One of the foundational sub-genres of horror is the Slasher, a type of horror film that sees a killer stalk and slay a group of characters. Usually, the killer is masked, and the preferred weapon of choice tends to be of the bladed variety. Slashers have been around for decades, with films like Peeping Tom and Psycho credited as prototypes for the sub-genre and Halloween touted as the seminal slasher that set the mold for the modern slasher. It was the latter’s massive success that heralded in the Golden Age of Slashers.

This period, from Halloween’s release through 1984, marked an endless wave of slashers. It dominated horror’s output. But what exactly does that look like?

To give an idea just how immense this slasher boon was from 78-84, we’ve put together a comprehensive look at the slashers released during this period. Starting with the film that inspired it all, of course. Slashers lend well to the murder mystery, noir, and crime thrillers so there is some overlap. What’s not included are Giallo entries, as that’s a whole other category that warrants its own discussion. While there are likely a few titles that slipped through the cracks, this lengthy guide should get you well on your way to checking off all the Golden Age titles, and give context to the enormous scope of the craze. In Part 1, we cover 1978-1980…

1978

1978 offered numerous noteworthy slashers. Titles like The Toolbox Murders, Eyes of Laura Mars, Patrick, and more. Being that the Golden Age unquestionably started with Halloween, however, that’s where we begin.

Halloween

John Carpenter’s seminal slasher launched an ongoing franchise and kickstarted the true Golden Age of Slashers. Fifteen years after Michael Myers murdered his sister on Halloween, he escapes the mental hospital and stalks his new target, babysitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis).

1979

The wave of slashers was only just beginning at this point, and the sub-genre was still exploring its identity. Mostly, Halloween’s success was still too fresh at this point.

Beyond the Darkness

Not the traditional slasher that this movement would come to embrace, but a gory flick only Joe D’Amato could make. An embalmer can’t cope with the loss of his girlfriend, so he exhumes her and keeps her body with him in his home. His sanity snaps, and the death toll mounts.

Bloodrage

A sexually frustrated man targets and slays prostitutes. A sleazy grindhouse-level slasher directed by Joseph Zito, the man behind slasher favorites The Prowler and Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter.

Delirium

One of the more obscure video nasties. The plot sees a group of wealthy businessmen hire Vietnam vets to clean up the riff raff on the streets. Instead, one of the ex-soldiers goes on a murderous rampage targeting women.

The Demon

A schoolteacher finds herself stalked by a killer that prefers to suffocate women with plastic. Extremely low budget, and possibly the first slasher to directly copy Halloween, right down to the jumpsuit and white-masked killer.

Don’t Go in the House

A deranged man who was horrifically disfigured as a child by his own mother uses his beloved flamethrower when stalking and murdering women. Arguably one of the most creative weapons of choice for a slasher villain.

Don’t Go Near the Park

Murderous prehistoric cave siblings are cursed for eons to feast off the flesh of youth, and their hunting grounds eventually become a park in a Los Angeles neighborhood.

The Driller Killer

Abel Ferrara directs and stars as an artist crumbling under the pressures of work, caring for roommates, and paying bills. At night, the struggling artist takes to the streets of New York and murders the homeless with a power drill.

Effects

Crew members working on a horror movie begin to suspect that the movie’s kills are real, and that they’re actually working on a snuff film. Tom Savini appears in the movie alongside Joseph Pilato, and Savini handles the special makeup effects as well.

The Hollywood Strangler Meets the Skid Row Slasher

The film’s title says it all; a Hollywood model strangler crosses paths with a wino slayer from Skid Row. Lowbrow sleaze and chaos ensues.

The Meateater

A family purchases an abandoned theater with the hopes of turning it into a lucrative business. Little did they know, it’d been home to a movie-obsessed psychopath. The madman embarks on a murder spree over the disturbance.

Savage Weekend

A group of friends head out for a weekend getaway, where they’re stalked by a masked killer. While it sounds straightforward slasher, think proto-slasher with a touch of Deliverance.

