America’s Horror Pastime: How Late 1970s-Early 1980s Horror Movies Reflected the State of America

Horror. One of the most popular genres in cinema history. Movies especially horror movies serve as great time capsules to approach various parts of history, but perhaps one of the most famous periods of horror which captivated Americans on such a large scale came during the late 70s and early 80s. The massive mainstream popularity of horror movies during this time period represents political, social, and cultural developments in the United States of the same time period. From social and cultural themes and concepts such as sex, consumerism, distrust in authority figures, racial tensions, and bloody gore, we historians can see a hint of the political developments that defined this era in the United States such as the age of uncertainty, the rise of the new conservative movement, and the counter culture that came with it. In my paper, I will explore these ideas in classic American horror movies of the era such as Dawn of the Dead (1978), Halloween (1978), and finally the first four Friday the 13th movies (1980-1984). Diving into how these movies were made, how they were received by American audiences, and the ideas portrayed in these films will help us 21st-century historians understand how American society operated during the late nineteen-seventies and early eighties.

“Horror has been with cinema since the very beginning. It grew up part and parcel with the image of cinema, and it will always be with us. It is one of the most popular genres of all time, and it’s an all-purpose genre because it keeps on changing. Every few years it morphs, it changes to something else, it brings sensibilities of the age in which it’s made which makes it so fabulous. If you look at Frankenstein or Dracula, they are very much of the thirties and the depression, their depression-era movies, they speak to those audiences. But if you look at modern horror films there speaking to you guys, and they bring the sensibilities that you’ve become used to seeing and demand seeing it in film.”

Horror. One of the most popular genres in cinema history. Movies especially horror movies serve as great time capsules to approach various parts of history, but perhaps one of the most famous periods of horror which captivated Americans on such a large scale came during the late 70s and early 80s. Some of the most iconic horror figures of all time made their debut during this era of horror movies, from flesh-eating zombies to supernatural serial killers to chest-bursting aliens.

The massive mainstream popularity of horror movies during the late 70s and early 80s represent political, social, and cultural developments in the United States of the same time period. From social and cultural themes and concepts such as sex, consumerism, distrust in authority figures, racial tensions, and bloody gore, we historians can see a hint of the political developments that defined this era in the United States such as the age of uncertainty, the rise of the new conservative movement, and the counter culture that came with it.

In my paper, I will explore these ideas in classic American horror movies of the era such as Dawn of the Dead (1978), Halloween (1978), and finally the first four Friday the 13th movies (1980-1984). Diving into how these movies were made, how they were received by American audiences, and the ideas portrayed in these films will help us 21st-century historians understand how American society operated during the late nineteen-seventies and early eighties. To understand the influences and impact of these movies, my paper will cover primary sources such as period newspapers, cast and director interviews, and the scenes from the movies themselves. Secondary sources will come in the form of documentaries, written histories of the movies and the time period, and academic journal articles on the movies. All of these sources will be used to highlight how these iconic horror movies of the era were molded during the time they were created in.

After spending the first weeks of the semester being clueless and panicking about choosing a topic for my paper, a short conversation with Professor Moore while walking around campus lit a spark in my brain which led to the creation of my eventual topic stated in the video. I have always somewhat enjoyed watching horror movies, but never in a million years would I ever think my college senior thesis would be about zombies and supernatural serial killers. And there we have it folks, that is my paper, and I hope you enjoyed my video!