“Between 1980 and 1989, the horror genre gave us well over 200 slasher flicks.”
According to J.A. Kerswell’s must-read Slasher Movie Book, the “golden age” of the slasher film was between 1978 and 1984; the sub-genre was kicked off by Halloween and perhaps hit its peak with A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Of course, examining that six-year span would be merely scratching the surface of the sub-genre’s history. The ’80s were dominated by slasher flicks, as countless filmmakers attempted to cash in on the success of low budget indies like Friday the 13th.
Some were awesome. Many others were just plain terrible.
What are the best slashers that came out of the ’80s? Jesse Gumbarge of Jarvis City just put together his personal Top 30 list, and he also edited the picks into a 40-minute video that serves as, in his words, The Ultimate ’80s Slasher Tribute. The video features choice clips from each of the 30 films, and it’s a fun watch if you’ve got the time.