(from December 2019)
Hey everyone,
Let’s get straight into it; ’tis the season for Krampus! So, yeah, I admit I was a little late to the whole Krampus scene, but I’ve been there for a while now and I just love it!
The 2015 movie is a must-see over the holidays, and what isn’t there to like about the whole Krampus vibe at any time, and especially now?! So yes, I’ll be watching Krampus again very soon. I also need to remind you again about Hagazussa. A really great, creepy, atmospheric gothic medieval folk horror movie from Germany that is absolutely one of my favorites, and has been since I first saw it. I don’t wanna say too much about it other than once you start watching you’ll get drawn into its web, even though it is a slow-burner. Be sure to check it out.
Along the same lines of folk horror, I also liked Midsommar a lot, which is a little more traditional in approach to the whole folk horror genre but still packs a great punch and strong storyline. Folk-horror is something I’ve always really liked, going back to the original Wicker Man, and it’s been great to see it evolve again as a really important genre, with The Witch having led the way a few years ago, and now movies like these two emerging.
Another addition to the list of “Films To See Right Now” would be Jim Jarmusch’s The Dead Don’t Die. I’m never afraid of a bit of comedy and humor in my horror, and this has lots of it. Not only that, it stars Bill Murray in the middle of a war against a zombie invasion of his town!
What’s not to like about that? Nothing. So check it out!
A quick mention too for the documentary Hail Satan? … and if I could get that Baphomet statute, I’d put it on top of my car and drive around town for sure!
I also wanted to reflect for a moment on the It’s Alive! exhibition that’s been on display at the Royal Ontario Museum for the last few months. It comes down on January 5th, so you have a couple of days left … I feel this exhibit has not only been a great success but also a lot of fun.
Whenever my collection goes on display, I instantly want to be there with it, looking at it, get inspired by it, and enjoy it. I was able to do that in Toronto (as well as play with The Wedding Band, my jam band with great friend and fellow Metallica member Rob Trujillo – thanks bro!) and it was also really interesting to see the collection installed in a different way by a different curator.
When it was at the Peabody Essex museum it was really great as well, and Toronto reminded me that I just love seeing what curators do; being able to stand in the exhibit and see floating Frankenstein heads was one example, and another was their dramatic lighting of certain pieces.
The next place It’s Alive! will be seen is in North Carolina, and already the curator of that exhibition has been in touch with the Royal Ontario curator because there were some things which were just perfect. It’s interesting to see how putting your collection in a museum increases the value of not just your own collection but collections in general – meaning that now, some of the things I want to get are even more expensive than before!
Still, overall, it’s a really good thing for collectors all around. Someone asked me what I thought the most popular pieces on display usually are, and I’d say it’s pretty much always the big movie posters or the art that’s featured on my guitars. I guess that isn’t really surprising as it’s the art which gets the most exposure. But my favorite? Well, right now I’m really taken by the large Dracula one-sheet from 1931, but I also love the Metropolis poster that features a pentagram. In fact, I think it might well be on a future guitar!
Watch this space for updates!
Happy New Year everyone, see you in the new decade!
-Kirk
The Kirk Hammett Collection 