There are immutable truths about our world: rain falls, wind blows, and the second a beloved IP enters the public domain territory, you can bet that a slasher movie based on it will hit theaters in record time. We’ve seen it happen to Winnie the Pooh, and last year it happened to Steamboat Willie, the 1928 Disney character who served as the prototype for what would eventually become Mickey Mouse. Steamoat Willie entered the public domain on January 1, 2024, and then earlier this year was reimagined as a horror movie villain with the animated horror-comedy short, Screamboat, created by . The movie is getting a Blu-ray release on December 9, including a fancy steelbook edition 4K Blu-ray that’s availabe to preorder for $43 at Amazon.
$43 | Releases December 9
This two-disc set includes both 4K and standard Blu-ray copies of the movie. The UHD version is in native 4K with HDR10 and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. The cover is deceptively cute, as it features Steamboat Willie waving to the audience, but when you look closer, you’ll see that he’s surrounded by carnage. The back cover sports a CG-render of Willie overlooking the New York City skyline.
Screamboat Bonus Material
The Blu-ray doesn’t come with much in the way of extras, but you’ll at least get a few deleted scenes, a short behind-the-scenes documentary, and audio commentary with Willie’s actor, David Howard Thornton.
- Audio commentary track with actor David Howard Thornton
- Documentary: The Making of Screamboat
- Deleted scenes
Screamboat was announced a mere day after Steamboat Willie entered the public domain. It tells the story of a late-night ferry ride in New York piloted by a murderous version of the formerly kind-hearted mouse, who has become warped and twisted after years of neglect. Passengers who use the ferry fall victim to Willie’s rampage. While the movie is admittedly forgettable and a cash grab at best, it is notable for its connections to a larger horror movie franchise, Terrifier. The producers of Terrifier 2 and 3 are responsible for this movie, and David Howard Thornton–who plays Art the Clown in the Terrifier movies–steps into the furry costume of Willie for this movie.
The movie has had a mixed reception since it was first released in cinemas in April, but if you want to see a tiny mouse horribly murder people and you’re a fan of practical effects, then Screamboat might be worth picking up. It’s impressively ultraviolent, and it’s the kind of movie you can enjoy without needing to overthink things.
$19
This isn’t the only beloved IP that has been turned into a slasher movie–nor will it be the last, we imagine–as, believe it or not, there are two movies that transform Winnie the Pooh and his friends into homicidal monsters. Billed as the first instalment in the Twisted Childhood Universe, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey was released in 2023, and it’s a horror-parody of A. A. Milne and E. H. Shepard’s classic Winnie-the-Pooh books.
This time, Pooh finds blood to be sweeter than honey as he goes on a killing spree alongside his best friend Piglet. The movie hasn’t received a 4K release yet, but you can pick up a standard Blu-ray release of it. For special features, all it includes is the original theatrical trailer and a short documentary detailing its production. The film was made on a tight budget of around $100,000, but it grossed $7.7 million at the global box office.
$25
Naturally, a sequel wasn’t far behind, as Pooh returned alongside Piglet, Tigger, and Owl to take revenge on Christopher Robin for revealing his existence to the world. Again, don’t expect much in the way of special features, as all you’re getting with this Blu-ray is a theatrical trailer and an image gallery that collects various film stills. Walmart does offer an exclusive steelbook case version of the movie, and you can pick up both of them in an affordable two-pack on Blu-ray as well.
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Watch the entire film series, if you dare
While slasher films aren’t nearly as popular in the 2020s as they were in the 1980s and 1990s, the exception to that rule is The Terrifier franchise. The series of movies starring Art the Clown is not for the faint of heart, as each movie ups the gore to a stomach-churning level. The character has become a modern-day horror movie icon since he first debuted, and there are several editions of the Terrifier trilogy to pick up. Fans looking to watch the first movie and the prequel anthology movie All Hallow’s Eve can grab a two-pack Blu-ray for just $27, and you can get both Terrifier 2 and Terrifier 3 in 4K Blu-ray formats.
There’s even a Terrifier 3 Amazon-exclusive Limited Edition Collector’s Box Set that comes with several extras, including a themed “box of soap” and barf bag. Trust us, if you’re watching the threequel for the first time, you’re going to need these items.
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