[Thor Joachim Haga]

I hadn’t seen this 1960 cult classic since the early 90’s, and decided it was time to revisit it again, since I’ve been on a Nicholson binge recently.

Well, it’s a black comedy that has become a a franchise over the years, but I must admit that it’s not really my cup of tea. It’s just too frenetic – people screaming their lines, run-on-sentences, hardly a moment to breathe. It’s not really funny either, although the concept itself is obviously very original (which is why it has become such a franchise, I guess). Not very much in terms of special effects, but it’s a good example of using whatever resources you have to good use – the benchmark of Roger Corman.

Jack Nicholson has a small cameo as a mad patient at a denist office who is a sucker for pain. The scene is totally separated from the main narrative, and only comes into play because Seymour (the plant guardian) has to “play” dentist since he’s knocked out the real one. Well, Nicholson’s hilarious performance is the highlight of the film, IMO, and an early sign of the mad guys he would do so well later on.

Fred Katz’ music was a wacky jazz affair, with lots of progressive/aggressive brass outbursts. Of special notice is the chase scene through the tire yard – just a percussive groove and some dramatic brass lines on top. Not really something I like to listen to, and it also felt a bit over-the-top in the movie, but I’m sure it’s appreciated by fans of the genre (who have no doubt bought the recent Kritzerland release). Personally, I prefer Menken’s version.