5. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
One of the most unforgettable images from the horror genre or otherwise, the closing shot of Tobe Hooper's classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre helped launch Leatherface into the pop culture lexicon as one of cinema's most terrifying baddies. As Sally (Marilyn Burns) manages to escape Leatherface's clutches in a passing truck (albeit barely), the chainsaw-swinging maniac is left hurling the chainsaw around in frustration, almost as if dancing with it. Everything about the shot is beautifully composed; the handheld camerawork, the fact that Hooper doesn't cut the shot too early, and that when he cuts, it's to a stark, silent black. Add to this the fact that the rising sun looks absolutely gorgeous, and you have a bizarre interplay between the grotesque and the naturally wondrous. Simply brilliant, and none of the sequels have managed to live up to its greatness.