mushnik, and reveals its plan to take over the world with its offspring. Seymour tries to stop the plant, but is ultimately devoured by it, along with Audrey. The film ends with Audrey II bursting out of the shop and rampaging through the city.
Role in the film[]
Mushnik’s Flower Shop is a central setting for the film and the musical. It represents the contrast between Seymour’s humble and hopeless life and his dreams of fame and fortune. The shop also serves as a metaphor for the plant’s influence on Seymour, as it changes from a dark and dreary place to a bright and colorful one, but at a terrible cost. The shop is also a source of comedy and horror, as it showcases the plant’s musical numbers and murderous appetite.
Trivia[]
- The design of the shop varies in different adaptations of the story, but it usually features a large window display with various flowers and plants, including Audrey II.
- The interior of the shop has a counter, a cash register, a phone, and several shelves and pots with more flowers and plants.
- The shop also has a basement where Seymour keeps his personal belongings and tends to Audrey II.
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