Trekkies (1997) User Reviews

It's not about coolness...

[Logan San · 7/10 · 26 October 2004]

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... :)

wonderfully original

[MundaneNoodle · 7/10 · 23 April 2001]

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.

NOT just for Star Trek fans

[veloc · 8/10 · 31 March 2003]

I am not a fan of Star Trek, but I thought this movie was hilarious, and very well made.

I never realized how much Star Trek fans loved that show. Some wear Star Trek uniforms to work. Some wear "phasers" every day. Some are fluent in Klingon. There's a full translation of Hamlet in Klingon language. A dentist has outfitted his entire office as if it were aboard the Enterprise. Who knew?

This is wacky and funny. Trekkies doesn't relentlessly mock its subjects, but shows them sympathetically. Still, it's hilarious.

I recommend it to anyone at all familiar with Star Trek.

It is NOT only for Star Trek fans.

no reason to get so upset

[thomasgwarrior · 14 August 2003]

Trekkies IS a very funny movie, whether you are a Star Trek fan or not. It shows a wide variety of fans in a variety of situations, and there are no voice-overs to tell you how to feel about the characters presented.

I notice that one prominent review is as horrified by Trekkies as one might be if one found a dead prostitute in their father's closet. The filmmakers may have been laughing at the people on the screen, but they weren't making fun of them. They were merely filming them. If I get in front of a camera and walk blindly into traffic, is it the fault of the person behind the camera if I get run over? No, because I would have been fully aware of my actions. So are the fans presented in Star Trek.

Trekkies won't make a non-fan like ST, nor will it make a rabid fan feel as though they've wasted their lives. This is a slice-of-life documentary. If you feel, like some people who have "tsk-tsked" this movie, that the filmmakers should be ashamed of themselves, I would contend that you protest too much; could it be that you pity the fans on the screen, yet find yourself compelled to laugh at them? Such a conflict may well cause you to feel shame, and you would naturally project that outrage onto the film itself. But documentaries, by definition, can only "tell" you so much. It's up to the viewer to evaluate the material; blaming the filmmakers for a poor interpretation is ridiculous.

These people ARE laughable. But so am I, sometimes. It's okay, because I don't take myself too seriously. And these fans take their hobby very seriously, but many, like the dentists, are aware that ST is a very geeky hobby. And no matter how many times I see James Doohan describe his encounters with the woman who wrote him those fan letters, I break down completely. How is that bad? How have the filmmakers presented him in a bad light?

I can't say for sure, but I believe the filmmakers ARE fans of ST, and I believe that they're aware of the absurd lengths to which some ST fans will go (paying $1500 for a piece of latex, drinking a sick man's water). So what? It's entertainment. And if you can't laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at?

(But that smarmy 14-year-old with the mullet still needs to be slapped....)

Trekkies is the movie that HAD to happen, too bad there was no planning for it.

[ThommyMac · 7/10 · 25 February 2010]

The execution of a movie that HAD to happen could of so easily misfired. Thankfully, its execution was pretty good. Somewhat respectful of the series and the fans, it doesn't shy away from the kooks. Watchable by Trekkie, Trekker, or civilian was a tough trick to pull off. Granted, it is difficult to feel the tone of the movie at times. Maybe because the movie itself never knows what it wants to be. I guess the big cause of the identity crisis is Denise Crosby. Possibly I am just jealous seeing someone who CAN have her cake AND eat it too. Making money while making fun of the fools giving her loot AT THE SAME TIME would make any producer or director schizophrenic. It sure filled me with awe and envy. She should get into politics were such defects of character would be an absolute boon. Oddly enough, that does not take away from the movie.

Out of all the cast members, Brett Spiner comes across as the most 'down to earth' (pun intended) and likable. I sure hope the crazy red- head never tries anything BAD. George Takei is always gracious and unflappable, even on the Howard Stern show. But what about the titular "Trekkies"? Fear not. Barbara Adams, the transvestite, and the mullet- kid using the biggest words he can think of are a blast to watch. The prize for most irritating is a three way tie between the smarmy jerk who allegedly created the Klingon language, the goofs who actually attend a Klingon language workshop, and the group of 'Klingons' featured in the film. A scene where I suppose they are supposed to be intimidating is so bad, it is embarrassing. Get real, wannabe toughs. They make Paul Lynde seem downright tough. Too bad, the Klingons of both series are pretty interesting. 2nd place goes to the cat who plays "Q". He does not come off as particularly likable or even moderately talented. Speaking of minuscule talent, the radio morning show guys were a living parody. The machine on the Simpsons could easily replace that duo.

