Trekkies (1997)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Luke B

  
  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… More
  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.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"There's One Born Every Day"</i> From a TV series that barely lasted three seasons in the 1960s, "Star Trek" has grown into a multibillion-dollar industry involving several spin-off series, numerous movies, and countless merchandise items. This… More
  <i>"There's One Born Every Day"</i> From a TV series that barely lasted three seasons in the 1960s, "Star Trek" has grown into a multibillion-dollar industry involving several spin-off series, numerous movies, and countless merchandise items. This phenomenon is due to the show's legions of rabidly devoted fans, popularly known as "Trekkies." <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> 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. 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.

• Jason O

  
  I like watching Star Trek - The Original Series, so I knew I had to watch "Trekkies." It's an interesting movie to watch. Denise Crosby interviews a bunch of people who are major Star Trek fans and they're called Trekkies. It also features interviews with many of… More
  I like watching Star Trek - The Original Series, so I knew I had to watch "Trekkies." It's an interesting movie to watch. Denise Crosby interviews a bunch of people who are major Star Trek fans and they're called Trekkies. It also features interviews with many of the most popular people from all the Star Trek series from the original series to Voyager. You'll recognize a lot of the people such as William Shatner, James Doohan, Leonard Nimoy, and many others. Parts of the movie are real interesting such as taking a trip to a dentist's office and seeing the whole inside of the building decorated with memorabilia from Star Trek and all the employees wearing a Star Trek uniform. Another good part of the movie is when Leonard Nimoy (Spock from the original series) tells a story about someone tapping him on the shoulder and saying "Hey I know you, you got your ears changed." He turned around and saw that it was John Wayne. This movie features not only in depth interviews with fans and stars from Star Trek, but it also shows footage from conventions and towns that are dedicated to Star Trek. My only complaint about "Trekkies" is that some of the interviews of hardcore Star Trek fans can get a little repetitive, but it is an interesting movie to watch and I recommend anybody who likes any of the Star Trek series to watch "Trekkies." If you're a Trekky yourself and you go around wearing a uniform or decorate your home with Star Trek stuff, etc. I'd recommend buying the movie. Myself, I'm just a casual Star Trek watcher and I wouldn't ever wear a uniform or anything like that, so I guess I'm not a Trekkie. NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2001.

• Randy T

  
  Hilarious! Live long and prosper.

• Jason S

  
  A good doc that really makes you look at your obsessions to make sure that you don't look like the people featured on this movie.

• Curtis L

  
  "Peter, this is the WORST possible time you could have called me! Okay, talk to you later." Laughing at nerds is funny.

• Lafe F

  
  Fascinating stuff. It's great to see the extent of Star Trek Fandom. I wish they'd do a similar video essay on Doctor Who fans.

• James A

  
  This movie will make you feel good about yourself and life. Just be glad you arent them.

• Alec B

  
  For a low budget documentary about the weirdest people on the planet it's actually pretty interesting. The film is remarkably objective, it could easily mock these people, but I guess the filmmakers knew that the audience would be doing that for them. I wanted more of the creepy… More
  For a low budget documentary about the weirdest people on the planet it's actually pretty interesting. The film is remarkably objective, it could easily mock these people, but I guess the filmmakers knew that the audience would be doing that for them. I wanted more of the creepy stories from the actors about what happens when these people talk to them, because there does seem to be an endless amount. Still the movie boggles your mind, I mean these people are ridiculous! They see no problems with the way they act and I guess they have the right to be as strange as they want. Go ahead, wear the uniforms in public I don't care. But that guy, the one guy who had his ears permanently surgically altered to look like Spock's needs serious help and should be put in a mad house.

• Marion R

  
  I found it to be an insightful documentary into the fandom of Star Trek. You laugh at some fans and but others just seem obsessed or mental. It's a recommended watch for any fan.

• Sean S

  
  I am a geek. I felt a lot like the Fonz after watching this movie. I am not sure if that is better or worse.

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