Teenage Wasteland - The Slasher Movie Uncut (further reading)

Author: J.A Kerswell
Book Available: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Teenage-Wasteland-Slasher-Movie-Uncut/dp/1847734529
Some references and quotes used from the book.

The Golden Age of Slasher (1978-1984)

From 1978 to 1984, the allure of the slasher, particularly wily producers and directors, were able to make significant amounts of money at theh box office with a relativley small outlay - and usually without the cost of a bankable stars. As a total, the subgenre made hundreds of millions of dollars at the American box office and most glided easily into profit. When those grosses were adjusted to todays rates, they are even more impressive. Halloween would have made $144M, Friday The 13th would have made $121M, even When A Stranger Calls would have raked in a box office of $57M.
Most slashers were Halloween imitators but lacked the 'finesse' of Carpenters movie. As a simple rule of thumb, to bring audiences in, you needed to give them more "bang for their buck" eg filmakers exploited and expanded on what had gone before in the wake of Halloween this meant more blood and boobs.

1980 - Success And The Slasher
The original final girl Jamie Lee Curtis told Box Office Magazine that she thought the success of the slasher movie was sa reaction to the 'boring' 1970's, saying 'watching people running from danger negates some of the apathy, even if it is only for 90 minutes'. However, this was also the year that former Hollywood star, Ronald Reagan was elected 40th United States president and musician John Lennon was assassinated outside his apartment block in New York.
The debate about the representation of women on screen and the use of violence as entertainment also erupted, manifesting itself on the streets in the form of protests and boycotts. The slasher movie at the height of its commercial powers, unwittingly found itself at the center of this political and cultural maelstrom.