Of Masks and Slashers: Halloween (1978) and Friday the 13th (1980)

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Both Halloween (1978, directed by John Carpenter) and Friday the 13th (1980, directed by Sean S. Cunningham) are so well-known that they have passed into the realm of modern folklore. Even if you haven’t seen them yourself, you probably feel like you have. The knife-wielding, mask-wearing (in this case…no, Wednesday, homicidal maniacs do not look just like everyone else), killing machines from both of these movies (although Jason Voorhees doesn’t actually become the  antagonist until Friday the 13th Part II and doesn’t pick up the infamous hockey mask until Part III) have become iconic.