Silent Scream

A college co-ed desperate to find a place to stay prior to the start of the semester locates a seaside boarding house run by a reclusive mother and her son. Shortly after her arrival, one of the residents winds up dead, causing the student to become entangled in a twisted murder mystery.

Tourist Trap

A group of friends find themselves stalked and murdered by a killer with telekinetic powers when they’re stranded at a remote roadside attraction. Mannequins, mayhem, and a delightful early slasher by David Schmoeller.

When a Stranger Calls

Opening with a chilling portrayal of a famous urban legend, this slasher sees a babysitter (Carol Kane) terrorized by a psychopath, who returns seven years later to torment her once more.

1980

Studios and filmmakers hoping to ride the wave of Halloween’s success were starting to see their efforts released by 1980. Ronald Reagan’s presidential election boosted conservatism, and major concerns about violence in film came along with it. In turn, that put slashers at the forefront of political and media ire, making them even more coveted among horror audiences.

Along with many notable entries in the sub-genre, 1980 marks the birth of an enduring franchise in Friday the 13th.

Anthropophagus

Joe D’Amato once again brings his love of gore to an island-set slasher that sees a group of tourists stalked and preyed upon by a cannibalistic madman. Entrails and death ensue.

The Boogey Man

A supernatural slasher turned Video Nasty in which a young girl witnesses her brother commit murder through a reflection in a mirror. Many years later, that evil mirror comes back to haunt and kill the family and anyone associated with them.

Christmas Evil

Mentally traumatized as a child upon the discovery that Santa Claus isn’t real, a toy factory worker suffers a nervous breakdown and embarks on a murder spree. Dressed as Santa, of course.

Cries in the Night

Also known as Funeral Home, this one sees a woman heading to grandma’s house to help her convert it into a bed and breakfast. Her home, naturally, used to be a funeral home at one point. So it may not surprise you that when the guests start arriving, the body count starts rising.

Cruising

Al Pacino stars in William Friedkin’s crime/thriller/slasher about a police detective that goes undercover on the underground S&M scene in New York City to root out a serial killer that’s preying on gay men.

Demented

Rap-revenge thriller meets slasher, in which a poor woman is institutionalized after being sexually assaulted. The nightmares don’t stop when under the care of her unfaithful husband. Finally, a group of masked youths decide to break into her home, and the woman snaps completely.

Don’t Answer the Phone!

A deranged Vietnam vet stalks and brutalizes women in Los Angeles, then taunts a radio psychologist with detailed accounts of his crimes.

Dressed to Kill

Brian De Palma channels Hitchcock in this erotic thriller. A sexually dissatisfied wife is murdered shortly after a tryst, and her son teams up with a prostitute to find the killer.

The Exterminator

When a man’s best friend is murdered on the streets of New York City, he’s so violently enraged that he becomes a ruthless killer himself. The city becomes a war zone. Look for The Brood’s Samantha Eggar in this one.

Fade to Black

Dennis Christopher stars as Eric Binford, a lonely cinephile obsessed with a woman who has an uncanny resemblance to Marilyn Monroe. But bullying has pushed him too far, and he begins donning costumes and committing murder.

Friday the 13th

Sean S. Cunningham’s seminal classic, which sees a group of counselors working to reopen a summer camp years after it closed due to a tragic accident. The problem is that someone is willing to kill to ensure they don’t succeed. Phase one of making Camp Crystal Lake and Jason Voorhees household names, complete.

The Ghost Dance

An anthropologist and her crew excavate the remains of an evil shaman, and its spirit possesses a Native American medicine man. The spirit causes him to become a homicidal maniac, of course.

He Knows You’re Alone

A young bride-to-be seeks help from a former lover when she’s stalked by a serial killer on Staten Island. A serial killer that only seems to target brides, no less. This slasher marks the first film appearance by Tom Hanks.

The Long Island Cannibal Massacre

A group of cannibalistic lepers living in, you guessed it, Long Island are feeding off of unsuspecting victims, leaving the authorities stumped. The network of killers is led by a mutated monster.

