Trekkies

When I rented "Trekkies", I expected mostly to laugh at the weird and wild extremes to which Star Trek fans will go. (I myself a Trek fan, so I was also prepared to do a bit of laughing at myself as well!) But "Trekkies" also surprised me with its warm-hearted, caring look at Trek's most ardent devotees. It managed to tell both a funny story about Trek fans and pay gleeful tribute to their obsession of choice.

Humor-wise, "Trekkies" scores big. The Klingons eating Big Macs, the Borg from New Jersey, and the Voyager sex scripts received by the Trek producers were all riotously funny. The Trek cast members all had funny stories to tell as well, from DeForest Kelley's ardent female fan to Kate Mulgrew's marriage proposal.

But there were also some genuinely touching moments in "Trekkies" as well. James "Scotty" Doohan's story about the suicidal fan brought tears to my eyes. I know people who are fortunate enough to have met Mr. Doohan, and from all accounts he is a truly kind, compassionate individual. That really shows through in all of his comments about the Trek fandom. LeVar Burton tells how Gene Roddenberry named his character, Geordi LaForge, after a terminally ill Star Trek fan who passed away; John de Lancie (Q) speaks of another paralyzed patient who finds solace in Star Trek.

Although "Trekkies" seems to poke fun at its subject, it's clear that the spirit of the film shares the same love for Star Trek that motivates the fans. It pays tribute to the groundbreaking nature of the original Trek, and praises the spirit of progressiveness and harmony of the Star Trek universe as a whole. Trekkies never questions whether or not Star Trek was a good show. It only questions how far people will go to express their appreciation for it.

A documentary for Trekkies, made by Trekkies, about Trekkies. Trekkies are Star Trek fans, usually very obsessed fans (there is a brief segment on the debate between what are 'Trekkies' and 'Trekkers', but no conclusions are reached). The film, hosted by Crosby (who played Tasha Yar on the Next Generation TV series), who's also a producer, focuses on the whole gamut of far-flung Trek fans, including, famously, the juror who showed up in Trek uniform, and the dentist who converted his office into a Trek starbase. Then there's the guy who recreated a motorized life-support chair (from an early classic Trek episode) and rides around in it on his town's streets, only his head visible poking up from the top. Most of the fans come across as harmless eccentrics who are actually fairly intelligent (the one exception is a guy who, for some reason, seems to be wearing a female wig and lipstick - kinda creepy - I think he thinks he's Troi of the TNG series). The central message conveyed is a hope for a better future, without prejudices or other social problems. It that sense, these fans are, indeed, more advanced than the average citizen, who is still stuck with the 20th-century's petty squabbling and short-sightedness. There are also short interviews with several of the classic and Next Generation cast members,including (poignantly) DeForest Kelley, who died in '99, and Leonard Nimoy(Spock), Jimmy Doohan(Scotty), Walter Koenig(Chekov), Nichelle Nichols(Uhura), Brent Spiner(Data), Michael Dorn(Worf), Jonathan Frakes(Riker) and Kate Mulgrew(Capt.Janeway). Some relate very touching stories about how the show literally changed someone's life for the better, including a suicide prevention by Doohan, who died recently. It also touches briefly on the fringe element of Trek worship, the pornographic fantasy trade. The end credits contain clips from some stand-up comics doing Trek jokes, which are pretty funny. All in all, pretty comprehensive; it just fails to wrap it all up smoothly and almost seems to end with an unspoken question. Hm, but there was a sequel last year.

I've read many reviews before I actually saw Trekkies and I must admit that I was pleasingly surprised! It isn't as bad as many people want to make you believe... actually I find it very interesting and entertaining. True, there are some really weird people in it, but weird also means NOT boring. And I don't mean only in the film, I also mean in live!

I think, only StarTrek fans who take themselves too much serious, believe that the people who are shown in Trekkies were portrayed as freaks. I agree that they picked up some real extreme examples of StarTrek fandom, but as mentioned by Peanuthead before, that's what makes the film so interesting: "It's capacity to make you think!"

And anybody who thinks that they better had shown some "cooler" fans is missing the point! StarTrek fandom isn't about being cool or stylish, it's about enthusiasm, about devotion and about being what you want to be. It's about being yourself and enjoying it, to stay to yourself and not denying what you are or what you love. Not every fan has to live it out like that, but everybody who wants to, is free to do! Sometimes people actually want to be different, not necessarily to be someone special, just to be not like everyone else...

Sometimes this can cause extreme examples, but think about it, where does the term "fan" come from? ...right, it's the short form of fanatic! (And that's not necessarily always a negative term.)

At one or two occasions of the film I had to bear in mind the StarTrek/X-Men-Crossover-Novel "Planet X", where the character Archangel is pushing it over the edge with Captain Picard to test this unknown community of the future, which claims itself to be so liberal and tolerant...

Think about it and you probably think about yourself.

Greetings LoganSan

P.S.: Don't mind my bad English... :)

As I sat reading the other reviews about this film it occurred to me how much it is a case study in human perception. Everyone who sees this film will view the same material, but they will all see it differently. Some viewers feel that the people who where shown in the film where exploited and I can see there point. Some of the people shown in the film do come off as weirdoes, oddballs, and nut cases, but I don't feel that is necessarily the film makers fault. Some of these people may really be weirdoes, oddballs, and nut cases. That is why I say the film is a study in perception. For every person who thinks the people shown in the film are crazy, there is another who feels that they are perfectly normal. The film presents these people as they are and lets you decide whether or not they are abnormal in their love of Star Trek. After having seen the film a few times myself I am still trying to figure it out myself. Although I do think some of these people cross the line from fandom to insanity, I can't tell you who does and who doesn't. That is what makes the film so interesting. It's capacity to make you think. As a Star Trek fan myself it made me look at my collection of Star Trek action figures and wonder "How far am I from the guy who wants Spock ears implanted in his skull?" So whether the people in this film make you laugh, think, or just give you the creeps you must admire there passion for Star Trek and there willingness to share that passion. In a world where there are so many violent things people can be passionate about, being passionate about Star Trek is a pretty benign thing. So as far as I am concerned this is a solid film, that gets 6 out of 10 stars from me. "Live Long and Prosper".

Finally, something new and fresh. This documentary needed to be made. It's very funny, scary, weird, touching and always interesting. Although the pace drags at times, it's entertaining and *gasp!* educational.

I'm no trekkie, I do enjoy the movies though. Although I can't relate to the trekkies featured here, one can't help but admire their devotion. Oh sure, we laugh when we see some klingon's going to a fast food restaurant, get a tad freaked out by a transvesite in a Starfleet uniform, and shake our heads at "Spinerfems". But guess what, they aren't hurting anybody! In fact, from what I saw, local Trekkie chapters do a lot of good for their community. Klingons even visit children's hospitals!

Is it weird to see someone in public wearing a phaser and a star fleet uniform? Yes, to so-called 'normal' people. Yet it's considered perfectly acceptable for an armchair jock to wear major-league baseball caps and jerseys of their favorite players in public. Hey, if a trekkie married couple has a succesful dental practice, do they need to "get a life"? Maybe the guy who spends his Sundays at the bar watching football all day needs to get one.

Hey, I laughed at it most of the time. I admit it. The candid interviews of some of the ex-cast members are a riot! And near the end of the video, there was one interview with a Radio-Shack-Trekkie (the worst kind, I think) where I could not stop laughing. I mean it, he was such a GEEK. But then, this guy has invented something useful, I haven't. There you go.