10 Best One Scene Performances In Horror Movies

4. Bill Murray - Little Shop Of Horrors

Little Shop of Horrors Bill Murray
Warner Bros.

In Frank Oz's delightful musical take on Little Shop of Horrors, poor florist Seymour (Rick Moranis) feels like his luck is changing for the better when his alien plant becomes the talk of the town. 

When Seymour learns the carnivorous plant lives off human blood, he decides to kill sadistic dentist Orin Scrivello (Steve Martin). And once Seymour arrives at the dentistry, Orin is attending to sadomasochist client Arthur Denton, played to perfection by Bill Murray.

Even though this patient has no effect on the plot whatsoever, he's arguably the funniest character in the entire film. Before he even opens his mouth, it's hard not to laugh, seeing him giddily bouncing on a chair like a kid in Disneyland. 

Murray behaves as over-the-top as possible, while still coming across as sincere. Denton seems genuinely apoplectic while drills and screws are burrowed into his teeth, enhancing the comedy exponentially, and the fact that the actor improvised most of his performance makes the sequence feel more authentic and spontaneous.

Even though Steven Martin initially started off as the movie's scene-stealer, Bill Murray towers over him with his impeccable comic timing and flawless delivery.

Contributor
Contributor

James Egan has written 80 books including 1000 Facts about Superheroes Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about TV Shows Vol. 1-3 Twitter - @jameswzegan85