THE #1 80s Horror Movies - Slasher
Let’s Take a Look at an 80s Icon:
The Slasher Movies by Tera Dugan
As a kid in the 1970s and 80s, I find it very ironic that I was not allowed to watch shows like CHiPs due to violence, but I could watch whatever horror movie my mom had playing. This included Slasher films, a mainstay of horror. Read on to see The #1 80s Horror Movies – Slasher.
THE BEGINNING OF SLASHER
The beginnings of the slasher subgroup of movies are often credited to the 1960 film Psycho, but there is a much longer history of lesser-known films dating back to the 1930s that included major tropes that we still see in films today. For example, the movie Thirteen Women (1932) focuses on the main character seeking revenge who crosses names out of a yearbook to track her kills. This same plotline was utilized in the 80s films Prom Night and Graduation Day.
Additionally, the movie The Spiral Staircase (1946) may have been the first film to incorporate jump scares, widely used in horror movies to this day. Even, the scene of the up and down motion of a violently moving weapon to signify the stabbing or beating of a victim is originally credited to The Scarlet Claw (1944) but remembered most clearly in the shower scene of Psycho.
Keep reading to see background information, what slasher is all about, and some of the best movies in the genre.
SLASHER VS. HORROR
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SLASHER FILM AND A HORROR FILM?
Slasher movies are actually a subgenre of horror.
A slasher film is a horror film, but just because a movie is horror doesn’t mean that it is a slasher story.
Let’s take a look a some of the characteristics of a Slasher film:
EVIL CHARACTER STALKS HIS VICTIMS
EVIL CHARACTERS USES BLADES OR KNIVES OF SOME KIND
CHARACTERS ARE OFTEN IN ISOLATED LOCATIONS, LIKE FARMS, SCHOOL, OR CAMP.
VIOLENT AND OFTEN BLOODY AND GORY
OTHER SUB-GENRES INFLUENCED BY SLASHER MOVIES:
HOME-INVASION
ASYLUM
PSYCOLOGICAL THRILLER
MEDICAL THRILLER
KILLER KIDS
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The #1 80s Horror Movies - Slasher
Back to Psycho.
The film was initially condemned for its violence and offensive material, like the scene of a flushing toilet. However, there was so much interest, that the movie industry had to reevaluate its stance, looking past the violence, and actually seeing the art behind the film. Psycho ended up being nominated for four Academy Awards, but the best thing to happen was horror suddenly became a demanded genre of movie, and studios were very willing to cash in. This set up a string of horror successes throughout the 60s and 70s that included iconic films, such as Francis Ford Coppola’s debut film Dementia 13 (1963), The House That Screamed (1969), A Bay of Blood (1971), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), and Halloween (1978), but it was not until the 1980 release of Friday the 13th that films with a stalker killing groups of people was dubbed “slasher” films.
SLASHER AS A SUBGENRE
The early 80s saw an explosion of the slasher subgenre. Film series took over the market with Halloween, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Friday the 13th coming out with multiple sequels. Then the introduction of A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) and Child’s Play (1988), both spawning multiple follow-up films (side note, I was in 8th grade when Child’s Play came out and, with a group of friends, went to the local movie theater, bought tickets to U2’s Rattle and Hum, but snuck into Child’s Play instead).
Amongst these groups of films, there were some individual movies that really stuck out. One of these is Just Before Dawn (1982), featuring the clashing of city dwellers and backwoods characters. You can almost hear dueling banjos in the background, this one is based on the 1972 movie Deliverance. Then there is The Slumber Party Massacre (1982), which was meant to be a parody of the slasher film but ended as a great slasher in its own right.
Some favorites also include The Funhouse (1981), Motel Hell (1980), and Sleepaway Camp (1983), but my ultimate favorite 80’s film series will always be The Evil Dead (1981) with follow-ups in 1987 and 1992 and a reboot/continuation in 2013. Starring Bruce “The Chin” Campbell, these films follow the slasher formula well with a group of young, attractive friends, some type of stalker, sexual overtones, and brutal deaths.
THE GOLDEN YEARS
The 80s, more specifically the years 1978-1984, have been called the Golden Years of the slasher film. While slasher films have continued to be filmed and have seen resurgences in the 90s and each decade since, they have never reached the frenzy that accompanied those golden years. Yet, there is still a desire by fans of the slasher subgenre to see new, fresh ideas. Hopefully, in the midst of remaking every horror film, we will see more original scripts in development, as well.
