"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
