Trekkies

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... :)

I've known a number of sci-fi geeks over the years, and it is fascinating to see a whole movie about them. I've never been able to develop that sort of all-encompassing passion for anything, be in the New York Mets or The Grateful Dead, but it's fascinating to see what this obsessiveness produces.

I think Trekkies and sci-fi fans in general consist of people who have been pushed so far out of mainstream society - these are almost invariably the people (like me) who were tortured and marginalized growing up - that they have an almost insane attracting to alternate societies. So they go to sci-fi conventions, joining the Society for Creative Anachronisms (you'll also find that there is a major overlap between fans of Lord of the Rings and Star Trek with people who are into S&M or polyamourous relationships. I wish someone would make a documentary about the whole alternate geek lifestyle thing).

Anyway, this movie is very funny and covers a lot of ground in a pleasantly chaotic fashion, jumping from merchandising to fan fiction to people making it through hard times via their obsession with the show. It is very much worth watching.

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.

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".

"Trekkies" Two years ago, when I visited a Star Trek convention for the first time I was amazed by the dedication some people have made to this universe that was envisioned by the late Gene Roddenberry. The people I met and the creatures I saw evoked two reactions : awe and embarrassment. I am a very casual fan of the series and movies, and I would never consider learning how to speak Klingon or dressing up in uniform. "Trekkies" is a documentary about the dedicated fans of Star Trek and the lives they lead in support of it. After watching the film, I would like everybody to refer to me as "Captain" of the starship S.S. Ed Rooney. Thank you. Former cast member of "Star Trek : The Next Generation", Denise Crosby, hosts this look into the private lives of Trekkers. Her participation in this film ensures deadly accuracy and the involvement of the casts of all the Star Trek shows, who usually show restraint when the subject of fandom comes their way. Director Roger Nygaard takes us into the underworld of conventions, meeting the fanatics who dress up in Starfleet uniforms, Klingon attire, and each hold dearly in their hearts the mythology of Star Trek. We also go out of the conventions and meet some individuals who have taken the world of Trek into their normal lives. One man runs a Star Trek themed dentist office, another complains about a homemade costume's soul-flattening inaccuracies, each speak with a spooky insistence that this is normal for them. We see homes turned into shrines to the show, men slaving over blow-torches trying recreate props, and one gut-busting moment in which a man is shown rolling around city streets in a recreated wheelchair from the program, something that truly needs to be seen to be believed. This all adds up to a rich portrait of the ways and means Star trek fans go to prove their love. Often, the camerawork is too busy and MTVish for my tastes. The movie also has so much to say in 90 minutes that it sacrifices any real in depth look at this phenomenon. I could sit through 5 hours of this, but all we get here is 90 minutes. This documentary is long overdue and I hope it spawns more like it. This is a population with so much to show us and so many stories to tell. One film seems hardly enough. ------------ 8