Scary is in the eye of the beholder -- I, for instance, have never found The Exorcist to be frightening, although I'm sure many of you have -- and I "be holding" these as the horror movie scenes that personally have scared the pants off me. Feel free to share your own below.
Two-part scare: first, members of the presumably dead church congregation turn and stare with the rabid intensity of a late '90s Beanie Babies collector, followed by a snarling, infected priest emerging from the shadows like [insert off-color priest joke here].
Visual evidence (sorry, couldn't find a clip with the original score)
The chest-bursting scene is more iconic, but for my money, this "something creeping up on you" scene of Dallas going alien hunting in the air shafts is the scariest part of the movie. Silly human.
Visual evidence
The manic performance of the faceless "Billy" plays a large part in this pioneering slasher's creep-out effect -- not only his maniacal ramblings, but also his crazy, crazy eye, as featured in the scene where heroine Jess is notified famously that "the calls are coming from inside the house." In typical horror movie fashion, of course, she goes upstairs to investigate nonetheless...
Visual evidence
One of the greatest horror anthologies of all time, Mario Bava's Black Sabbath also features, in the story "The Drop of Water," one of the most nightmare-inducing faces you'll ever see, as a nurse learns why you shouldn't steal from a dead medium.
Visual evidence
Not everyone loved this ghost story, but those who got into it (myself included) became enthralled by the mythology an the then-cutting edge "found footage" style, and as this eerily abrupt ending scene shows, The Blair Witch Project remains about as chillingly realistic an example of the format as has ever been released.
Visual evidence
This movie about a vengeful, photosensitive ghost dubbed the Tooth Fairy is all downhill after the first 10 minutes, but that opening scene effectively evokes all the childhood fears you've ever had about something waiting for you under your bed or in your closet.
Visual evidence
Neil Marshall's spelunking fright fest borrowed a little something from the POV/found footage format as one of the cavers breaks out her video camera to help her see in the dark, unwittingly confirming their fear that they are not alone.
Visual evidence
Despite its lighthearted appeal, Sam Raimi's cult favorite Evil Dead 2 has its share of spookiness, as in this scene where our hero Ash's girlish scream echoes our terror at seeing him trapped in a cellar with a possessed corpse (played by Raimi's brother Ted).
Visual evidence
Although it received a mixed reception upon its release, Exorcist III's cult following has grown since then, thanks in part to stylish visuals like this scene that lulls us into a sense of quiet safety before pouncing.
Visual evidence
Memories of the tepid Jessica Alba remake might make you forget how scary the original Hong Kong version is. This scene, for instance, brilliantly utilizes the close quarters of an elevator and the anxious countdown to arrival at the right floor to ratchet up the scare factor of a ghostly encounter.
Visual evidence
28 Days Later (2002): Church Scene
Two-part scare: first, members of the presumably dead church congregation turn and stare with the rabid intensity of a late '90s Beanie Babies collector, followed by a snarling, infected priest emerging from the shadows like [insert off-color priest joke here].
Visual evidence (sorry, couldn't find a clip with the original score)
Alien (1979): Dallas's Demise
The chest-bursting scene is more iconic, but for my money, this "something creeping up on you" scene of Dallas going alien hunting in the air shafts is the scariest part of the movie. Silly human.
Visual evidence
Black Christmas (1974): Eye See You
The manic performance of the faceless "Billy" plays a large part in this pioneering slasher's creep-out effect -- not only his maniacal ramblings, but also his crazy, crazy eye, as featured in the scene where heroine Jess is notified famously that "the calls are coming from inside the house." In typical horror movie fashion, of course, she goes upstairs to investigate nonetheless...
Visual evidence
Black Sabbath (1963): Old Woman
One of the greatest horror anthologies of all time, Mario Bava's Black Sabbath also features, in the story "The Drop of Water," one of the most nightmare-inducing faces you'll ever see, as a nurse learns why you shouldn't steal from a dead medium.
Visual evidence
The Blair Witch Project (1999): Ending Scene
Not everyone loved this ghost story, but those who got into it (myself included) became enthralled by the mythology an the then-cutting edge "found footage" style, and as this eerily abrupt ending scene shows, The Blair Witch Project remains about as chillingly realistic an example of the format as has ever been released.
Visual evidence
Darkness Falls (2003): Opening Scene
This movie about a vengeful, photosensitive ghost dubbed the Tooth Fairy is all downhill after the first 10 minutes, but that opening scene effectively evokes all the childhood fears you've ever had about something waiting for you under your bed or in your closet.
Visual evidence
The Descent (2005): Behind You
Neil Marshall's spelunking fright fest borrowed a little something from the POV/found footage format as one of the cavers breaks out her video camera to help her see in the dark, unwittingly confirming their fear that they are not alone.
Visual evidence
Evil Dead 2 (1987): The Cellar
Despite its lighthearted appeal, Sam Raimi's cult favorite Evil Dead 2 has its share of spookiness, as in this scene where our hero Ash's girlish scream echoes our terror at seeing him trapped in a cellar with a possessed corpse (played by Raimi's brother Ted).
Visual evidence
Exorcist III (1990): Hello, Nurse!
Although it received a mixed reception upon its release, Exorcist III's cult following has grown since then, thanks in part to stylish visuals like this scene that lulls us into a sense of quiet safety before pouncing.
Visual evidence
The Eye (2002): Fear in an Elevator
Memories of the tepid Jessica Alba remake might make you forget how scary the original Hong Kong version is. This scene, for instance, brilliantly utilizes the close quarters of an elevator and the anxious countdown to arrival at the right floor to ratchet up the scare factor of a ghostly encounter.
Visual evidence