Even if you don’t recognize Robert Kurtzman’s name, you’re definitely familiar with his work. In his decades as a Hollywood special effects guru, Kurtzman has been a key creative force behind some of the key classics of modern horror, including It Follows, From Dusk til Dawn and Predator, among many others. Regardless of how well you know his work, you’ll want to mark your calendars for June 2nd, when Hanlin’s Hollywood Memorabilia is running an online auction to sell off Kurtzman’s entire collection of props, special effects appliances and artwork.
While it’s definitely rare to see the entire collection of one artist up for sale at once, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who matches the range of Kurtzman’s career, with items up for sale from movies like Jingle All the Way and Tusk, all the way to Bollywood hit Hisss. Rue Morgue has obtained exclusive photos of some of the available items from Hanlin’s Hollywood Memorabilia, so read on to get a sense of the opportunities you can expect to find.
The first two items are from Wishmaster, directed by Kurtzman himself. Fans may recognize the Ahura Mazda statue, a key prop which, among other things, is fatally dropped onto a helpless Ted Raimi in an early scene. Anyone wanting to grab it, bids will begin at $1500, but it could end up selling for as high as $7000.
The second item from Wishmaster is a costume worn by the late Verne Troyer in one of his first roles, as an early incarnation of the titular Djinn. Bidding will start at $800, but it could go for as high as $4,000.
The next two items were featured in From Dusk till Dawn, for which Kurtzman, among other roles, provided the story. This first item is a vampire bust used in the movie, on which bidding will begin at $500. However, the price could end up as high as $1,500.
While Kurtzman provided the story for From Dusk till Dawn, it was a young Quentin Tarantino who wrote the screenplay, in his first paid writing job in Hollywood. Beyond writing, he also starred in the movie, and the final auction item we have here for you at is one of three busts made of Tarantino’s skull for Kurtzman’s KNB EFX group (which also included Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger). One of the big ticket items of the event, bids on the skull will begin at $2,500, but it could cost up to $10,000 to bring it home.
Of course, there will be plenty more for film fans to see on the day of the auction itself – the only way to know for sure what’s available will be to see for yourself on June 2nd. It goes without saying that all of the items featured will be unique, and who knows if and when you’ll ever see them again?
The auction will be run by Hanlin’s Hollywood Memorabilia – for more information on how to take part in this online event, and for info on tons of other auction events, check out the website of Hanlin’s Auction Service, and their Facebook page.
See you there!
