METALLICA's KIRK HAMMETT On His Collection Of Horror Movie Memorabilia: 'I Feel Like A Protector And Curator Of This Stuff'

In episode 117 of "The Metallica Report", the podcast offering weekly insider updates on all things METALLICA, Kirk Hammett, best known as METALLICA's guitarist and a horror fanatic, with a huge collection of movies and memorabilia, was asked to name his three most cherished pieces of horror movie memorabilia and the stories behind the acquisitions. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I would say my three favorite horror movie props are — number one, the outfit that Boris Karloff wore in that movie 'The Black Cat' from 1933. That's one of my very favorite horror movies of all time. And when I found out that costume was available, I was shocked and amazed, because that movie came out in 1933. I mean, that costume was 80 years old, and it survived. And so I managed to get it very, very quietly. No one seemed to be very interested in it, and once I got it, I was just, like, 'Wow, I can't believe I got this.' And first thing I did was I put it on and I walked around the house pretending I was Boris Karloff in that movie. I know — I'm a goofball."

He continued: "I have a lot of props covering a large amount of time, from '30s to the present. I have a large amount of the original Frankenstein lab, and I'm very happy to be able to say that because the equipment got distributed all over the country, all over the world, and it's been kind of my thing to get all the parts back into one spot. And I've got a lot of the major parts back, especially the nebularium, which is the rounded mirror that you see in the first three Frankenstein movies. And so the lab, parts of the lab are very important to me as well. Another thing that I got that really means a lot to me is the ax from 'The Shining' that [actor Jack] Nicholson was carrying around. I was really happy to be able to get that. It's a very important piece from a very important film."

Hammett added: "And then my newest acquisition that, again, it's unbelievable that I was able to acquire this, but I got Bela Lugosi's Dracula cape from 'Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein'. The cape he wore in that film I managed to attain in the last year. And I've known where that cape has been for the last 30 years, and the guy who had it kind of was dangling in front of me for the longest time. And then last year he was at a point where he just needed a financial windfall. And so he put it in auction. And no one really knew about this auction, which worked in my favor. So I was, like, one of maybe three people bidding on it, one of three people who even knew it was at auction. And I was able to get it, and I was so happy, 'cause literally I'd been after that thing for 30 years and I finally got it. And I'm really, really stoked to have that thing. It means a lot to me."

Asked how he interacts with these pieces when he first gets them, if he touches them or smells them, Kirk said: "Oh, yeah. It's just everything. Everything. I end up staring at the pieces for a long time. And most importantly, it's inspiring for me. It inspires me musically. I sit there with my guitar. I'm, like, 'Oh my God.' And I just sit staring there, playing my guitar and then maybe something will come out of it. But most importantly, I have a love for these movies. I think these movies are historically relevant, culturally relevant, and I feel like a protector of this stuff. I feel like I'm a curator of this stuff and I feel that it's important that this stuff is together, 'cause together it works ergonomically. And it creates a synergy when you have all this stuff together in one room and you walk in and you look at it all and you really get the message and the importance of all this stuff. 'Cause it, to me, it's all important. It's the horror genre of the 20th century. And I've been able to just curate it and get it all together and get all the most important things together and then take a step back and go, 'Wow, this is the collection,' and it's relevant now, and it means something to me and it means something to other people. It means something to the world. It's a part of our world culture. And so because of that, I feel compelled to share it with people too. 'Cause, again, I feel that there's people out there who feel that this stuff is just as important as I do. And there are people out there who are curious about this stuff, and there's people out there who just wanna see this stuff. They wanna see something that was in a movie 80 years ago. I mean, that's a cool thing. And it's different from, like, going to the Louvre and seeing the Mona Lisa. After you see the Mona Lisa, you can't just go home and then watch a movie about the Mona Lisa. I don't know — maybe you can, but it's highly unlikely. But when you see this stuff and you see it in a museum setting, you go, 'Oh, wow. I'm gonna go back and watch 'The Wolf Man'.' And maybe that would be an enlightening thing for you and maybe you'd discover something about that movie or the genre. And then next thing you know, you're loving the stuff just as much as I am. And you're helping, keeping the spirit of it all alive."

Hammett released a coffee table book in 2012 called "Too Much Horror Business" that featured photos of his extensive collection of monster and horror memorabilia. He displayed a portion of his collection in the "Kirk's Crypt" exhibition during the 2012 and 2013 Orion Music + More festivals. The METALLICA guitarist is also known as the Fear FestEvil horror convention organizer.

Hammett previously stated about the parallels between horror movies and heavy metal: "Heavy metal and horror movies come from the same sources, they come from the same seeds, they have a lot of the same imagery and subject matter and whatnot. And for myself, part of the appeal of horror movies is coming in contact with my own mortality but not having to pay the price. Or, like, reliving a death or something without having to go through the actual experience. Bringing yourself to a point where you're maybe in a state of fear, but for your own pleasure."

He continued: "Watching a good horror movie makes my adrenaline go. And for me, it's great, it's the ultimate. I mean, some people like action films. Me, [I like] horror movies."

Image credit: Gibson TV