To many, Children’s Fairyland holds fond childhood memories, but for Frank Oz, it was his gateway into a career of puppeteering. Over the years, he has earned an Emmy nomination, the voice of Yoda, a bromance with Jim Henson, and, greatest of all, a diploma from Oakland Technical High School. He also directed the 1986 comedy horror film, “Little Shop of Horrors.”
The film centers around Seymour, who works for a “little shop of horrors.” He purchases a peculiar fly trap, which proves to be great for business. However, the plot takes a turn when the plant turns out to be evil, alien and carnivorous. To keep it alive, the protagonist has to feed it an increasing number of people. It continues to grow and grow until it eventually rebels against the protagonist and attempts to consume his lover, leaving the shop in ruins.
Throughout the film, we glance into Frank Oz’s mastery of puppets, shown by the grand, 20-foot-tall snarling puppet of an evil alien fly trap. Its detailed lips sneer into an everlasting grin. Paired with Levi Stubbs’ energetic voice, the plant seems like it is constantly laughing at the characters. Oz manages to make a plant feel alive and full of personality.
Oz’s devotion to practical effects led to the carnivorous puppet taking a whole crew to operate. “Little Shop of Horrors” remains one of his best films in terms of its puppetry and greater critique of capitalism.
The fly trap symbolizes how a small, profitable idea can turn into a massive, ever-growing, and ever-hungry beast. It does not care about who it hurts in the process of endless progress and expansion.
The same cycle occurs in capitalism. For example, Disney started as a small animation studio but has grown into a far greater amalgamation. Disney has consumed many popular franchises, twisting them into soulless replicants, void of their prior charm.
Frank Oz has experienced Disney’s hunger firsthand. In 2004, Disney purchased “The Muppets”, which Oz worked on from the age of 19 to 54. “The Muppets” were how Oz got his start. Working at Children’s Fairyland during his teenage years, he met Jim Henson. The two became very close and made “The Muppets” together.
Henson died in 1990, and Oz has remained disappointed with the current state of”The Muppets” and how Disney is taking them in a direction different from Henson’s legacy. Oz said in an interview that Disney’s Muppets, “don’t get the true rebellion and true affection of those characters… Their job is to be rebellious. Their job is to say ‘screw Disney.’” In a tragic twist, these once rebellious characters have been bought up and turned into soulless shadows.
Ironically, the current owners of Oz’s prized show have done exactly what Oz warned about in “Little Shop of Horrors” years before.