The Vanishing of S.S. Willie (Horror Short Film)

A lost 1928 documentary about a missing ship is discovered, and its dark secrets unearthed.
A short analog horror film based on the public domain film "Steamboat Willie" by Ub Iwerks and Walt Disney. This film is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by The Walt Disney Company.
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Credits:
Directed and Written by Nick Lives
Original Art by Nick Lives
Sound Design by David Johnsen
Wood Texture by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
Silent Movie Title Card Texture by Farrin N. Abbott, CopyCatFilms
All Music sourced from The Library of Congress:
"The Legend"
"Turkey In The Straw"
"Steamboat Bill"

[@ericj4444]

Very creative somebody actually watched the original short and didn’t just settling for Mickey being a random slasher. Also refreshing for it to be in a world of animals.

[@adelalharbi9286]

i wish that instead of a horror movie, short or game, where willie is the murderer, i want one where he is basically the protagonist.

[@hectorryan7591]

I actually thought of this idea where mickey from steamboat willie is a protagonist and has to deal with some eldritch horror or something@@adelalharbi9286

[@meloms_smolem_]

fr i feel like every character entering the public domain is becoming a slasher and that sucks dude

[@alexthewolf1223]

@@adelalharbi9286 and pete is the slasher

[@adelalharbi9286]

@@alexthewolf1223 makes sense as literally after the whistling bit he completely destroys willie (or micky)'s spine

[@akend4426]

The “strange mutilations” are a reference to how Mickey and Minnie quite infamously abused several animals to play the music in the Steamboat Willie short, such as Mickey playing a cow’s teeth like a piano (referenced by the corpse at 7:20). The record playing at the end is audio from the Steamboat Willie short, but warped and distorted with muffled screaming added, giving a more horror-based reimagining of how Mickey and Minnie made their “beautiful music.” The Cabin Boy and Chambermaid in the video are, of course, stand ins for Mickey and Minnie. Just thought I’d share what I noticed. ; )

[@vipahxxx7640]

yeah, pretty messed up but creatively made

[@Candjstudios2024]

The captain may be pete

[@Dalton_Boardman2000]

I'm glad the creative team included Minnie in on the animal abuse... or people abuse...? The torture of other living creatures. She did participate in the old cartoon. This is everything I could want out of an adaptation. It translates the original to a new medium for a different audience. The filmmakers clearly watched the original but aren't copying it. It's not mocking the original and is instead focusing and expanding on something that was already in it. What more could you want?

[@shedewtherobotnik]

Minnie maybe killed only The Fust Mate...? But the other question is...Who is the guy Who was Talking to the one Who found the crew dead?THE SHADOW LOOKS LIKE A CAT.MY ONLY THOUGH IS THAT THAT THE SHADOW GUY IS THE CAT THAT MICKEY PULL IS TAIL.THE SHADOW CANT BE PETE BECAUSE PETE IS THE CAPTAIN AND HE WAS FOUND DEAD.......😅

[@kermie-frog1955]

@@shedewtherobotnikI think the shadow guy is the parrot that Mickey threw a potato at in the original cartoon

[@FancyBreadSticks]

What's really disturbing about the " oddly mutilated" corpses is basically the fact that they were alive. The crew members were butchered in such a way they still managed to live and be able to scream, as heard in the " our music" record.

[@Robigon]

"why is my piano screaming?? 🤔"

[@zacharyanimates]

​@@Robigon "I don't remember my guitar being pig shaped."

[@nuy6n6nn]

its a reference to steamboat willie.

[@austinreed7343]

And as they screamed, at least the goat apparently reverted to a more primal animal state during the torture.

[@ZippityZab]

HOLY SHIT. The twist on "making music" shook me off guard when I realized what was happening. Translating the rubberhose sound effects to Mickey brutally murdering his crewmates and playing songs with their bodies is terrifying, but the screaming overlaying the original Steamboat Willie? Absolutely ingenious

[@scronch355]

Actually, I’m pretty sure they were still alive while the music was playing so that adds an even deeper level oh horror to this😊

[@Randomyoutuber-4831]

The scariest part about this? There’s a very real possibility that the cabin boy and the chamber maid sank the ship intentionally to cover up their crimes and successfully fled in a lifeboat. Which means…THEY’RE STILL OUT THERE. Somewhere in the world…

[@vids_0429]

With this logic, is there a chance they also caused the fire in the studio mentioned in the intro?

[@Randomyoutuber-4831]

@@vids_0429 possibly.

[@SScottLM]

My theory is that the person they interviewed is Minnie due to having a connection with the cabin boy and him being in love with her.

[@BestOfTsars]

@@SScottLMseems plausible but Minnie as well partook in the mutilations for example the first mate. They’re would be no reason for her to act as the “witness” for the documentary. Unless it could be the parrot who pestered Mickey throughout out the original short but that role is presumably filled by Ben Collins the head of the expedition.

[@aquapenguin9697]

@@vids_0429 that actually was my theory as well

[@Leprechaunproduction]

It's so refreshing to see a horror film that doesn't rely on jumpscares or gore to be scary.

