Great list and I enjoyed reading the comments and your responses. Based on your criteria of atmosphere being so important I'm surprised Coma didn't make the list...it's a great read as well but the movie actually gave me very vivid dreams of bodies suspended by wires for years and Texas Chainsaw would have been much higher on my list even one of the re-makes with Dennis Hopper was not only hugely entertaining but still made me jump even though it should have been all old hat by the time it came out. I wish drive-ins would make a come-back; I am old enough to have seen many of these movies at the Drive-in and there is something about being outside where some maniac could get to your vehicle that makes the entire experience even scarier. Plus you used to get classic B-movies as a bonus like "Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things" that some genius had paired with the Exorcist and even though it was cheesy and funny at times it still managed to scare you like it may not have in a theatre.
Comment by Ramstad
on Horrorphile's 13 SCARIEST MOVIES EVER MADE