SCREAMBOAT

SCREAMBOAT (2025)
Directed by: Steven LaMorte.
Written by: Matthew Garcia-Dunn, Steven LaMorte
Starring: Allison Pittel, Amy Schumacher, Brian Quinn, Charles Edwin Powell, David Howard Thornton, Jarlath Conroy, Jesse Kove, Jesse Posey, Joe DeRosa., Kailey Hyman, Rumi C Jean-Louis, Tyler Posey

Streamboat Willie – yes the early version of Mickey Mouse goes all Jason Voorhees in this 80’s old fashioned blood fest.

Fresh from the memory of seeing the loveable POPEYE becoming a proper slayer man, we now have our favourite mouse, yes- Mickey, going on a blood thirsty rampage, like he has just watched Jason Takes Manhattan, declared it as his favourite film and decided to ditch the kid friendly DISNEY pitch and make his own Camp Crystal Lake.

How ridiculous that sounds in your head is probably how you’ll approach SCREAMBOAT, the new entry in his brand new horror genre that oddly is not part of the ‘Twisted Childhood Universe’ that sees well known icons of our childhood, turn into a new wave of Bogeymen with the same appetite to kill and main any young teens who stand in their way.

To its credit, a lot of care as gone into the making of this horror, with the main selling point not being Mickey, but the fact they’ve managed to pull David Howard Thornton, yes, Art the Clown (TERRIFER) into the chaos, playing this murderous mouse with so much glee, you get the feeling that we are getting a sort of Kane Hodder here with Thornton, where even his name attached as a killer will get slasher fans watching. While not as terrifying as Art, he still manages to be a captivating, running around like a Chucky or even the Leprechaun, joyfully slaughtering those around him, now I am not saying a new icon of horror is born here, but fans of slash will find plenty of amusement in watching this mouse sized killer going about his business.

Anyone going into this movie, surely won’t expect high art and the fact it doesn’t take itself seriously is one of its main strengths and why its probably an enjoyable watch. Fans know its all nonsense, but those brought up in the 80’s when horrors like these were released on a weekly basis, will probably enjoy it a lot more than say the new generation. We even get the once obligatory horror scene of a drunken old-timer (Jarlath Conroy), detailing the plot into how a mouse has managed to become so murderous. Ah…I’ve surely missed those cliché moments, with even a final girl in the shape of Selena (Allison Pittell) battling the rodent, which may have you thinking on more than one occasion “Just step on the thing!”….

With adequate acting and kill scenes that either make you smile or frown, SCREAMBOAT is much more polished than say the Winne the Pooh offerings and I actually enjoyed this more than perhaps I should have. Maybe I am going all a bit Goofy – sorry excuse the pun – but when Willie starts to whistle, then I was onboard for the carnage and director Steven LaMorte drops enough DIsney in-jokes to even make the most cynical watching raise a slight smile….

SCREAMBOAT is now available to rent and buy