Wimpy Shop of Horrors

## Plot

In the early 1960s, Greg Heffley and his co-worker, Holly, work at Mushnik's Flower Shop in New York City's rough, rundown Skid Row neighborhood, which they lament that they cannot escape. Struggling from a lack of customers, Mr. Mushnik decides to close the store, but Holly suggests he may have more success by displaying an unusual plant that Greg owns. Immediately attracting a customer, Greg explains he bought the plant – which he dubbed "Holly II" – from a Chinese flower shop during a solar eclipse. The plant brings much business to Mushnik's shop, but soon starts to wither. Greg accidentally pricks his finger, and discovers that Holly II needs human blood to thrive.

Holly II begins to grow rapidly, making Greg a local celebrity. Meanwhile, Holly suffers at the hands of her sadistic biker boyfriend, Orin Scrivello; however, she has feelings for Greg and secretly dreams of running off with him to the suburbs. Greg continues to feed Holly II his own blood, draining his energy. He attempts to ask Holly out, but she turns him down because she has a date with Orin, who is revealed to be a dentist. After Greg closes up shop, Holly II begins to talk to Greg, demanding more blood than Greg can give. The plant suggests that Greg murder someone, promising that it will bring him fame and fortune and will impress Holly. Greg initially refuses, but eventually agrees after he witnesses Orin abusing Holly.

After Orin finishes with his masochistic patient, Arthur Denton, who had requested "a long, slow, root canal", Greg draws a revolver on Orin, but cannot bring himself to use it. Orin, who abuses nitrous oxide, puts on a type of venturi mask to receive a constant flow of the gas, but breaks the valve, and Greg watches as he asphyxiates. Greg dismembers Orin's body and feeds it to Holly II, which has grown to enormous size, but is unknowingly witnessed by Mushnik, who flees in fear.

Holly, feeling guilty over Orin's disappearance, is comforted by Greg and the two admit their feelings for each other. That night, Mushnik confronts Greg about Orin's death. He holds Greg at gunpoint, demanding the plant for his own silence. Backed into a corner, Greg begins to tell him how to care for Holly II but before he can reveal the secret, the plant swallows Mushnik whole.

Despite widespread success, Greg worries about Holly II's growth and unbridled appetite. Offered money and a contract for a botany TV show, Greg becomes overwhelmed and decides to escape Skid Row with Holly using money coming the next day, and leaving the plant to starve. After Holly accepts Greg's marriage proposal, Holly II catches Greg leaving and demands another meal: Greg agrees, but insists on meat from a butcher. While Greg is gone, the plant telephones Holly, coaxes her into the shop, and then tries to eat her.

Greg pulls Holly from its jaws but is too late to save her, as she is mortally wounded. As she is dying she tells him what the plant said about Orin and Mushnik, and then Greg confesses that he fed them to the plant. Holly requests that Greg feed her to the plant too so that it will live and Greg can earn the success he deserves. After fulfilling her dying wish, he attempts suicide by jumping off the roof of a building, only to be stopped by Patrick Martin. Martin offers to reproduce and sell Holly IIs and has already grown a smaller Holly II from one of the clippings that he harvested earlier. He also warns Greg that his consent is not necessary, as plants are considered to be in the public domain. Realizing Holly II is planning global domination, Greg climbs down from the roof with the resolution to destroy the plant. Returning to the shop, he confronts and tries to kill Holly II, who tears down the shop, fishes him from the rubble and eats him alive. The plant then spits out Greg's glasses and laughs victoriously.

Holly II buds then become a worldwide consumer craze and grow into an army of monstrous plants who begin to take over the Earth. Giant Holly II plants are shown destroying cities, toppling buildings, as well as eating people. The United States Army attempts to fight the buds as they ascend the Statue of Liberty .