Spoken Word

9 Oct 2025

Spoken Word Episode 54: Steven Boltz, Do NOT Read from the Book Bound in Human FLESH! Film Crowd Sourcing.

Food, James WF Roberts, Joy Media, Joy94.9, Literature, Music, Spoken Word, Theatre, TV & Film, Visual Arts

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Spoken Word Episode 54: Steven Boltz, Do NOT Read from the Book Bound in Human FLESH! Film Crowd Sourcing.

James welcomes a return guest, Steven Boltz, from The Knack Theatre. Steven is now entering a new phase of creativity, with several Melbourne theatres and venues closing in the last few months, the gang from The Knack have pivoted and are now focusing their attention on short and feature length film-making.

DO NOT READ FROM THE BOOK BOUND IN HUMAN FLESH follows a young woman whose late-night shift takes a terrifying turn when she’s abducted by a man obsessed with a forbidden spell book. What begins as a kidnapping spirals into a nightmarish ritual — one that blurs the line between grief, obsession, and the undead.

The short is both a standalone story and a prequel for our feature, ZOMBIE SLUMBER PARTY. With FLESH, we aim to capture the same dread and darkly playful spirit that defines ZSP — much like Jennifer Kent did with THE BABADOOK and Andy Muschietti with MAMA.

Australia has a long history of groundbreaking horror films — from the Ozploitation era in the ’70s all the way to the current golden Age of horror coming out today. Steven and the creative team want this film to be part of that history. What makes FLESH different is that it’s carving out brand-new territory. They’re calling it the first-ever COSMIC SLASHER film.

With its mix of gruesome horror and dark humour, FLESH stands as a complete tale on its own while setting the stage for the chaos to come in ZOMBIE SLUMBER PARTY.

Film Trailer:

https://youtu.be/Y2UHfLYRr-A

One of the movies that inspired FLESH and ZOMBIE SLUMBER PARTY is RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, specifically its soundtrack – from THE CRAMPS to THE DAMNED to 45 GRAVE’S iconic ‘Partytime’. It’s pure punk. Iconic.

Music is just as important in ZOMBIE SLUMBER PARTY, and — as it’s a prequel — Steven and the crew behind this venture, want to give a taste of that in FLESH. If they’re lucky enough to exceed their main goal, the extra funds will help them secure the rights to a punk cover of a classic ’70s hit.

The track they’re looking for adds something strange, playful, and surprisingly poignant – the kind of moment that will stick with you long after the credits.

But music licensing can be expensive. Hitting their stretch goal would make it possible to acquire and include this track — adding a layer of energy and emotion that lifts the film to another level.