As a recipient of the nationwide Science on Screen® grant program, SLO Film Center – Palm Theatre is pleased to announce their first film screening and accompanying discussion as part of the series.
Scheduled for Valentine’s Day, February 14, SLO Film Center – Palm Theatre will screen the dark comedy musical The Little Shop of Horrors (1986). After the screening, Drs. Jenn Yost and Matt Ritter, joined by Gage Willey, Cal Poly’s Plant Conservatory Curator, will dig into the real science behind Carnivorous plants. The discussion will explore how plants like Venus flytraps, pitcher plants and sundews, evolved to trap, digest, and kill their prey, why these extreme adaptations exist, and what they reveal about plant ecology and evolution. By connecting the film’s outrageous premise to real biological strategies, the speakers will explain how The Little Shop of Horrors taps into genuine scientific fascination, blurring the line between pulp fantasy and natural history.
“We can’t wait to showcase this cult classic film while also collaborating with our partners at Cal Poly to provide a fun and educational in-person experience,” said San Luis Obispo International Film Festival & SLO Film Center – Palm Theatre Executive Director Skye McLennan.
Science on Screen® features classic, cult, and documentary films provocatively matched with presentations by experts who discuss scientific, technological or medical issues raised by each film. The Coolidge/Sloan Foundation nationwide Science on Screen partnership seeks to inspire in theatergoers an increased appreciation for science, technology, engineering and mathematics as compelling enterprises and vital elements of a broad understanding of human culture and current events.
San Luis Obispo’s SLO Film Center – Palm Theatre is one of nine first-time recipients of Science on Screen® grants for the 2025−26 season which includes 41 independent cinemas, museums and community groups with film programs. Each organization must present three or more Science on Screen events.
About the Speakers:
Matt Ritter
Dr. Matt Ritter is a Professor of Biological Sciences at Cal Poly, where his work spans plant biology, biodiversity, and natural history. He is deeply engaged in research, teaching and public outreach that bring plant science to broad audiences.
Jenn Yost
Dr. Jenn Yost is a Professor of Biology at Cal Poly and Director of the Robert F. Hoover Herbarium. Her work focuses on botany, plant evolution and natural history collections, and she is widely known for her engaging teaching and dedication to California’s botanical heritage.
Gage Willey
Gage Willey is the Cal Poly Plant Conservatory Curator and an all-around plantsman with a deep love for all things botanical. He is known for his exceptional ability to grow and care for an extraordinary diversity of plants in support of education and public engagement.
Film Synopsis:
Seymour Krelborn is a nerdy orphan working at Mushnik’s; a flower shop in urban Skid Row. He harbors a crush on fellow co-worker, Audrey Fulquard, and is berated by Mr. Mushnik daily. One day, Seymour finds a very mysterious unidentified plant which he calls Audrey II. The plant seems to have a craving for blood and soon begins to sing for its supper.