Finally, to the stooge who purchased the "Q" virus*, hangovers are not communicable. It is hard to determine who deserves more contempt. The huckster who put it up for sale, or the unnamed, & thankfully unknown moron* who bought it? If you watch it, that statement will make sense. BY ALL MEANS, check out "Trekkies". Before the haters start dogging this review, I watched ST:TOS in 1974. As an 12 year old paperboy I had to buy a 13" b&w because the reruns were on the same time as the news. And ST:TNG was about the ONLY thing worth watching on SPIKE-TV. There are so many things that could of been dropped, especially Janeway interviews and 60% of the alleged fans.

*You know who you are, doofus. PS James Doohan lost his finger on D-day. The dentist and Denise's joking about it is aggravating to this veteran. Gardening accident? ggrrrr

infinite diversity in strange combinations

[Bogmeister · 6/10 · 22 July 2005]

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.

Beamed Up Fans

[BB-15 · 6/10 · 5 December 1999]

If you are not a fan of Star Trek, you may want to save yourself the rental fee and skip this documentary. Speaking of documentaries don't plan on seeing another Hoop Dreams. The quality of Trekkies ranges from average to that trendy home video Blair Witch quality. Because I do like Star Trek and my expectations were low, I enjoyed Trekkies. Why? Because I had fun sharing the lives of "peculiar" people and Trekkies has plenty of them. As Brent Spiner says, aren't we all a little peculiar?

Hearing about the oddballs in Trekkies is one thing but listening to them try to explain their lifestyle choices is even better. Coupled with this for Star Trek buffs, is a brief overview of Star Trek conventions and interviews with several cast members about their most memorable fan experiences. What struck me was the very powerful connection between a few of the actors and some of the fans. The sharing of painful moments was obviously very moving to them. In the oddball category was one producer's account of the curious mail and scripts he receives. A great finish are several stand up comedians doing Star Trek jokes during the closing credits.

At times Trekkies' focuses just on what seems strange. But my impression of those people who have made Star Trek a way of life was that it gives them identity and a sense of community and that felt ok with me.

Surprisingly good

[haladay · 9/10 · 11 December 2009]

When my friend and I rented this movie, we sat down with the intent that it was going to make fun of trekkies. But after watching it, my opinion actually changed about them. And for the better.

This movie not only shows the fans, but it talks about the culture itself. I ended up actually respecting the Gene Roddenberry trekkies because Roddenberry wanted an upbeat future. Something where humanity was actually better over all. And the fans that followed his idea are very friendly and accepting. Even the ones that emulate the war like Klingons are still a lot more friendly than other sci fi fans you will meet.

I'm not saying all of the fans are like this. I've met some of the more egotistical ones, but that is mainly on the inet where you have a tendency to run into people that have very little social skills. But the people in this movie are actually quite normal! As for the movie, Denise Crosby does a great job as both host and interviewer. She asked questions in a non-biased way, which is the most we could want in a reporter.

I liked Star Trek: The Next Generation but not the other series in the franchise so I wouldn't call myself a trekkie. I never went to a convention and don't plan on ever. So this movie was an eye opener. I'll deal with theses Roddenberry fans over any other TV show fanatics any day of the week. In fact, I'll take these fans over sports fans as well. Trek may be dorkie, but I never heard of a trekkie booing the first black Star Trek actor like Philly fans did to Jackie Robinson in baseball.

Oh, and as a side note. During the Klingon language class scene, my friend and I had to stop the tape and rewind to watch it again. The one woman in the class was hot. We were dumbstruck by the fact that an attractive female was trying to learn Klingon :P

odd slice of life

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 9 April 2020]

Denise Crosby hosts this documentary looking at the fans or the fanatics of the Star Trek franchise. There is the Trekkie jurist at the Clinton trial, and the Trekkie dentist. The most compelling is probably the first Star Trek convention and Geordi la Forge. Of course, there is the abundance of Cosplay fans. These are committed people. What comes across is that these particular Trekkies want to belong and this franchise started by a 1966 sci-fi TV show presents a future world where they can all be a part of. That's what we all want.

fascinating look at a geeky underworld

[cherold · 8/10 · 30 May 2005]

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.

