by Jason Lees, MoreHorror.com

The votes are in, and I’m going to admit that I’m pretty damed happy with how you all voted. I like surprises, and it looks like MoreHorror readers don’t just follow the trends and pick what’s popular out there. Nope, you guys wrote in and picked what really connected with you. Sure, there are some titles here that are on all the lists, but being popular doesn’t make them any less special. I dig your choices, and a couple of them on here I’m going to have to go out and rent this weekend, just because of your recommendations. So, without any further procrastination, here are YOUR top 13 films of 2011:

13. Hostel: Part III
I love that this made the cut. Around here, we’re big Scott Spiegel fans and anytime the man who helped bring Evil Dead 2 to the world does something, we like to take note. HOSTEL 3 was fun, like most of his work, and took the Eli Roth series in a new direction. Let’s just hope this gets the man more work. (Hostel: Part III review)

12. The Ward
Again, we’re fans of the director, and who reading this site doesn’t revere John Carpenter for his body of work. The man who bestowed HALLOWEEN, THE FOG, THE THING, and ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK to all of us should get a free pass, but he’s been fighting his own legend status for years now. When every film you make has to compete with your own back log, how do you win? Simple, you go small and make a simple film about a girl locked up in an asylum and let the acting do the work. Amber Heard, much like she did in DRIVE ANGRY and ALL THE BOYS LOVE MANDY LANE, really owns the piece. This is another film I’m excited made your list. (The Ward review)

11. Troll Hunter
Guys, you picked it and I have to admit, I’m going to listen to you. This has been on my To Watch list for awhile. It’s about time I listened. From word of mouth, it’s amazing, the best application of cinema verite meets monster done ever. I’m really looking forward to this.

10. The Human Centipede 2
I love when a movie divides the audience, especially when it’s supposed to. Tom Six cut a path through audience reactions with his first Human Centipede, and I loved it. I still haven’t seen this one, but it looks like he took the joke of the first one to heart and just wanted to offend EVERYONE. I for one, can’t wait to see this, but I’m going to have to wait until it hits dvd next month for Valentine’s Day (I’m such a romantic). The idea of this film going all meta and breaking the 4th wall really has me intrigued. (The Human Centipede 2 Review)

9. Scream 4
I love me some Wes Craven, and I really loved this series back in the 90’s when it was the only bit of horror I could find at the theaters. I like how this series, of all the franchises out there, seems to be the only one that really can really reinvent itself and rise up again. Slashers might come and go, but slashers with a bit of insight seem to be able to pop up again and again. (Scream 4 Review)

8. Paranormal Activity 3
The film series that took SAW out. I really dug the first one, and this seems to be the way to make a sequel by respecting the history of a series without just ripping it off. Part 4 is on the way so let’s see if they can keep this one going. (Paranormal Activity 3 Review)

7. A Horrible Way to Die
One of my faves of the last few years. Simple at first, this film about a troubled woman who finds out her man was a serial killer is so beautifully shot and acted that I just wanted to watch it again when I saw that you all had picked it. AJ Bowen and Amy Seimetz own the screen in this. Not a fun movie, but damn is it powerful. (A Horrible Way to Die Review)

6. Stake Land
Best vampire movie of the last twenty years. Period. (Stake Land Review)

5. Tucker and Dale vs Evil
The reverse film of all those killer hillbilly flicks. It could be described as THE DELIVERANCE meets BILL & TED as directed by a twenty year old Peter Jackson, and even that doesn’t come close to hinting how much fun this is. Deceptively smart and endlessly quotable, this is the North American answer to SHAUN OF THE DEAD. I want more from this team, and I want it now. (Tucker and Dale vs. Evil Review)

4. Final Destination 5
Here’s the present day answer to the FRIDAY THE 13th series. Not in scope or importance, but in fan appreciation. Years from now this series is going to be looked back upon and analyzed by fans and favorites will be argued. Each go around is done for the most part by different people, so we keep getting new takes on the premise, like the F13 series. Elm Street and Saw sort of had the same ingredients and producers, while the people behind these flicks usually came at each take with a new approach, plus they keep saying FINAL all the time, just to hint that it’s going to end. Love these movies and how they make you all paranoid as you walk home. Is that squirrel going to somehow trigger that power line to fall on my head? Love it. (Final Destination 5 Review)

3. Chillerama
I’ve watched this one about five times in the last month and it keeps making me laugh. Even in the slow parts, CHILLERAMA owns my dvd player. If you haven’t seen it, just pick it up. It’s cheap and fun, and in a strange way, so damned respectful of the genre, even when it’s covering its cast in all sorts of bodily fluids (and not just the red kind). It’s the kind of movie you’d make with your friends if all your friends were just as sick as you. Not only do I want the sequel, I want the toys. I can’t wait to hang a stuffed Wadzilla from the mirror in my car. (Chillerama Review)

2. Hobo with a Shotgun
Proof that Rutger Hauer is still THE MAN. The film that GRINDHOUSE wanted to be, but didn’t quite pull off. This is the movie that actually showed me a few things I’d never seen before on the screen, and reminded me that you don’t have to be safe to get an audience. It’s a dvd or BluRay worth picking up because this flick was meant for multiple viewings. Each time you watch it you get more out of Hauer’s performance, but you also pick up on the little gags that inhabit the world he’s in. Sharp filmmaking, and a movie to beat. (Hobo with a Shotgun Review)

1. Insidious
Easily the biggest crowd pleaser of the year. INSIDIOUS simply owns its audience from the beginning of the film to the end. It’s a masterpiece of timing and editing, and fun from beginning to end. Haunted house stories lately have been mired in the world of exorcisms and possessions, but here James Wan and Leigh Whannell do the unthinkable, and take us back to the days of POLTERGEIST without ripping it off. These guys know that you can mine familiar and well loved cinema and still come up with something new and authentic. INSIDIOUS was a huge success, but it’s also that rare case where a film can be a monster hit and still be damned good. More impressive about it is the fact that for as huge as it was, it didn’t get that fan backlash for being a money maker. INSIDIOUS delivers both scares and genuine moments of pathos. You care about that damned kid in the bed, and that’s even scarier for some of us than we want to admit. Like other films listed above, it really gets me excited for our beloved genre. What is Wan going to give us next? (Insidious Review)

And that’s a good way to end 2011, with a thought of hope. We didn’t do a “Worst Of” List because really, who needs another one of those? The thing is, we could’ve gone on and on with favorites from this year. We just stopped at 13 because it seemed fitting. 2011 was almost ridiculously heavy in good horror films. Some didn’t find their audience, but there were tons of movies that seemed to really go outside and show us new things. Gotta love that, and gotta love how 2012 is shaping up, too.

Thanks to everyone who voted and thanks to everyone who followed our rants this year. Like these Top 13 flicks, you guys ROCK!