Little Shop of Horrors

Directed by: Frank Oz

Written by: Howard Ashman (screenplay and musical play); Charles B. Griffith (1960 screenplay)








Some movies follow the cookie-cutter model. Some movies break off in new directions and blaze new trails.

Then there are movies like Little Shop of Horrors which subvert and twist the cookie cutter model into something completely different.

Little Shop of Horrors has elements of science fiction, elements of romance, elements of comedy (both dark and slapstick), and elements of horror, all under the disarming guise of a musical with puppets. It's disorienting and confusing, and unlike anything else.

It's brilliant. It doesn't try to be pretentious or over-the-top (except in its own ironic way). The energy is all focused in the same direction. There's a synergy which doesn't often hold up in other movies which try to pull off the same tricks this movie does.

Like the interesting looking plant in the window, this movie will lure you in. Just be prepared for what you'll find inside.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Directed by: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Written by: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely









Catching-up on a lot of the oft-hyped "Marvel Comics Universe" movies, I'm jumping back into it near the beginning of the films dubbed Phase Two.

Reflecting on Phase One, I feel that Captain America: The First Avenger was the one that kept coming to mind as my favorite. (This may be a direct result of the intentionally nostalgic tone of the movie, but the feeling stands.) The Iron Man movies were impressive the first time through, but I never felt the call to see them again. Thor was a personal favorite as I left the theater, mainly for sentimental reasons, but has become less impressive as the series has moved forward. In the end, Captain America remained at the top of the stack, so I had very high expectations for the second iteration in the series.

I was not disappointed. This movie holds up even though I already knew the big twist about the mysterious villain long before I saw it.

The Winter Soldier has action, suspense, drama, character development. It continues elements which had begun in the other MCU films, but is not bound to them or tied down by them. In fact, with only one or two exceptions (the Agent Carter scene being one of them), the movie stands fairly tall on its own. Any needed exposition is given when required in the script, but without dry cardboard storytelling. A passing familiarity with some of the characters is adequate enough to jump on in to the movie.

As with all of these superhero movies, The Winter Soldier is best when it feels like watching a comic book. A movie like this often falters when it tries to do something more. Where the directors succeeded in making this film is making those "big picture" thematic moments blend well into the comic book vision and tone of the rest of the movie.