[@KirbywithaGun64]

Exactly! I hate how most horror projects based on established IPs have no real effort put into them (except for Emesis Blue).

[@HannibalTorrance]

@@KirbywithaGun64Emesis blue was awesome

[@soup66262]

True @Leprechaunproduction

[@TheMugenguy]

Why do dumbasses say horror movies always use gore to be scary its for shock value goofy your not meant to be scared 🤦🏿

[@PaveltheBugFan]

Off the top of my head emesis blue was amazing, I'd recommend it (you have to do some tf2 lore reading before watching it though) Edit: oh my i can't believe the other replies are about emesis blue too loo

[@SnowyTriton]

The Cabin Boy and Chamber Maid going "missing" probably means they got on a life raft and left, which is coincidentally why the captain stops hearing the "music", as they are done, and when the captain goes down to investigate, he finds the dead and mutilated corpses of his crewmates and just cant take it, so he shoots himself with the gun he armed himself with, which is why when they find his corpse, he isn't mutilated like the others.

[@Jullyboy4447]

My god, it's so depressing

[@frankmiranda09]

So are [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] still alive?

[@thesilentangel8299]

@@frankmiranda09Probably not by the time the film aired. Assuming that the Cabin Boy and Chambermaid were at the average marriageable of 26 and 22 in 1909, they would be around 45 and 41 when the ship was found in 1928, and if the film was aired now in 2024, they would be around 141 and 137 years old, assuming they’re still alive by that time. Unless they are immortal creatures there is no way they lived to see the airing of the film, and even if they did they’d be so old and shrivelled that they can’t stop it anyways. Note: Average age of marriage in the early 1900s was around 26 for men and 22 for women and since the video said that they were getting married, I decided to assume that they were at average marriageable age in the 1900s.

[@BestOfTsars]

Props to Captain Pete on having the well being of his crew in mind

[@AbsoluteRatBastard]

Unfortunately he messed with the wrong cabin boy

[@fennekinflames7095]

Here's my take on this. The SS Willie disappeared in 1909, with no one knowing what happened to it. However, in 1928, it was finally discovered what happened. The Cabin Boy and Chambermaid killed the entire crew, including the captain, and staged the captain's death as a suicide. They hoped he'd be blamed for the other three deaths. The two sank the ship and jumped off before it fully sank. Their "wedding" wasn't a wedding at all, it was a satanic ritual. They wanted to gain powers from the ritual, so they mutilated three crew members into instruments, and killed the captain when they figured out that he knew everything. The "I found the music" wasn't written by the captain, it was written by the Chambermaid in an effort to fool those on their tail. They likely left the record behind so they wouldn't have any evidence on them. They didn't want anyone to find out what truly happened. When they found out someone was making a documentary and had put together what might've happened, they didn't take any chances, they set fire to the studio and seemingly destroyed all copies of the documentary. Unbeknownst to them, one copy secretly survived, and was kept hidden by one of the crew involved in making the documentary. He saw the Cabin Boy and Chambermaid setting fire to the studio, and decided to go into hiding. He passed down the film with strict instructions to not release it until 2024, well after his death, he wanted to make sure that no one involved with the case would be alive by this point. By this point, the Cabin Boy and Chambermaid had been dead for several years, having died of "natural causes," so the film was safely released in 2024, with no threat of danger. The Cabin Boy and Chambermaid did gain powers, but it came at a cost. They would die on New Years Day in 1984, and not a moment before or after.

[@greenbean678]

their powers being the mascots of the largest media empire in the entire world

[@romycarldelacruz1980]

I think the “I found the music” was written by the captain as a one last attempt on the log

[@lemonayed1283]

Do I ask what happened on New Years, 1984?

[@fennekinflames7095]

@@lemonayed1283 it's a reference to the copyright claims expiring at the beginning of each year. I may be wrong, but I think the original copyright claim to Steamboat Willie was supposed to expire in 1984. In their world, that's when the powers of the Cabin Boy and Chambermaid expired, along with their lives.

[@syppy7416]

that's a really cool timeline! and it ties really well into both the short and Disney's copyright

[@heitorkrammel2783]

Something no one has been talking about: The audio from the music was recorded in a Vinyl. Vinyls can have 2 recordings at once, one on each side of the disk. I’d like to hear the second side of the vinyl In case that the creator ever makes a sequel

[@MellowMutant]

Interesting

[@HannibalTorrance]

Agreed, It was very interesting.

[@Domyusernow]

Unless it's an edision record that can only play one side only and is bulkier

[@heitorkrammel2783]

@@Domyusernow I mean the vynil has a Side 1 on it so I assume it has 2 sides

[@Domyusernow]

Actually (no nerd joke intended) vinyls were invented in 1930 And a edision record is a big bulk that can only play one side and wasn't that popular that type came out in 1912 The ship sank in 1909 which was 3 years before even the edision record was made so the film is inaccurate with the record but it's still a good film it would have been a edision wax cylinder which would probably not survive.

[@karenbonds264]

This is so dang refreshing. Instead of just slapping mickey’s likeness on a generic killer, monster, or some other out of place scenario, you take the source material of Steamboat Willie and use it to your advantage! Reminds me of The Demeter from the Dracula novel. I can imagine a short point & click adventure game with this concept behind it. Maybe playing as the Parrot character as you try to find out the mysteries behind the steamboat disappearances.

