I was about 8 years old the first time I saw The Birds, and that moment when the birds first attack, where Tippi Hedron was trapped in the phone booth, freaked my shit right out.

Another early super-creepy moment was in the original The Haunting, when Julie Harris and what's-her-name sit alone in the room with the huge crashing sound outside their door.

Lessee, other favorite creepy film moments:

• In Nosferatu, when the vampire simply appears in the windows of that warehouse he's holed up in

• In Dreyer's Vampyr, the extended sequence in which the leading guy is buried alive

• When Carrie blows up the gym.

• Eyes Without A Face: the face surgery. Yeesh.

• OK, I'm about to run out to a meeting but wanted to also mention the my other favorite horror flicks are: Ravenous, The Shining, Night of the Living Dead, Dead of Winter, Evil Dead II, the Innocents, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the original one, natch), Carpenter's The Thing, Freaks, and M. Maybe The Hill Have Eyes, too, for the sheer queso.

M -- the chase scene.

The Lodger (talkie version) -- the lodger talks about his brother.

The Unknown -- learning how far the armless man has gone to keep his secret.

I also imagine that the Lon Chaney Phantom of the Opera would qualify (the first time you see the Phantom's face) if you're unspoiled.

(Edited to fix typo)

Our first sight of Norman's "mother" in the basement rocking chair in Psycho.

Yikes!

Oh, yes. What Robin said. Especially since the shower scene is so well-known that there's no shock factor.

ETA: And the look on Norman's face in the last scene. BRRRRRRRR!

ETA: And the look on Norman's face in the last scene. BRRRRRRRR!

With a very fast and subtle super-imposition of Mrs. Bates' corpse over it just as it fades to the swamp.

In the last few minutes of The Blair Witch Project, when you see Mike standing in the corner. Don't ask me why, but just thinking about that scene freaks me out.

Yup yup yup. That movie was boring in the beginning, but the last half of the film, the tension ramped up slowly but inexorably, and then that last run through the house (with the bloody handprints on the walls) with the last image of Mike in the corner was completely mindblowing. Actually, I didn't understand what exactly was happening, so when the lights came up I asked my sister what he was doing. When she simply said, "Standing in the corner," I shrieked, "Oh, my GOD!!", which made her laugh at me.

Those damn flying monkeys in Wizard of Oz were a guaranteed "hide behind the couch" image from my childhood. Carrie covered in blood at the prom was also unforgettable.

My moment from The Haunting is the same scene, but not the attack on the door. It's when Elenor says, "Theo, don't squeeze so! You're hurting my hand!" and then it's revealed that nobody was holding her hand.

I watched Wizard of Oz religiously every year (except the year The Wiz came out, when I went to see that instead), and it didn't scare me...much.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, now THAT was hide-behind-the-chair material. Also the Grinch.

The Wizard of Oz has come up at least three times now....

It's when Elenor says, "Theo, don't squeeze so! You're hurting my hand!" and then it's revealed that nobody was holding her hand.

Oh yeah. The way that the room is so dark that you can only see her face, and she's having this internal monologue about how Theo is so scared she's holding Elenor's hand and how strong Elenor's going to be for Theo. Then she sits up, realizing that she's in a bed across the room. Hey, I just gave myself the creeps thinking about it.

Hey, I just gave myself the creeps thinking about it.

t shudder

I'm having a hard time coming up with moments. It may be because I consciously forget them, so I don't end up huddled in my bed, hiding under the covers, convinced that zombies are at the door.