The Golden Age of the slasher film probably lasted from 1978 (with the release of the original Halloween) and tapered off towards the late 80s/early 90s, and yet it’s still one of the most influential eras in the genre’s entire history. Not only did the abundance of them create a false perception of horror (that it’s a shallow genre focused on nudity and gore) that persisted for decades, but they also were responsible for creating some of the most recognizable cinematic characters in not just horror, but film in general.
There are likely very few American audience members who wouldn’t recognize Michael Myers from the stark-white William Shatner mask, or Freddy Krueger from the Christmas-colored sweater and razor-fingered gloves, or Jason Voorhees from the hockey mask – and yet Freddy and Jason both have been missing from screens for 16 and 17 years respectively. The Friday the 13th franchise will be returning sooner than A Nightmare on Elm Street, however, as the Peacock original streaming series Crystal Lake is debuting next month, a prequel following Pamela Voorhees as she descends into madness following the loss of her son. But recent statements about the show indicate that Pamela isn’t the only murderous Voorhees who will appear in the show, raising a whole new air of mystery over what the show has in store for fans.