[@tearay1073]

the parrot gets attacked twice so you also get an action thriller game too 😭

[@swirlyd4771]

so thats explains why mickey is sad in suicide mouse.avi becuase of his guilt

[@yurilouback6331]

Meanwhile it seems they are already making a Mickey movie thats exactly what you said: A generic killer with Mickeys likeness, just like they did with Winnie and the Grinch

[@AbsoluteRatBastard]

@@yurilouback6331Grinch one was alright

[@kaijuguy19]

Extremely unnerving but in a good way! This is such a creative way to go about a Mickey Mouse horror story especially in a silent movie fashion. The fact that you have an idea of how the sevens went down but it’s also still open to interpretation is such a good balance

[@SirDanielErnestHemmingboone1]

How? I still am trying to understand. I think one got his teeth into a piano?

[@anthonyfrias5533]

I'd put him in a movie that delved into the occult because that was in early cartoons.

[@Private-Potato]

Well said. This was a unique way to tell a horror story staring Mickey Mouse without relying on starting jumps scares or excessive gore. Just the quiet unease fills the viewer with dread.

[@Floofycat_]

@@SirDanielErnestHemmingboone1 yes. One got turned into a string instrument. (I think harp?). And one got turned it a gramophone. I think the captain (probably pete) was just shot based on how he talks about being armed and when we see his skeleton it has holes where you can see rib cage (maybe just decay on his suit).

[@holycrapitsvincent]

​@@SirDanielErnestHemmingboone1 the piano teeth one is a reference to how mickey used a cows teeth as a piano in steamboat willie

[@Fishycheese99]

Fun fact: at 1:40 when the crew is shown, the first mate is an edited photo of a real man, Charles Lightoller. He was the Second Officer on the RMS Titanic when it went down and survived along with 20 others on the bottom of upturned Collapsable B, one of the last 2 boats that had to be floated off of the ship due to the water beginning to wash onto the boat deck. He the served in WWI and can out of retirement to save troops at Dunkirk in WWII. He was an absolute badass and definitely deserves a Wikipedia search for him.

[@EyeShoeKing]

This was terrifying even though I didn't have headphones on. amazing way to make it an older style of film so when someone was talking it would have subtitles right after, although people don't like when public domain is turned into horror characters, this was amazingly well done.

[@heitorkrammel2783]

People don’t like when public domain stuff gets turned into horror because usually it’s just a cash grab by people who didn’t even interact with the original work. I can see most people will actually enjoy this because it was made with the intention to entertain and pay homage to the original work instead of seeking to milk a cow dry

[@lightningrodstudios2441]

Finally a team that understands horror comes from atmosphere and not cheap and easy startles of the audience

[@DumpsterFire2763]

I love your take on Mickey and Minnie using the animals as instruments in the original short, and making it into something more horrific. Edit: i just realized that at 3:16 when it says "making music" it's foreshadowing them turning the crew members into instruments, that is seriously some amazing writing Also rip Pete

[@imperiomx6392]

From what I can tell, the victims were turned/used as music instruments by Mickey and Minnie or in this case the Chambermaid and the Cabin boy. On November 19 They first killed one of the Deck hands. On November 20th they killed the second Deck hand. On November 21st, The chambermaid and cabin boy disappeared, the weird smell probably refers to the dead bodies of their victims. By this time the only ones remaining are the First mate and the captain which means the captain wrote those entries. The cow was turned into a piano, I can’t tell what the pig was turned into, maybe an accordion? And the first mate was turned into a phonograph. The captain was just murdered. Edit: when the audio recording is playing at 8:00 you can see The cabin boy’s face. When you play the audio at 2x speed you can hear the whistle theme *I think*

[@angelbeas9137]

The Pig was a guitar

[@angelbeas9137]

also I can't see the cabin boy

[@Pnuemonia-Nakey]

It's implied that the captain shot himself.

[@heitorkrammel2783]

@@angelbeas9137the pig is most likely an accordion, seeing how Mickey played him in the original cartoon

[@imperiomx6392]

@@Pnuemonia-Nakey Yes it’s possible however he was still in the boat so if his body stayed in the boat the chambermaid and Cabin Boy would’ve just turned him into an instrument.

[@Dalton_Boardman2000]

3:16 having watched the original short this actually made my eyes widen with the realization. I like the clever way used to not show the characters names. This is an interesting take on Steamboat Willie and this early we should probably treat the subject carefully as to not anger the big eared company. Although I do hope that it's not necessary in the long run. I'd like for other non-Disney adaptations of this story to be able to just say who is who.

[@Mr.Needle-Hamster]

Same here. Even though their names were censored, I immediately recognized who they were

[@Brianna-eo8nu]

Now THIS is how you make a public domain Mickey horror story! I love how, unlike the other Steamboat Willie horror projects out there that just slap Mickey’s face onto their slasher villain or zombie virus or what have you and call it a day, you actually took the original story and it’s contents and mined it for horror. Taking the cartoony gags, for instance, and reimagining them as something more body-horror adjacent. Creative AND genuinely unsettling. Amazing work!