Maniac

Joe Spinell stars as Frank Zito, a greasy, psychologically disturbed New Yorker who murders women and keeps their scalps as souvenirs. Because it’s from Zito’s perspective, William Lustig’s cult favorite plays more like a sleazy character study than your average slasher. It’s effective nonetheless.

Motel Hell

It takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent’s Fritters. Really, it just takes people. In this comedic slasher, a farmer and his sister kidnap travelers and bury them alive as stock to create their famous special meat.

Mother’s Day

Two brothers are willing to go to any length to make their mama proud. In this case, that entails Mother getting her kicks off of watching her sons rape and murder. Their latest captives, three women, are held prisoner and used as pawns in the twisted game between Mother and sons.

New Year’s Evil

A Los Angeles radio DJ gets a call during her New Year’s Eve celebration from a creep laying out their dastardly plans. Each time the clock strikes midnight in a different time zone, someone dies. The DJ is intended to be the final victim.

Night of the Demon

There’s a slasher for everything. Case in point; Night of the Demon unleashes Bigfoot in slasher form. His victims? A professor and his students aiming to track Bigfoot. They’ll clearly rue that decision.

Nightmares

Also known as Stage Fright, this one sees a girl suffer a mental breakdown after she accidentally causes a car crash that results in her mother’s death. Sixteen years later, she’s changed her name and become an actress. But someone is killing the cast of her new play.

Patrick Still Lives!

An unofficial Italian sequel to Australia’s 1978 Patrick. Like the original, the plot sees a bedridden telekinetic use his powers to inflict death on those around him.

Phobia

A psychiatrist has developed a radical new form of therapy, but his methods are called into question when his patients start dying according to their specific phobias. Directed by John Huston (Chinatown, The African Queen), from a story by Poltergeist III’s Gary Sherman.

Prom Night

In-demand scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis starred in this slasher about a masked killer stalking teens at their high school senior prom. The targets happened to be involved with a deadly prank six years prior. Prom Night also stars Leslie Nielsen.

Scared to Death

An inspector and a former cop-turned-novelist team up to investigate a series of grisly murders. The duo descends into the sewers to find the culprit, which turns out to be a genetic experiment gone monstrously awry. Scared to Death takes a slasher setup and turns it into a creature feature.

Schizoid

A “Dear Abby”-style advice columnist begins receiving threatening letters from a mysterious stalker. The stalker happens to be targeting and slaying members of the therapy group the columnist is a part of, and she starts to suspect the therapist and her ex-husband might be behind the murders. This one stars Klaus Kinski and Christopher Lloyd.

Shadows of the Mind

Over a decade after witnessing the drowning of her mother at a young age, a wealthy woman is finally deemed mentally sound and released from the mental institution. When she returns to her childhood home, greedy friends and family converge on the house in hopes of obtaining some of that wealth. The body count rises.

Terror on Tour

Glam rock band The Clowns are on tour when they come under suspicion thanks to a series of murders by a band member lookalike.

Terror Train

Three years after a horrendous college prank gone wrong, the pranksters are targeted by a masked killer at a New Year’s Eve celebration aboard a train. Jamie Lee Curtis stars as the final girl in a slasher with a plot setup similar to Prom Night. Also look for magician David Copperfield to lighten the mood.

To All a Good Night

In this yuletide slasher, a group of teens at a party find themselves stalked by a maniac in a Santa Claus suit. The holiday slasher tradition, after all.

The Unseen

A freelance reporter and her two friends can’t seem to find reasonable lodging around town due to holiday parade the reporter is covering. When a museum owner offers up his farmhouse for the cheap, the ladies aren’t aware that the place harbors a homicidal being in the basement.

Windows

Andrea is so psychotically obsessed with her neighbor Emily that she hires a rapist in order to get audio tapes of Emily’s reaction. When Emily embarks on a love affair with a Detective, Andrea’s obsession gets even more dangerous.

Without Warning

A sci-fi horror mashup that sees an extra-terrestrial stalking and slaying human prey. Look for notable cast members Jack Palance, Martin Landau, and David Caruso.

In Part 2, we’ll be taking a look at slashers released between 1981-1984.