HORROR POP CULTURE
The #1 80s Horror Movies – Slasher
The slasher industry has had a large impact on society. This genre’s icons made their way to clothing, accessories, and household items. A subgenre of comics, graphic novels, and books venturing into the slasher world exists. There is a whole body of work by multiple authors celebrating the slasher film. I will share some of those with you in a follow-up article.
I have barely even scratched the surface of the influence slasher films have had. Even as I write this, other movies and directors are clamoring for attention in my head. This could truly be a never-ending topic. I have shared some of my favorites and maybe, you will become intrigued and check out slasher films on your own. If you are already a fan, however, then it is your turn to share your favorite slasher movies with us. Share your thoughts on The #1 80s Horror Movies – Slasher on Instagram with @thebookishabyss and @books4movies
Jason and Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers
WHO ARE THESE HORROR MOVIE ICONS?
Jason, Freddy, and Michael Myers are three of the most well-known slasher movie evil characters of all time! You may not have seen the movies, but you have definitely heard their names and maybe even seen Halloween costumes.
Their distinct appearances make great costumes for horror movie lovers for Halloween. Although many of these movies first appeared in the 80’s, they are so timeless that the stories continue on today.
Check out these top slasher evil characters and their movies in order.
JASON Voorhees
JASON FRIDAY THE 13TH MOVIES IN ORDER:
Freddy Krueger
FREDDY KRUEGER NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET MOVIES IN ORDER:
Michael Meyers
MICHAEL MYERS HALLOWEEN MOVIES IN ORDER:
- HALLOWEEN
- HALLOWEEN 2
- RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS
- THE REVENGE OF MICHAEL MYERS
- THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS
- HALLOWEEN H20
- RESURRECTION
- HALLOWEEN ENDS
- (2007) HALLOWEEN
- HALLOWEEN 2 (2009)
- (2018) HALLOWEEN
- (2021) HALLOWEEN KILLS
- HALLOWEEN ENDS
STAND-ALONE MOVIE:
Top 4 Classic Horror Movies to Watch This Halloween
Alfred Hitchcock is one of the biggest names in Hollywood and is highly regarded as a revolutionary horror, thriller, and suspense movie maker. His most popular film, Psycho, is still discussed in film studies classes today and is considered an early version of a slasher film. Did you read the top paragraphs of The #1 80s Horror Movies – Slasher, which talks all about Psycho as one of the first slasher films?
Based on a book released in 1959 by Robert Bloch, the movie came out just one year later in 1960.
This story begins with a young woman, Marion, who steals money to help pay off her boyfriend’s debts so they can get married. While hiding out for the night, she meets Norman Bates while staying in his motel for the night. The incredibly famous and suspenseful shower scene where Marion is stabbed to death by a shadowy figure takes place.
As the movie comes to a close, we learn about Norman’s psychological issues and previous murders.
Now, Norman Bates and the Bates hotel are names that even those who hate all things horror will know about.
THE EXORCIST
A teenage girl becomes mysteriously possessed and her mother seeks the help of two priests to save her.
This movie was so terrifying at the time of its release because of the crude scenes and imaginative character actions. A girl’s head spinning 360 degrees around, the desecration of the statue of the Virgin Mary, and the stabbing of private body parts shocked audiences in the 70s. Many viewers are still surprised and scared by the film today.
Did you know that this movie is based on the real exorcism of a young boy in Maryland in 1949?
ROSEMARYS BABY
Produced in 1968, Rosemary’s Baby is about a wife and soon-to-be mother in New York whose neighbors want to use her baby in their Satanic rituals.
The way that Rosemary conceived her baby is a trigger that some viewers should consider before watching the movie.
Throughout her pregnancy, Rosemary experiences a lot of ups and downs. Her husband and neighbors peer pressure her into doing things that she does not agree with, such as using a different (and odd) doctor. Spoiler: her husband dies before she gives birth and she quickly discovers that her neighbors are part of a Satanic cult.
When Rosemary finally does give birth, she is heavily sedated and told that her baby was stillborn. It’s not long before she realizes that she has been lied to and her baby was stolen away. When she finds her baby, she sees that its eyes are like Satan’s.
THE SHINING
1980 is the year that The Shining was released. Based on the book by Stephen King of the same name, The Shining is about Jack Torrence and his new job as a caretaker in the Overbrook Hotel.
Two seemingly unconnected characters, Jack’s son and the hotel Chef share an ability called the “shining” in which they get premonitions.
Strange and disturbing events, nightmares, and ghostly figures begin to appear.
The Shining is a psychological horror film.
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