[@lordcurze]

Day One of Steamboat Willie being public domain, and we're already getting bangers like this

[@lorins_stuff]

I actually adore this take on the animation. Putting the Steamboat Willie in a “Titanic” situation is pretty refreshing. Also leaving the story in mystery is actually a genius idea. 12/10

[@Fishycheese99]

Speaking of Titanic, the photo of the first mate is actually an edited photo of the Titanic’s second officer Charles Lightoller. I won’t get too in depth but I’d recommend looking him up on Wikipedia or Encyclopedia Titanica. He was an absolute badass.

[@lorins_stuff]

@@Fishycheese99 I know of him. Highest ranked survivor of the sinking. Managed to save dozens of lives along with William Murdoch. Plus the fact he got so close to death. Getting trapped by a ventilator which then exploded and then nearly got crushed by Funnel 01.

[@Fishycheese99]

@@lorins_stuff He also served in WWI and came out of retirement for Dunkirk!

[@Campbellzilla]

Wow...that was really good. Way to break from the mold of all these other people taking the horror route. Well done.

[@nicholasmorgan7609]

Never good when your willie disappears

[@ironhell813]

That’s ok, the “cyclops” will rise again… lol

[@Mr.Needle-Hamster]

​@@ironhell813 *Abandon Ship plays*

[@colemartin6969]

How do you find your willie if it disappears?

[@honksss]

​@@colemartin6969Well ya retrace ya steps! Like your mother used to tell ya!

[@nightmarexgaming120]

GODDAMIT Michael and Minerva stole my Willie

[@BestOfTsars]

One question I have is what possessed the Cabin Boy and Chamber maid to do this? Insanity? Morbid warped of reality? Or perhaps the escapism? Take this to account. The cabin boy is the crew’s bottom feeder the lowest rank and is the rank mostly associated with having to no say of any decisions made or belittle by any of the crew. No freedom and forced to do what the captain or other superior tells em to do. In a way the cabin boy could’ve been an aspiring musician with his love of the music and seeing the romantic side of it this sentiment was shared with the chambermaid whom he was engaged with. Based on how the witness saw something wrong with his eyes he may be in maniac state a consequence of year of abuse form the other crew. However seeing how the captain himself seemed to be mature and has the wellbeing of the crew in mind we could say that the cabin boy either saw him too strong to kill or one he has no bad history with. I suspect that mainly the deckhands and first mate were participants of abuse and harassment of the Cabin boy and chamber maid however some of these could’ve been practical jokes with no ill intent with it being not common when the captain is present. We could say that the cabin boy with his warped view of reality paired on some of the possible pranks that was pulled on him by the crew he might’ve snapped.

[@Jullyboy4447]

Kinda like Double from megaman X4, he waited a moment to snap untill finally happened

[@sethcopeland4362]

Great easter egg of the USS Cyclops standing in for the Willie. This might be the only horror reimagining that's actually interesting.

[@honksss]

What film or short is the USS Cyclops from? I don't know cause i'm not much of a disney fan

[@sethcopeland4362]

@@honksss The Cyclops was a Navy collier that went missing in the Bermuda Triangle.

[@syguytheguy]

This seriously is one of the best short horror films i've seen in a while.

[@the.real.mothman.]

This is how you do horror. As someone else said, if you turn every character into a slasher villain, it gets boring after a while, and this is a great way to make a steamboat willie horror project without making it repetitive. Great job! Edit: The attention to detail here is amazing. There are so many tiny references to the original short, I love it!

[@oneinathousand2156]

I thought from the thumbnail that this was gonna be a stop motion short that had been animated before Mickey went into public domain and y’all were just waiting, but no 😅 this was pleasantly unexpected and very creative.

[@EquestriaExploration]

Wait! That's actually a genuinely clever take on the whole 'What if Steamboat Willie but horror' formula! I did not expect anyone to come out with something like this! Very nice work ^^

[@EndermanPierce]

Its so great to see something Steamboat Willie related that isn’t just a random slasher film, I was so sick and tired of seeing that. Seeing the actual crew along with how they died was so much more accurate to the actual animation, and the song at the end was chilling. The old design of the tape makes it so much more unsettling too, and it makes sense.

[@Malaysian_Diesel_Productions]

What I found scary is that when the "our music" was played. You can hear screaming which probably indicated that since the Cabin boy (mickey) and the Chambermaid (minnie) had turned the rest of the crew into instruments. You can hear them screaming as they're getting played

[@Howlabunga]

This is proof that with the right people, a Mickey Mouse horror movie can be done right.

[@alexisgutierrez3548]

Epic mickey ned live action

[@Howlabunga]

@@alexisgutierrez3548 unrelated, check spelling and grammar, but your kinda right

[@bethanyhaffey975]

You guys took your time with this masterpiece, I can tell. I hope there's a part 2 for this, I wanna know what happened to the cabin boy and the chamber maid, were they disappeared to, their motive, and why. You guys deserve an ammy award 👏.

[@kimmy1325]

What I wanna know is whatever happened to Pete and the parrot?