Trekkies (1997)

[SnakesOnAnAfricanPlain · 6/10 · 12 December 2011]

I do love a documentary that focuses on weird and eccentric people. Trekkies looks at the fans of Star Trek. It chooses a small group to follow, from a young SFX whizkid that has gone on to much better things, a woman that insists on being called Commander, a dentist with a decorated surgery and so on. This is all cut together with interviews from some of the stars. Where the film kind of failed was in only showing the most eccentric people, and always surrounded by there memorabilia and/or in costume. I never really got a sense of who these people were without Star Trek. This can sometimes make them seem sad and lonely and often psychologically damaged. Luckily, they are having so much fun that you kind of get swept up by it all. The actors seem to take it too seriously though,recounting stories of how the show has changed or saved peoples' lives, from suicide attempts, to how it liberated black people, to how it helped people get over the deaths of their family etc. It's all a bit much at times and it doesn't really express the kind of fun people are having. Not informative, just a gallery of interesting people.

subtle, gentle, hilarious

[bdken · 9/10 · 1 April 2005]

I thought the storytelling in this doc. was incredible. Never does the narration, the interviewing, or the framing poke fun at the bizarre, unconventional -- you know, I'm not even sure what other word works to describe these people -- fans who have made incredible adjustments in their lives in order to pay homage to Star Trek.

Yes, they are strange. Yes, they seem to sometimes proclaim the supremacy of Star Trek with a vehemence that only suggests the alternative is enough to topple their worlds. But at the same time, this film, I think, takes a gentle, even respectful look at their strange personal universes.

If you want to laugh, that is your prerogative. But I think this doc. is motivated more by fascination than by indignation or disgust. Trekkies (and Trekkers) are a cultural phenomenon. One that deserves the care and depth used in the presentation of this documentary.

What Sad Creatures

[Theo Robertson · 7/10 · 28 September 2003]

I`m a DOCTOR WHO fan and being a DOCTOR WHO fan often means making negative and sometimes downright nasty comments on least liked eras of the show . I hate the era of the mid to late 1980s and quite happily boot the boot into the series made between 1985-89 . In short being a fan of the show is like being a football supporter who spends his weekends at matches shouting for the manager to be sacked . There , that`s what it`s like to be a DOCTOR WHO fan . What we don`t do is dress up as Sontaran battle fleet commanders , or learn the Sea Devil dialect , and under no circumstances do we wish to be tarred with the same brush as STAR TREK fans . Why ? Well watch TREKKIES to find out what I mean .

TREKKIES was produced as a documentary but it turned out to be the biggest unintentional laugh-fest I`ve ever seen . Are we expected to swallow that STAR TREK fans are normal intelligent people ? Okay then let`s take a look at these normal intelligent people ......

The first person to be interviewed is a transvestite trekkie , and seeing as he/she is only filmed in extreme close up I`m just curious as to what he/she was wearing at the time . I`ve got a suspicion he/she was wearing one of these sexy little mini dresses from the original show . I hope he/she shaved her/his legs

The dentist whose wife and children are dressed in ST uniforms and whose dental surgery is decked out as a ST shrine called " The Starship Dentalprise "

The Greenstiens who spend every day dressed in their USS Enterprise uniforms and who don`t have any children ( Did anyone faint in surprise upon knowing this ? ) but have a poodle also dressed up in a ST uniform . It goes without saying it`s the dog I feel sorry for

A bunch of people dressed as Klingons order their lunch in a klingon dialect. The voice over informs us they do a lot of " community service " ( Probably a euphamism for work fare - Would you give them a job ? ) and that they " Visit sick children in hospital " . I`ve got to confess that if I had a child in hospital I`d want them to meet klingons as much as I`d want them to meet Victor Salva or Michael Jackson

The James Doohan anecdote of the suicidal fan . This isn`t as heartwarming as has been made out . In fact when Scotty finishes with the line " She wasn`t getting the help she needed " I shouted out " None of the people I`ve seen so far are getting the help they need " .

