The Star Trek legend plays horror’s most iconic mother

According to Chris Snellgrove
| Published 1 second ago

One topic I’ve written passionately about before is the unexpected joys you can discover when you go back and re-watch a “bad” movie. For example, when I recently auditioned for the infamous remake of the horror classic, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Nana Visitor was played by Pamela Voorhees in 2009. Friday the 13th. If you’re not aware, she’s best known for playing a Bajoran terrorist turned girl boss in the seminal series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

If you’ve seen the movie before and don’t remember seeing Nana Visitor in this latest Friday the 13th movie, it’s because she has a very abbreviated cameo appearance. The movie tries to cram several pieces of the iconic Jason Voorhees lore into a single story, so that means we get a short flashback at the beginning that basically recreates the ending of the first story. Friday the 13th. Accordingly, our favorites Star Trek icon played Pamela Voorhees, the surprise assassin of the original franchise outing who decapitates the would-be victim who becomes our first final girl.

Another reason why it’s so easy to forget that Nana Visitor showed up Friday the 13th is that this film follows her flashback sequence with an extended cold open. Basically, we’re introduced to a completely different cast of young characters who are obsessed with sex and weed, and are systematically murdered by Jason (who at first rocked an updated version of his baggy look from the first installment). By the time we get to know the actual cast of characters, it’s easy to forget that the movie started with a Star Trek legend playing one of horror’s most iconic roles.

Sadly, we don’t get to see Nana Visitor extend her signature acting after the flashback sequence Friday the 13th. After all, getting her head chopped off right at the start of the movie doesn’t give her room for much else. However, as huge Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fan, I wish this movie was a proper remake of the original, right up until Pamela Voorhees is revealed as the killer. Very few could match the performance of original Pam actress Betsy Palmer, but Visitor is that good Deep Space Nine that I’m sure she could carry the whole movie.

If you want to see more Nana visitors Friday the 13thyou are in luck (more or less). As with previous entries in the franchise, Jason keeps her severed head in a strange sentimentality. The Star Trek actor’s head first appears in a bit of a jump scare, but later takes on surprisingly narrative significance. This is because the Final Girl from this film realizes that she is similar to Pamela Voorhees on a surface level and uses this to temporarily fool Jason in an attempt to escape his clutches.

If you want to watch Nana Visitor’s unforgettable horror foray, you can stream Friday the 13th (2009) at Max. Admittedly, the film isn’t for everyone, which is why it has a dismal 26 percent critical rating. Rotten tomatoes. But for those who want to see a Star Trek legend embody a horror legend, this surprisingly great remake (screw it, haters!) is more than worth the price of admission.