In the 1980s, 24-hour cable news exposed audiences to seemingly exploitative news, dominated by serial killers and the threat of a new mysterious disease, suggesting new modern terrors. Audiences embraced iconic slashers like Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees, and vampire films saw a resurgence. By the 1990s, as Gen X audiences’ taste in horror evolved, Wes Craven took screams to the next level.