[@sophieasha9069]

​@@kimmy1325 Pete was the captain in this video, you can see a cat in the photo frame. As for the parrot, I think he escaped death

[@kimmy1325]

@@sophieasha9069 if that's Pete then that means the other cat is gone.

[@Devoid0496]

I might have some insight, but we need to look at release dates to figure out what happened on the S.S. Willie and what might have happened next We have Steamboat Willie as of now, it being released November 18th 1928. This is that story, but I think where The cabin Boy and Chambermaid went next is either Mexico or the Mojave Desert. It would make sense form a story perspective, and as a way to escape the law. Where it hits trouble is that I'm basing this idea off of Gallopin' Gaucho from December 30th of that same year. It took place in a desert, where we can assume the duo was taken next. The contents of that short tell me at least one more thing... One pluckily messed up Cabin Boy is going to have a killing streak.

[@rigboy1234]

They stole a plane

[@hydradiagonal3404]

New type of analog horror ;vinyl/early 19th century analog/old film horror ! I want this to become a genre!

[@cammyman32]

*20th century

[@williamcrowe2576]

This cabin boy (whom I'll refer to as "Mitchell" for the sake of argument) must've finally snapped after months of abuse from the captain and first mate.

[@BestOfTsars]

Well it seems so but based on the genuine concern of the captain ie Pete of his crew shows he is professional. Like he seems to be the type of man to be civil and do not stoop so low as in to abuse the cabin boy. In a way I could see Mickey being of a warped mind and have a warped view of reality.

[@williamcrowe2576]

@@BestOfTsars What some see as kindness Mitchell only saw as cruelty and vice versa.

[@BestOfTsars]

@@williamcrowe2576 yeah exactly you could say Pete was just doing according to protocol and meant no real harm towards Mitchell. And heck you could say that Pete didn’t ever imagined that seemingly young and innocent Mitchell could ever done such a heinous act. Perhaps he shot himself not baring the fact that the cabin boy he saw as somewhat of a son done such grotesque deed.

[@genericTC2ber]

​@@williamcrowe2576Now the question is: How did the maid, who in this case will be called Melinda, get roped into Mitchell's scheme?

[@williamcrowe2576]

@@genericTC2ber Could be she was also a bit of a psychopath.

[@TheRickeyracoon123]

im not sure but however i bet this is what happens. this cabin boy and maiden are mickey and minnie. however they seem to be able to elongate and mutilate some of the ship crew as like there instrumental characters. the crew mate body parts are instruments and stuff and if im correct the captain kill himself not to become one. the sounds of the music recording is people screaming and muffling because there body parts are protruding like instruments. maybe thats why the crews remains are all looking like strings and piano keys. that's my theory.

[@mitchellalexander9162]

All of this from that part of the Short where Mickey Decides to Torture Innocent animals because Minnie's Sweet Music was just THAT GOOD.

[@TheRickeyracoon123]

huh i guess your right@@mitchellalexander9162

[@nightmarexgaming120]

It’s pretty obvious who the cabin boy and Chambermaid are when you look at the portrait

[@mayhem9702]

Still better and creative then the actual Mickey Mouse’s Trap movie

[@mayhem9702]

That and Whinnie the Pooh Blood and Honey ( The Mean One at least actually tried )

[@megarouge7351]

@@mayhem9702 The Mean One? That sounds like a Dr Suess Grinch horror film. Edit: It is... lmao

[@michaeltherobloxfan]

Bingo! your right.@@megarouge7351

[@muk8549]

It is@@megarouge7351

[@shiro-kun5604]

@@megarouge7351 It is. Check out Dead Meat's Kill Count for a review of it.

[@metaknightjudgesyoursins4710]

To me, honestly, analog horror set in the 30s or 20s is more scarier and disturbing than ones set in the 80s or 90s. In the 80s, things are much more colorful and clearer to see thanks to the technology being more advanced (during that time). But with the 20s.. this type of filming is JUST beginning, let alone things analyzing some sort of crime like this. There’s no voices No elaboration No nothing. Just classical but eerie music and a small wall of text with small bits of footage. When used in the right context, THAT can be scary.

[@burningfish156]

I'm shocked to say that there's actual horror-based media of Steamboat Willie that isn't terrible. Bravo, fellas.

[@jonaw.2153]

Oh Michael... What have you done... Let it be known. The awful culprit behind this has been the cabin boy, Michael Mouse. I'm certain of it. I'm certain he killed my father. I'll avenge him, or my name isn't Pete.

[@kurtissaventozone]

The deckhand was my great-great-great-grandfathers first cousin, Phillip Grainer, avenge him, and the rest of the crew aswell

[@VaxlandMapping101]

The 1st mate was my great-great grandad. Logan Harel was his name. One day I’ll avenge him, one day. Allow me to join you Pete.

[@ConeHeadMan1]

I have a tumor

[@ariannatorres3799]

The animal people are just the right mix of cute and creepy! Of all the steamboat willie horror, this will probably remain the best 😊

[@julhol7482]

It can't get me if I'm not in fullscreen! Also genuinely terrifying, even before anything actually creepy happened, I was shaking. I love that it's not in-your-face with the references, but lets you make connections on your own. Amazing, definitely not for watching late at night with no lights on.

