An In-Yer-Face Big Apple Slam Dunk Extravaganza – Some May Find It Blasphemous. Some May Find it Profane. And Some If Not Many May Find It @#$%*! – Part 1

SCREAMBOAT (2025) is marketed and publicized as an American comedy-horror directed by Steven LaMorte. However, this Reviewer/Writer/Editor (RWE) believes it is an ungodly rambunctious parodying beyond belief of STEAMBOAT WILLIE (1928), an animated short film made by Walt Disney and animated cartoonist Ub Iwerks. This RWE is still trying to figure out why the vicious irreverence of Disney & Iwers. Or, uh oh, how this RWE missed the point and significance of the SCREAMBOAT filmmakers for making this movie. Is it, dare say, a metaphor about America’s Renegade President?

Though there were loads and loads of guffawing in the filled-to-capacity Manhattan theater where it premiered March 31, I didn’t find SCREAMBOAT funny. I found it to be ghoulish slapstick that was borderline mind-bending and addictive. There were moments I cringed at the slice-and-dice mayhem on the big screen. There will be audiences that will want to see SCREAMBOAT more than once.

The plot: A group of New Yorkers, including some NYPD cops commuting from Staten Island to Manhattan on a Staten Island Ferry are terrorized, victimized, tortured by a ghoulish demonic mouse-like creature (possibly more rat than mousy) about 3-4 feet tall. The actors in the erry scenes stylistically perform as caricatures and stereotypes of the roles they are playing over the top – and they are under siege til the end of the movie.

SCREAMBOAT exemplifies a new primal, inexplicable film genre that is reimagining classic characters and stories that are now in the public domain, such as
Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey.

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Patrons of theWORD should be aware if they aren’t already that SCREAMBOAT – now playing in Regal theaters at AMC New Port Centre, Regal Battery Park and Regal Secaucus ShowPlace – is advertised, marketed, publicized, pitched and so on and so forth as an American comedy-horror by some; a dark-comedy or slasher-horror by others: a straight up comedy no chaser or straight up horror straight no chaser and so on and so forth.

Here’s the screaming truth: SCREAMBOAT exemplifies a new primal, film genre that is reimagining classic cinematic characters and stories already in the public domain. The filmmakers of this new risk-taking genre are steeped in derring-do and panache. The audience at the March 31 premiere guffawed, chuckled, applauded throughout the film. Need I say more?

Director Steven LaMorte Speaking at March 31 Premiere

What’s up everybody? How are we doing? As Ted (Geoghegan) said, my name is Steven LaMorte. I’m the director, producer, one of the writers on the film you’re about to see, SCREAMBOAT. We are so excited to have you here.

We, of course, love making these movies, but we make these films, independent horror films, for people like you, folks that come out to the theater just like you did tonight to watch and enjoy and laugh along with us.So we are so grateful for reaching every one of you in the seats tonight. Thank you for being here. Two years ago, when I was sitting on the Staten Island Ferry, riding back and forth, thinking about, “Man, can we ever make this movie?” I never thought that one year later, which is, I don’t know, 11 months and like 30, 29 days from today, we’d be standing on a boat and that today we would be here showing it.

So today is the realization of a dream that a lot of people said wouldn’t be possible. That some people are still saying, “Is it possible?” And there’s a lot of amazing, wonderful, talented people in this room who worked in front of the screen, in front of the camera, and behind the scenes who made it possible.

We’re going to thank each and every one of them later. But for right now, we want you all to sit back, right? This is a horror-comedy, so we want you to relax, but we also want you to have fun. So feel free to laugh, giggle, enjoy. If you’re having fun, we’re having fun. So I think I said all this stuff. Amy, did I say everything I was supposed to say? Thanks, man. Love you. Okay, without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy SCREAMBOAT.

SCREAMBOAT Red Carpet: Click Here.