This brings me to the saddest fan of the lot who is the lad who owned Captain Pike`s life support/travel machine which resembles a headless Dalek. The fan turns up at an electrical store to buy some batteries and stuff only to get a weird reaction from the store worker who eyes dart from right to left very suspiciously and who has a " WTF " expression plastered all over his face . The reason for this attitude is explained when the fan leaves the store in the same transport he arrived in , yes that`s right he came in the Captain Pike life support /transport machine and now drives off at 2 mph with his gormless face sticking out of the transporter .

I can`t wait to see TREKKIES 2

This movie worries me.

[glennstg · 5/10 · 30 September 2005]

First off, I've been a fan of Star Trek since the original series. I have a poster of the Enterprise-E on one wall above my computer. I have my own Starfleet uniform in my closet, which I wear on Halloween and the occasional Star Trek or SF convention.

A friend of mine gave this movie to me on video as a Christmas gift. And, frankly, the movie scared the hell out of me. All I could think of while watching it is that there are some seriously twisted people out there who are in dire need of professional help. Okay, the dentist who had his office done up like a Star Trek facility was fun. Business is business, after all. But on the other hand we had the woman who showed up for jury duty in a Starfleet uniform.

Yes, Star Trek was, in some of its incarnations, an excellent television series (though I thought Voyager was a total waste of airtime). But that's all it is -- a television show, one of several that I've watched and enjoyed over the years.

Unfortunately, movies such as Trekkies only serve to work against Star Trek and its fans in the long run -- people will watch this film, see how deranged many of its fans are, and conclude that Star Trek fans are a bunch of weirdos. And those of us, like myself, who do not take it to the ridiculous extremes depicted in this film, will nonetheless be lumped into the same category as those who do.

In short, movies like this almost make me ashamed to admit that I am a Star Trek fan, because of how Trek fans are depicted.

On the other hand, the film was well put together, I have to give it that...

A funny, heartwarming look at one of the biggest television fandoms in the world.

[bijin_chick · 14 June 2003]

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.

Fun for the fans, and just above average for the rest

[mstomaso · 7/10 · 16 June 2005]

As somebody who grew up watching Star Trek (TOS) and who enjoys all of the subsequent series, I appreciated this documentary about the followers of Star Trek and the profound influence of the Star Trek franchise more than most. It;s only flaw, in my opinion, was its focus on the more recent generation of Star Trek writers, and the down-playing of Gene Roddenberry's role in the first three series. But this isn't a film about the franchise. It's a film about the people whose lives it changed for the better.

While the film does light-heartedly poke fun at Trekkies, it also celebrates them - simultaneously noting the weirdness of people who do their grocery shopping in Star Fleet uniforms and celebrating their courage and conviction. Although this is a funny film, and one with a big heart and even some intelligent social and political commentary, I do not believe it will satisfy everybody, and I am not sure everybody will see it as inoffensive fun (some of us get a little too sensitive about our dedication to Star Trek). So, I can't really recommend this film to people who are neither Star Trek fans, nor people who do not know any Star Trek fans. Having said that, I am now wondering whether any such person could exist.

Heart warming documentary

[dosanjh1 · 7/10 · 27 February 2003]

This film gently pokes fun at the Trekkies magnificent humanity.

The film showed trekkies as obsessive fans but also portrayed them as people hopping for a better future and Star Trek has provided them with a vision for doing this. They see a world without racial or gender discrimination. They accept each and every human on this planet as a unique and justifiable entity without a hint of stereotyping - the irony is that the rest of us cant see trekkies in the same light and we stereotype these fans (obsessives)as sad and lonely. I am particularly guilty of this.

Some of the fans were a real inspiration, they seemed accutely aware of what people think of them when they go about their daily business dressed in Star Trek uniforms but really didn't care. They didn't see themselves as the problem - the problem was with the finger-pointers - as anything remotly outside social conventions was pervceived as a perverse, strange and abnormal.

