From Chris Snellgrove
| Published
One of the topics I’ve written passionately about before is the unexpected joys that can be discovered by going back and re-watching a “bad” movie. For example, while recently watching the infamous remake of a horror classic, I was pleasantly surprised to find that 2009’s Nana Visitor starred Pamela Voorhees Friday the 13th. In case you don’t know, she is best known for playing a Bajoran terrorist-turned-boss in the groundbreaking series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
If you’ve already seen the movie and don’t remember seeing Nana Visitor in this final Friday the 13th movie, that’s because she has a very truncated cameo. The film attempts to pack multiple pieces of iconic Jason Voorhees lore into a single story, meaning we get a brief flashback at the beginning that basically recreates the ending of the first film Friday the 13th. Accordingly, our favorite Star Trek The icon played Pamela Voorhees, the surprise killer of the original franchise adventure, who gets her head severed by a potential victim and becomes our first final girl.
Another reason why it’s so easy to forget that Nana Visitor appeared in Friday the 13th is that this film follows her flashback sequence with a lengthy cold start. We’re essentially introduced to a completely different group of young characters, obsessed with sex and weed, who are systematically murdered by Jason (who initially displays an updated version of his bag-headed appearance from the first sequel film). As we get to know the true cast of characters, it’s easy to forget that the film began with a Star Trek legend playing one of horror film’s most iconic roles.
Unfortunately, we can’t see Nana Visitor after the flashback from ” Friday the 13th. After all, the fact that she gets her head chopped off right at the start of the film doesn’t leave her any room to do much else. However, huge Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Fan, I wish this movie was a proper remake of the original, right down to Pamela Voorhees being revealed as the murderer. Very few people could match the performance of original Pam actress Betsy Palmer, but Visitor is so good at it Deep Space Nine that I’m confident she could have carried the entire film.
If you just want to see more Nana Visitor in Friday the 13thyou’re lucky (more or less). As with previous entries in the franchise, Jason retains her severed head in a strange slasher sentimentality. The Star Trek actor’s head initially appears in a kind of jump scare, but later takes on a surprising narrative significance. That’s because in this film, “Final Girl” realizes that she has a superficial resemblance to Pamela Voorhees and uses it to temporarily trick Jason in order to escape his clutches.
If you want to watch Nana Visitor’s unforgettable journey into horror, you can stream it Friday the 13th (2009) about Max. Admittedly, the film isn’t for everyone, which is why it receives a dismal critic score of 26 percent Rotten tomatoes. But for those who want to see a Star Trek legend embody a horror legend, this surprisingly great remake (shit, haters!) is more than worth the price of admission.