[@Jullyboy4447]

The part that played the record was the most depressing and horrible things to hear, the screams of unimaginable pain and agony from the crewmates morping into "music"

[@666thedevilsnumber]

The way that they took the actual old short, and just slightly reworked it into how it could have been a horror film was amazing. These people put good effort into the way they presented it like an old horror film instead of just giving Mickey a knife and having him kill people. The story line is also good. Maybe the chambermaid and the cabin boy found out that a documentary had been made, and tried to burn the theatre to stop people from finding out the truth. Great overall from start to finish.

[@thatdumbguy4131]

I hope this gets a part 2 where it’s years later and micky and minnie get found and taken to somewhere for questioning and they explain why they did it

[@Angelcat710]

I think they died too, you can see mickeys body if you look closely next to the record thats playing

[@SScottLM]

​​​@@Angelcat710Judging by the person they interwieved having some sort of bowtie in their head and also talking about how someone in the crew wanted to make music that means Minnie could be alive.

[@genericTC2ber]

@@SScottLM looks kinda feathery. could be either the Parrot, or Daisy Duck

[@simplicity2199]

​@@SScottLMMinnie was the Chambermaid that escaped, so it couldnt be minnie cause if it was, there would be mouse ears to tell its her, but its not

[@Pairofscissorspng]

Even if they survive, they'll probably be dead, since it never is expleained WHEN the movie was recovered, maybe it was 1943, 1976, or even 2024

[@8064goldenstar]

This was actually scary, i loved it. Creative spin on steamboat willie, especially using the "music" as the main horror attraction. I also really liked the notes section, it's a nice homage to mandela catalogue

[@Chrono-and-Co]

It's rare to see horror films that are both subtle in their storytelling and leave the mystery up for interpretation,but this shows that you don't need a budget to do that. The corpes letting you figure out how they died,the picture of mickey that is normal at first but is chilling to the spine once you learn the context,both examples show the films strengths. I'd love to write an essay on my version of events but I want to leave the story up to interpretation for future viewers,thank you for the terrifying tale of two mouse maniacs and their music of mysterious mutilation. (Please make a sequel)

[@Worzel200]

The thing that gets me here is, besides being a nice twist to the Steamboat Willie short, but also what the Cabin Boy and Chambermaid did, like, its like watching a crime show and you see a grizzly murder which makes you go "what possessed this person to do this?" This a very oddly specific way of murdering and brutalizing the crew mates all for "making music". What motivated them to do this is what is getting me here, and the worst part of this is that we will never know in this one of short film and I love it. Even if its all in the 1920's, these two suspects were probably never really caught. It's like what the video at the beginning said, "a lost piece of history", a story that was lost to time until the documentary was recovered. Brilliant Job Night signal Entertainment, this is what I call an excellent "Analog Horror" film (or personally not to be annoying here, a "mockumentary" but still).

[@royalproductions8704]

Just one word... AWESOME! I loved every bit of it! The amount of work and atention to detail is awesome, but the inclusion of "Steamboat Bill" song by Arthur Collins was the best part! Well done and keep up the awesme work!

[@sonzillamariocraft]

This might be my favorite thing to come from Willie becoming public domain. Its not using the source material for cheap scares, its not blatantly using footage from the short just because it legally can, its not just another bad "Haha Modern Disney Bad!" joke in a sea of bad Modern Disney Bad jokes. It does its own thing. Clearly taking inspiration from Willie, but no one needs to know what it's parodying for it to be unsettling or scary. People can enjoy for what it is without prior knowledge of its existence, like a good parody should be. Its still a analog horror short on its own, but still being a parody of a public domain piece. 10/10

[@metrofox1424]

Truly, young Michael and Minerva have some demons

[@iminarea5158]

The fact that this isn't at millions of views baffles me, it's literally one of the best analog horrors I've had the pleasure of viewing

[@yeeyeeyeeye]

This is incredible! It's so nice to see someone use elements from the original short as horror instead of "Mickey Mouse is a spooky killer now oooo." This is what the public domain was made for.

[@amethystimagination3332]

The “F*ck you Disney, he’s ours now” memes have been fun. But I love that this is a completely new spin on the story

[@NightSignalEntertainment]

If you enjoyed our film, make sure to subscribe and consider supporting us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/NightSignalEntertainment

[@vinvin4931]

Can we have a sequel to this, mabey like from the perspective of the parrot who flew to the port and escaped, but with brain damage as he was hit in the head with a bucket and drowned, and is now in a coma

[@deadpoolrlz9685]

this needs a prequel on plane crazy like how the cabin boy first met chamber maid

[@honksss]

why not make it a sequel? like the cabin boy and chamber maid trying to flee the country

[@deadpoolrlz9685]

@@honksss yeah that too

[@Goofyahhgojira]

I don't think anyone noticed this yet but you can here either Mickey or Minnie snickering in the background at 8:46 as the crew slowly scream in pain from being mutilated 💀

[@GuyIncognito-pm4cp]

Lmao it’s funny how it’s basically showing how messed up Mickey’s behavior in the OG short was. Great work, homie.