This movie is a brillianty observed piece of social commentary and could really have been made about soccer fans, baseball fans, Beatles fans, Nirvana fans, Hip-Hop fans, Goths, Ravers..... just about anybody in the western world.

One of the great documentaries

[loseur · 8/10 · 11 March 2000]

Trekkies is not about Star Trek or its fans. It is about life. This is one of the great documentaries, up there with Roger & Me. The director has achieved that which is so rare in documentary: transcending the topic in question to make a film about everything.

Trekkies is about the hope of a better future. It is about tolerance and accepting those who are different. It is about finding yourself and a place to fit in. It is about the responsibility that television so rarely accepts to portray hope, and what can happen when the media doesn't always glorify evil. It is about a singular dream of peace that more Americans share than is apparent.

The film starts off strong, climaxing about half-way through with a tear-jerking story by Scotty about a life-changing letter (get your tissues). And even though it slows a bit in the denoument, it always remains fascinating. The film follows several fans as they attend conventions, go grocery shopping, go to work, attend jury duty, and live at home. These day-in-the-life's are interspersed with interviews with the stars, and their anecdotes of fans, letters, and conventions. This is a tight documentary that is well interviewed, well shot, well edited. Trekkies is definitely a must-see.

If you've ever known a "Trekkie," rent this movie.

[rommiej · 7/10 · 22 January 2000]

Whatever your take on the "Star Trek" phenomenon, watching "Trekkies" will make you feel a whole lot better about yourself. This hilarious and occasionally insightful "documentary" presents snapshots of "Star Trek" fanatics for whom the cheesy late-'60s sci-fi show (and its numerous '80s and '90s spin-offs) has become more a way of life than a hobby. If you count yourself among them (Trekkies, Trekkers, whatever), it may be comforting to find that you're not alone - these people are literally EVERYWHERE and whatever the filmmakers' intentions, "Trekkies" does not mock its subjects. For the rest of us, however, the boundless obsession of these characters is solid entertainment. Have you ever felt curious about those "Star Trek" conventions but didn't have the guts to sneak a peek (or the extra cash to throw away)? Here's your chance. You'll look on in amazement at a memorabilia auction in which a man dressed as a Klingon bids $1,400 for a piece of latex that happened to be used as someone's headpiece in a "Star Trek" episode. You'll howl with laughter as one electronically-minded "Trek" zealot rolls down the shoulder of a highway with his head sticking out of the Captain Pike contraption he'd recently built. And you might just wet your pants when you see a football-playing Klingon's celebratory end zone dance. Interviews with cast members from all the "Star Trek" series (alas, no Shatner) are mostly gratuitous, but it hardly matters - the shows' fans are the real stars here. If you've ever known a "Star Trek" geek (or are one yourself), you'll probably get a kick out of "Trekkies."

An amusing examination of the phenomena of Star Trek Fans

[annonymo · 8/10 · 24 March 1999]

A fun, non-condescending view of Star Trek fans. Fan culture is treated with respect and only a hint of irony, as we see profiles of star trek conventions. Included are fans who wear regalia on the job, and a Star Trek dentist's office! There is even a bit on the academic nature of fan culture and "cultural-poaching" Although, a word from an "expert" or two would have been more enlightening, rather than the comments from the Psychotherapist who uses Trek for therapeutic metaphors (!) Even enjoyable to the non-Trek fan, and shows these folk to be no more freak than your average rowdy or football fan.

They walk among us...

[clurge-2 · 7/10 · 1 October 2000]

When you watch this movie, you'll realize that hardcore Star Trek fans walk among us everyday. You may even work with one. Business suits on the weekdays, and Klingon battle armor from episode 56 of The Next Generation on weekends. Should these people be locked up? Of course not. Society locks them up for us. There are probably triple the closet Star Trek fans than there are ones that are featured publicly wearing costumes in this film.

Trekkies puts the spotlight on the outrageousness of it all. It tries to show us that these people, with mullet haircuts (or as I like to call them "Ape Drapes"), and attire from the mid-eighties, have not anything better to do, collect or believe in, than Star Trek. Everyone needs solace. Some choose the bible, some choose crime, other choose Star Trek.

I'm not sure which of the above is the most outrageous. But that's besides the point.

