Geek Test!
Trekkies is a Spaced Out Fan Frenzy

While all the media attention this past week has been on the latest episode in the Star Wars series, a small documentary has sneaked into theaters about "Star Trek" and the loyal fans and fanatics that follow its franchise. As a documentary goes Trekkies is passable, but as a record of the fringe of the phenomenon, it's quite entertaining.

Trek alum Denise Crosby (Tasha Yar, "Star Trek: The Next Generation") hosts the documentary, conducting interviews with the stars and offering her own anecdotes about the fans and fanaticism. Crosby introduces viewers to the whole "Star Trek" experience, from conventions to collecting. More importantly, she interviews the people who have made the show a cult hit: the fans.

Instead of an even-handed attempt at showing the gamut of fans, the makers of Trekkies choose to focus on the fringe element, those fans who have boldly gone where no fan has gone before. It's not exactly good journalism, but they showcase a variety of the strangest examples of Trek fandom.

The list of subjects is long and numerous: from Barbara Adams, who wore her Starfleet uniform when summoned to jury duty on the Whitewater case in Little Rock, Arkansas; to Dr. Denis Bourguignon, a dentist in Orlando, Florida, who wears his uniform while working at his Starbase Dental practice. Crosby's guide to the world of conventions and local Star Trek clubs is Gabriel Koerner, a fourteen-year-old from Bakersfield, California, who hopes to inherit his dad's Starfleet shuttle pickup truck.

But the madness doesn't seem to stop. If anything, it goes from strange to stranger. The documentary delves into the world of adult fan fiction, where no subject is too taboo. Pet owners who dress their four-legged friends in Star Trek uniforms are also interviewed. Perhaps one of the funniest people showcased is a man who creates various "Star Trek" devices from components at his local Radio Shack. If nothing else, it's amusing and entertaining.

Maybe entertaining is the wrong word. Watching the "Star Trek" fans who take the show beyond the boundaries of normal appreciation is like watching a freak show. For these people, Trek is not just a television show but a way of life. They wear the costumes and make pilgrimages to the conventions occurring across the country. Any scorn or derision thrown their way is worn as proudly as the ranking pips on their collars.

I've been to "Star Trek" conventions and seen the fringe element firsthand. I've even been called a geek more than a few times. Seeing Trekkies has made me better see the line between a healthy interest in a show and a fanaticism bordering on obsession. If nothing else, viewing this documentary made me feel normal by comparison.

As enjoyable as this movie was for me, I have to downgrade it in three areas. First, I don't like the fact that they focused only on the fringe element. I think it is amusing, but it is hardly a fair representation. Second, I don't think the movie will appeal to anyone aside from "Star Trek" fans. Third, and most important, some of the production values of the documentary are horrible. Out of focus shots, poor camera angles, and bad editing are seen throughout.

The target audience of Trekkies is severely limited in the sense that only lovers of the "Star Trek" series will be interested enough to see it. Because the show appeals to so many people, however, this is certain to become a cult favorite. Non-trekkies may not enjoy it, but if you have friends or loved ones who follow Trek, it might help you understand them a little better.

Then again, it might just frighten you.

MY RATING: 4 out of 10.

RATED:
RUN TIME: 86 min.

Geek Test! Trekkies is a Spaced Out Fan Frenzy

Geek Test!
Trekkies is a Spaced Out Fan Frenzy