Counting down the scariest movies to watch on Friday 13th

WHAT better way to commemorate Friday the 13th in the year two thousand and THIRTEEN than with a scary movie?

WHAT better way to commemorate Friday the 13th in the year two thousand and THIRTEEN than with a scary movie?

So double-bolt the locks, turn off the lights and make your selection from this specially-selected suite of 10 cinematic shock-fests ...

Freaks (1932)

News_Image_File: The 1932 movie, Freaks. Picture: Supplied

Eight decades on, this macabre tale of life inside a travelling circus remains one of the most unsettling productions in Hollywood history. Director Tod Browning controversially filled his cast with real-life sideshow attractions - such as bearded ladies and limbless contortionists - adding levels of authenticity and poignancy that haunt all who see it.

STATE OF SHOCK: Freaky.

News_Rich_Media: The original trailer for the cult classic horror film 'Psycho'.

Psycho (1960)

News_Image_File: Janet Leigh screaming in the famous shower scene of Alfred Hitchcocks 1960 film 'Psycho'. Picture: Supplied

When it comes to short-circuiting nervous systems, celebrated director Alfred Hitchcock has no peer. Here he is at his most clever and calculating, sucker-punching the viewer by opening with a mundane tale of misplaced money. Then comes a sudden stay for the night at the infamous Bates' Motel. After that all bets are off, and all wits are lost.

STATE OF SHOCK: Showery.

The Exorcist (1973)

News_Image_File: Actor Max Von Sydow in scene from film The Exorcist. Picture: Supplied

When people think of demonic possession, they see young Linda Blair giving voice to Satan in her room. Then there's the 360-degree head-spins, the white rolling eyes, and last but not least, the projectile green vomiting. Just that one vision that plays upon our fear of the unknown like hitting all the black keys on a piano at once. What the devil has gotten into her? Dare you to find out.

STATE OF SHOCK: Ungodly.

News_Rich_Media: The original trailer for the classic horror film 'Friday the 13th'.

Friday the 13th (1980)

News_Image_File: A Friday the 13th movie poster. Picture: Supplied

A blood-spattered ground zero for the modern slasher movie. After this, one of the horror genre's more immutable laws was forged: when a group of teens congregate at night in non-built-up areas, there will be heavy breathing, ear-shattering screaming and multiple deaths. If you go out in the woods today ... don't say we didn't warn you.

STATE OF SHOCK: Stabby.

The Ring (aka Ringu) (1998)

News_Image_File: Naomi Watts is scene from film "The Ring". Picture: AP

Though the subject of a respectable Hollywood remake with Naomi Watts, the original Japanese version casts an eerie spell that will never be broken. Here we have a simple premise that could scare you off YouTube for life. The ultimate viral video is doing the rounds, a grainy short clip delivers a time-delayed death sentence to all who view it.

STATE OF SHOCK: Staticky.

News_Rich_Media: The trailer for the cult classic film 'The Ring'.

28 Days Later (2003)

News_Image_File: A scene from film 28 Days Later. Picture: Supplied

The whole of the UK has been overrun by a plague of zombies. (Or viewers of Big Brother. Sometimes it's hard to tell.) Cillian Murphy wakes from a coma in an empty hospital to discover he is one of the few fit'n'able left in the country. He'll soon be running for his life. You'll soon be reaching for the remote. Don't touch that dial!

STATE OF SHOCK: Drooly.

Open Water (2003)

News_Image_File: Actor Blanchard Ryan with Daniel Travis in scene from film "Open Water". Picture: Ap

A low-key, yet highly unsettling drama based on real-life events. A husband and wife fight for their lives after being stranded in the middle of the ocean during a diving trip. The filmmakers promised an experience akin to *The Blair Witch Project meets Jaws.* They weren't joking. So prepare for the worst. Need an additional chill factor? Get this: no fake sharks were used in the making of this movie.

STATE OF SHOCK: Bitey.

Wolf Creek (2005)

News_Image_File: Kestie Morassi in scene from Wolf Creek. Picture: Supplied

If the primary objective of a horror movie is not just to scare, but to truly horrify, then this homegrown hack-'em-up does exactly what it says on the label. The brutal second half - spent in the company of a dementedly dinky-dye outback serial killer (John Jarratt). is nothing short of a total ordeal. A sequel heading this way in February 2014 will bring back a lot of bad memories.

STATE OF SHOCK: Butchery.

News_Rich_Media: The trailer for Australia's very own thriller, which scared the world; 'Wolf Creek'.

The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

News_Image_File: Chris Hemsworth in The Cabin in the Woods. Picture: Supplied

Appearances can be mind-bendingly deceptive when it comes to this surprisingly inventive slasher flick. Yes, there is a cabin. Yes, it is located in the woods. And yes, a collection of shopping-catalogue-model teens is destined to be selectively ripped to shreds. But that is only half the picture of a much bigger picture. See it cold. Prepare to be chilled in a way you weren't expecting.

STATE OF SHOCK: Tricksy.

The Conjuring (2013)

News_Image_File: Lili Taylor in a scene from The Conjuring. Picture: AP

The simple sound of two hands clapping had many pants pooping in cinemas around the world this year. If you missed it, jump on the bandwagon via home video now. So many brilliant "behind you!" moments right there in front of you. And you'll be sucked in and sent packing by each and every one. A funky 70s production aesthetic plays a major role in maintaining the mayhem.

STATE OF SHOCK: Jolty.