[@cian.o]

There really needs to be more horror shorts like this, ones that take place way back into the past.

[@LuckyBird551]

Now this is some amazing good use of the Public Domain. If you do something similar with Plane Crazy I would watch it too.

[@user-rf5ui6sr4r]

Maybe the cabin boy and chambermaid making their escape.

[@MH-lg6jm]

there's a whole slew of public domain cartoons available, including the mad doctor: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_animated_films_in_the_public_domain_in_the_United_States

[@spookyscaryskeletons578]

​@@MH-lg6jmthe mad doctor?? The one that appeared in epic mickey?? That would be amazing to see in a new light (that isn't a guy with a mask and a knife)

[@MH-lg6jm]

@@spookyscaryskeletons578 yeah, it's in the public domain believe it or not

[@brianeagan8628]

the sound of music can guide us. but to where will it guide us?

[@hiimsnake3403]

I really enjoyed this and how it was handled. I already got tired with all the sloppy Mickey horror stuff we’ve been getting lately and just feels like they made it for a quick buck and it would grab peoples attention. This actually shows that you’ve watched the original short(s) and were actually able to build off of them in a really creative way without being obnoxious and lazy with it, and had a lot of thought and care put into this. This honestly gives me a lot of hope for horror and that it can be more than just a way to get attention and a quick buck. Please keep up the good work!!

[@DrKurapikaIsDrowning]

Something of note is that one of the voices in the recording is much clearer than the other, bc the cow’s screaming would be muffled, so then the one who was screaming loudly would be the pig

[@josevillanueva2944]

I bet the witness is the parrot, the one who got hit by a potatoe

[@renatoaugustorochafaria7406]

Although it would also be cool, it is possible to see long lowered ears. I think it would be Osvald, the lucky rabbit

[@rigboy1234]

@@renatoaugustorochafaria7406I like to think that Oswald just saw this video, realized his brother was dead and dealt with It without feeling anything about It

[@hootinthedark]

This is great. The build up to seeing what became of the crew, to what they went through during their possible final moments before the ship sank. I cant wait to see what Unknowingly has in store with his series.

[@brianeagan8628]

id love to see more of this expanded into a series...or even its own game

[@brianeagan8628]

just mickey comitting cartoonish horrific antics

[@captainkawaii666]

@@brianeagan8628 So just the regular Mickey Mouse shorts from that era then-

[@npscg1980]

The next documentary should be an incident about an airport with the chambermaid and cabin boy and the third being something about a saloon these being inspired by plane crazy and the galloping gaucho

[@memeworld4950]

bro it be 1 day of Steamboat Willie has no copyright.

[@JohnnyElRed]

Finally a Steamboat Willie horror adaptation with creativity on it. It grabs the ideas of the short and does something interesting with them, instead of just using the name for recognition. Great job.

[@sadiztik420]

This is really well put together and a great, fresh idea all together! I like the idea of parodying an old fashioned picture movie to construct a horror movie in a digital landscape that is basically flooded with short horror and full length horror movies that are afraid to try something experimental! That ending has left me wondering what actually happened, though, but I guess that’s the mystery. 😂 lol

[@HattWare]

Nice touch making the record that was recorded over a copy of "Turkey in the Straw."

[@VanimoCal]

How is this not more popular? This is fucking baller!

[@CallMeJoy_wastaken]

This is actually more well made than just making a cheap scary movie.

[@AndyHappyGuy]

Is the ship disappearing on November 21st a reference to the sinking of the HMHS Britannic, the sister ship of the RMS Titanic, on November 21st, 1916? If that is the case, an interesting thing about the Britannic's sinking was that everyone could've survived thanks to the Britannic's efficient and modern lifeboat evacuation system, but 30 people died after 2 lifeboats were lowered against orders while the ship was still moving, and that led to the two boats being shredded by the still-spinning propellers. You could argue that those 30 people brought about their own deaths, did the people onboard the S.S. Willie make such a mistake too?

[@heitorkrammel2783]

Did you pay attention to the video? It is clear as day that Mickey and Minnie were responsible for killing the crew

[@AndyHappyGuy]

@@heitorkrammel2783 I was wondering if Mickey and Minnie were like the still spinning propellers. Britannic was already doomed to sink when those boats were launched, but they could've chose to launch later and nobody would've been hurt. I was guessing that the crew may have made a mistake that led them right into the hands of Mickey.

[@BandanaSlate5678]

That was a genuinely disturbing story, great job!

[@thegrandxbunny2073]

Fascinating. It's really fascinating how such art needs only about ten minutes of our time. Very well made!

[@teddyfurstman1997]

Just weird seeing the movie being used for Analog Horror due to him being Public Domain. This is far better than Mickey’s Mousetrap.

[@locketbyehouse864]

Something is under Mickeys hat something is under Mickeys hat SOMETHING IS UNDER MICKEYS HAT

[@OfficalTabbyEntertainment]

But What is under his hat

[@locketbyehouse864]

@@OfficalTabbyEntertainment I don’t know no matter how many times I look at the at the hole in the hat I just can’t tell what it is I have one guess but.. I am afraid I might spoil something.

