bloodcurdling \blood"curd*ling\ adj. causing sudden intense fear due to an apprehension of imminent bodily harm, to oneself or others. Awakened by a bloodcurdling scream from right outside her window
Syn: hair-raising, nightmarish. [WordNet 1.5]
Thirty years ago word-marriages like 'spinechilling,' 'bloodcurdling' and 'ribtickling' were the stuff of promo language.