Sure, the original has Jack Nicholson (as sadistic dental patient Wilbur Force), but the 1986 version is vastly superior to Roger Corman’s 1960 attempt in almost every way.
Made on a shoe-string budget with some Corman veteran stock actors and a left-over set, the 1960 version has its cult appeal. And it’s charming in its own way - which makes the fact that it was literally completed from rehearsals to principal photography in SIX DAYS - but it misses the theatricality of the musical it was based on.
That’s one place where the 1986 version really improves: not only are the performances - particularly by Rick Moranis, Steve Martin and Ellen Greene - delightful, but the songs are a joy. “Suddenly Seymour” and “Somewhere That’s Green” are modern musical treasures (and so is Greene herself). The music actually helps the whole grotesque element - the baroque staging clashing with the grubby reality of Skid Row. It’s not just functional, it’s aspirational.
It’s being remade again as a dark non-musical, which is a travesty, but hopefully it’ll just direct more attention to the 1986 version.
NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far.
A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.
Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked nine of those years as a full-time content producer at WhatCulture. In that period he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple WhatCulture channels, specialising in gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 UK most listened to gaming podcast that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, opined on breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.
WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well.
In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.
Resident Evil Aficionado. Video Games & Fried Chicken are my passions. Occasionally some Wrestling. I used to work in Film & TV, but now I Write, Edit & Present for this website and its Youtube Channels.