[@JmanDraws]

Story: The Chambermaid (Minnie) and The Cabin Boy (Mickey) both went insane on the boat and then mutilated and killed everyone on the ship to "make their music". Except for The Captain (Pete) who was simply just murdered. Mickey and Minnie then either escaped or killed themselves. Since everyone had been murdered, the ship most likely crashed into a rock and sunk.

[@SonicStantz]

Any idea who the witness that was interviewed is supposed to be?

[@JmanDraws]

@@SonicStantz It'd probably be someone like Minnie's sister

[@genericTC2ber]

@@JmanDraws I'd rather put my bets on it being someone like Daisy Duck. She wasn't in the original 20s or 30s shorts, but the featheriness could be a hint.

[@JmanDraws]

Oh wait that might actually be it @@genericTC2ber

[@porkchopsparty]

@@genericTC2berit was the parrot from the short

[@marcossanjuancordovilla6879]

Now THIS is an excellent project. The inspirations are really cleverly handled and I dunno, I overall enjoyed it a lot!

[@captainkawaii666]

This is incredible! Now THAT'S how to make a Mickey Mouse horror project!

[@brycevo]

And we've already gotten a horror story. 10/10

[@hectorryan7591]

Quite frankly, this is probably my favorite steamboat willie horror thing because this one isn't just some person wearing a mickey mask shiving people

[@dooper6452]

This is truly amazing! By the time im writing this, the horror movies and games have not released yet, however this is already a creative horrifying re-imagining of steamboat willie! The fact that you made it into a documentary instead of a typical horror movie with a slasher in it is worth praise in and of itself.

[@user-uw5hk7kg5q]

I originally was sad with this new public domain thing because nobody really respects the past anymore or the work Walt Disney put into his cartoons but this was really nice and I can appreciate it.

[@user-uw5hk7kg5q]

@@marshlindsey2763 yeah you're not wrong I just meant I liked what Walt Disney himself accomplished in his life.

[@dutchmansmine9053]

"it's NoT mIKeY MoUse iT'S StEamBoAT wILlie" No, Willie is the name of the boat.

[@ironvlogger9712]

The Cabin Boy and the Chambermaid used the crew as instruments which ultimately killed them and off they went to get hitched They even recorded an album how romantic Probably amidst the happiness and thrill of love as well as bad weather caused the ship to wreck and the pair of lovers managed to get to shore but sadly they didn't have time to grab their record. Pity. I suspect it was a wedding gift.

[@eiscreme3116]

This is really well made and the bodys at the end are actuallypretty haunting

[@cman710]

This was easily the creepiest idea I’ve seen from Steamboat Willie ever. What a clever and bizzare take. Absolute chills

[@KCNARBLX]

Good to see that quality horror is being made using Steamboat Willie’s public domain. This is a masterpiece.

[@Urijah-li5lk]

Although i feel like a riverboat such as the natchez or a steam tug would have portrayed the SS Wille better, i think his is The best SW horror we will ever have. No cheap gags, jumpscares, and pretty accurate. Well done.

[@damiencrossley7497]

NOW THIS is a good horror story told!\ Pete: I'm aiming the boat to sea and once were out I'm setting the boiler to blow! You ain't getting anymore of us you son of a bitch!

[@aj_slaughterzz2198]

I'm not sure if people noticed this or not but at 8:44 you can hear a women's laugh which is presumably the chamber maid (minnie) which makes the "our music" audio song even more horrifying

[@aj_slaughterzz2198]

You have to listen really closely to hear it and try to ignore the terrifying screaming

[@JEUndisputed]

I wqnt to applaud the person who came up with the idea of playing the steamboat willie soundtrack backwards, bloody brilliant

[@thebestatspace]

This was a really fun idea. Well done!

[@cthulhluftagn3812]

More effort and creativity then a good number of "AAA" films and games have shown in years. Kudos to you all.

[@moi20062]

we need a part 2

[@aGoosenamedJordan]

Years later the bodys of the Cabin boy and Chambermaid's were found in a plane crash

[@syppy7416]

this is such a cool concept! I wonder how this event is seen in this world

[@lightningrodstudios2441]

Wow, actually taking a unique take on the character and making something intriguing. Bravo

[@jimmymeridian5174]

Disney deserves every parody that's comes from the domain, serves them right for how stingy they are.

[@ironhell813]

Technically anyone could have parodied Mickey (or any other media character in the us) even If copyrighted it’s a separate right itself, part of constitutional right of free speech and freedom of the press (political cartoons) To think everyone waited till now shows a lot of Americans to be opportunistic cowards, because they always could parody Disney and shows like family guy often did.

[@charliemacsart]

Parody has been legal and people have been doing it for decades, long before most people in this comment section were even born. There's been Mickey parodies for nearly as long as he's been famous. Like @ironhell813 said, he only reason you're seeing so much in the last few days is because A) the short being public domain has brought attention to Mickey and B) people are jumping on a bandwagon. This short film is really well done and clearly a product of creative vision and love, but stuff like the two horror slasher films are not, they're purely out to make a profit on something trendy.

[@RoniloJrLawas]

For the first time, i think I genuinely felt a true horror unfold.