Slash and Grab: Horror of the 1980s

We can learn a lot about American history and culture by looking at the horror films of the 1980s. The horror boom that began in 1978 coincided with an era of global nuclear fears, urban decay, and recession as well as the collapse of the Hollywood studio system and the decline of censorship laws that had held sway for nearly 50 years. This volatile mix of circumstances gave rise to the gory, violent, over-the-top—and very successful—genre of horror that we now know as the “slasher” or “splatter” film.

In the 10 lectures of Slash and Grab: Horror of the 1980s, you’ll follow Professor Adam Jortner as he examines how these films were created, why they were made, and what kind of reaction they sparked in American audiences. You’ll explore movies that have become classics of the genre, including A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, and Halloween, as well as the lesser-known productions such as The House on Sorority Row and The Stuff. Along the way, you’ll consider how culture shaped the films, as well as how the films shaped the culture in everything from their subtle subversion of gender expectations to the role they played in stoking the era’s so-called “Satanic panic.”

While the slasher film may have been at its most popular in the 1980s, that doesn’t mean the genre has been laid to rest. Changes in American culture, technology, and filmmaking have transformed horror movies to reflect the anxieties of a different generation. However, much like the killers that made the splatter movies of the 1980s so distinctive, the power of horror to reveal our deepest fears never truly dies.