Trekkies is a fine film. It walks a fine line between giving the diehards insights and exclusive interviews from the space stars, all the while keeping things light and not too Trek-heavy for people like me who just want to watch and see how far these people actually take it.

Truth-telling vs. Stereotypes

[Keith-93 · 9/10 · 15 May 1999]

Featured for a whopping 15 minutes of film is the Whitewater juror who went to court dressed in a Star Trek uniform, complete with phaser and tri-corder. As a fan, I was embarrassed when she did this, because when your friends and family read about her, they all point in your direction and say something like "That's YOU!" B. G. Burkett wrote a book about stereotypes. In "Stolen Valor" Mr. Burkett described the crowds at Vietnam memorial commisionings. These crowds are made up of many successful veterans. These veterans own businesses, are managers etc., and the media always walks past these smartly dressed people to the back row. In the back row sits the two stringy-haired people wearing torn GI fatigues and various buttons. These are the people that are interviewed.

With Star Trek fans, the media too, always seems to find the one person who truly believes they have green blood, and interviews them. "Trekors" seems to be an honest attempt to portray the fans in a different light. This movie succedes EXCEPT when it changes direction, and shows the same stereotypes that the popular media is showing.

Provides another glimpse into our culture.

[bruceski · 6/10 · 6 December 2000]

Trekkies is a very brief, limited examination of those whose lives revolve around Star Trek (the TV series and the movies). The film overemphasizes the 'extremists' -- men and women who always wear Starfleet uniforms, create Captain Pike's life support unit, and learn the Klingon language. Unfortunately, the movie doesn't comment on the vast majority of serious Star Trek fans who live normal lives, wear normal clothes, and whose devotion to the series is limited to watching the weekly episodes of Voyager, the repeats of The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, and the movies released every two to three years.

What we DO learn is that these 'off the deep end' Trekkies are apparently good people, who do good things, and basically don't bother anyone else. Their hobby is really no different from stamp or beer can collecting, only more visible.

I don't believe the film ridicules/lampoons these fanatics. On the contrary, it shines a strangely flattering light on devotees of one the world's newest and (ostensibly) everlasting crazes. I was especially impressed with the Star Trek cast members (who, in reality, are only a bunch of actors lucky enough to be part of Star Trek) who don't turn their noses upward when discussing this phenomenon. Watch it for another glimpse into our culture. As Brent Spiner (who played Data on the Next Generation) put it, "We're all unique".

A Documentary Shot Through with Ambivalences

[l_rawjalaurence · 5/10 · 2 October 2016]

As an early example of the fandoc, TREKKIES tells a familiar tale of the extent to which fans of the long-running television series are prepared to go in pursuit of their obsessions. They might look and act grotesque on occasions, but we have to understand how their obsessions can have positive outcomes both personal as well as moral. Dressing up can help the discover hitherto buried aspects of their personalities, and thereby give them a more positive outlook on life, while the series' strongly moral constructing provides a role-model for anyone, whether viewer or fan.

Yet what Roger Nygard's film raises are some ambivalences about fandom that remain frustratingly unresolved. Trekkies all over the United States as well as other territories regularly assemble(d) at conventions where they would be addressed by cast members and have the opportunity to network with one another. Such gatherings would have psychological benefits. On the other hand they provided suitable merchandising outlets for manufacturers to sell every kind of knick-knack imaginable, as well as auction materials from the television series that drew high prices in charity's name. We wonder whether the fans' sensibilities are not being deliberately exploited by capitalist interests - make more money by offering the chance to possess some realia.

That impression is further compounded when individual fans show off their collections of Trekkie material, often stored in glass cases, cabinets or rooms set aside especially for that purpose. They might be quite happy spending money and thereby indulging their passion, but we wonder whether or not they would like being viewed as victims of a franchise determined to maximize its profits by sponsoring or licensing miscellaneous products.

That dilemma is one that dates back to the earliest days of the movies when studio publicity departments invited punters to dress up at specially-staged performances of particular films, preferably in period costumes. By offering prizes to the lucky winners, they could guarantee high box-office returns. The Trekkie phenomenon merely extends and updates that strategy. We would love to know what fans really thought about this issue, but such issues are far beyond this mostly celebratory piece.