Reviews (61)

Are You A Trekkie?
You might want to watch this documentary before you answer that question. Before I saw this film, I classified myself as a Trekkie. Boy was I wrong. The Trekkies in this movie are extreme. I don't even own one uniform, let alone two or three, and I've never been to a convention. This did not prevent me from enjoying this film. Denise Crosby, who "stars" in the documentary, visits several Trekkies, mostly at a convention in Pasadena, CA, and talks with many of the cast members of the various shows. The interviews with Leonard Nimoy, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig, James Doohan and DeForest Kelley about the first Trek conventions are great fun, as are the interviews with later cast members about the endurance of the franchise's popularity. The best interview is perhaps the one with Brent Spiner, who makes some rather amusing comments about fan artwork. Never does the film present the fans as objects of ridicule; rather, it is an attempt to understand why someone would turn his dental practice in to a "Star Trek"-themed practice, or why someone would wear his/her uniform to work or the grocery store. At the same time, the film is incredibly funny. One of my favorite scenes involved Denise Crosby following some Klingons into a fast-food establishment.

If you are a Trekkie, Trekker, or just a fan of Star Trek in its various incarnations, you must see this film!

Funny, mesmorizing, even touching
This movie is astounding. The fans that are featured are quirky, real, and in some weird way, engaging, and the stories told by the stars and other folks associated with the show are priceless! Here are some standouts: A Texas woman is apparently overwhelmed with admiration for Brent Spiner (Data) and refers to herself as a "Spiner-Femme" - you have to see her collection of Spiner photographs to believe it. James Doohan (Scotty) tells a touching story about how he helps a distraught and suicidal fan on the path to recovery. A trek-uniformed dentist and similarly clad assistants have decked out their office to look like the set of Deep Space 9, complete with a "transporter". A quirky 15 year old kid has written a Star Trek movie for his local fan club - this prodigy has also rendered digital special effects to go along with his script!

A truly entertaining movie.

Trekkies, Live Long And Prosper!
I'm not quite a Trekkie (for one thing I've not been to a Star Trek Convention---yet!), but I remember first watching some of the rerun episodes of the original series when I was about 9 or so. I remember being excited when STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE (1979) was announced, and I made sure to see it in the theater soon after it came out. I didn't see STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (1981) till many years later, ditto for STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME (1986), I don't think I've still ever seen III, I've seen part of V (eventually I'll get around to seeing the rest of this travesty), I've never seen VI, but I've seen all the rest (you know, with The Next Generation cast). As for the series(es), I've seen most of TOS, about half of TNG and DS9, and almost all of Voyager, which is my personal favorite.

So that's my Star Trek confession; I wanted to get that out of the way as soon as possible. You can tell that I am a casual fan (well, maybe a *little* more than that), but not an actual "Trekkie." However, I've always been interested in the Star Trek phenomenon and how it came to be, especially considering that the original series (otherwise known as TOS) only lasted 3 1/2 years! Well, I got all the answers (well, most of them, anyway) while watching TREKKIES on cable TV one night. This documentary was directed by Roger Nygard in the spirit of wonder, and love, for the die-hard fans who spend hours dressing themselves up as their favorite character, or alien race, to attend these conventions. As is also shown, there are those who dress "in uniform" in their daily lives, such as the lady who's a postal worker in Little Rock, Arkansas, who famously kept her Starfleet uniform on when serving as a juror in the Whitewater Case. Then there's the dentist whose office is truly amazing and a space-age wonder to behold (known affectionately as "The Starship Dentalprise"). There's also an Illinois man who is dressed as a Vulcan doctor of the Federation 24/7 (who comes across as the most "normal" one on here, and is quite likable). There are countless convention scenes featuring William Shatner (no, he doesn't tell anyone to "Get a life!" as he famously---or infamously---did on "Saturday Night Live" back in 1986), James Doohan, Walter Koenig, Majel Barrett Roddenberry (also known as "The Voice of The Computer" in every one of the series and the films, as well as being Gene Roddenberry's widow), DeForest Kelley, Denise Crosby from TNG, etc...it's all very entertaining, and it made me really want to attend a Convention badly!

I found it particularly touching when James "Scotty" Doohan related a story about a woman who had been going through a rough spell who had been contemplating suicide, until she started watching reruns of the show in the early 70's and became inspired by Scotty's example. His eyes began to well up with tears as he described the incredibly gracious letter she had sent him, a letter that, mind you, she wrote 30 years ago! It shows that sometimes fans have just as big an impact on the celebrities themselves as vice versa!

TREKKIES is an enjoyable 86-minute documentary that is especially recommended for Star Trek fans, and recommended still for all who have even the slightest interest in this strange and wonderful phenomenon. It captures the positive energy and the excitement of the Conventions without making the Trekkies themselves look stupid or foolish. It doesn't poke fun; rather, it celebrates the fun. Have some fun and watch this!

RECOMMENDED; AGES 8 & UP

Star Trekkin', across the universe...
This is not a typical film documentary. It is an attempt to go where no one has gone before - into the mindset of the Trekkie, the kind of fan of Star Trek (in one or more of its various incarnations), those people who populate the world of the Sci-Fi convention, stand in line to be the first to see new feature films while wearing Vulcan ears or Klingon uniforms, and can always tell you the points of discontinuity in the shows.

I remember once upon a time when William Shatner was a guest on 'Saturday Night Live', one of the 'alternative' comedy shows in America, when he played himself at one such Sci-Fi convention, poking fun at people who live in their parents' basements at the age of 40, spending their time trying to decipher codes and learning the Klingon language.

One of the feature stars of this documentary is Denise Crosby, who ironically played one of the few Star Trek major characters to be killed - as the documentary points out, you could almost invariably tell who was going to be killed (un-named red-shirt guard beaming down to a hostile planet), and were reasonably sure that the major characters, though they might die, will be resurrected again before the episode is done. In some ways, Crosby's character of Tasha Yar was resurrected, although not as a regular character.

Here we enter into the world of people like Barbara Adams, 'the Commander', a woman who was highlighted on the national news in the United States for being picked for the jury for various Clinton offenses, and insisted upon wearing her Star Trek uniform to court. Silly as it sounds, she had her own sense of integrity, and one of the things that has consistently been praised about Star Trek is its hope in humanity and integrity of the key players in the science fiction drama.

Also highlighted were the dentists who turned their office into a Star Trek exhibit, and dressed also in uniforms to tend to their patients - such surroundings tended to make those nervous about dentistry more at ease.

In 1997, the internet was still very much in its infancy - the ideas of everyone having websites of their own was quite a way off, but Star Trek with its focus on technology for the future was already part of the growing world-wide computer system. Bulletin Boards, chat rooms and listservs galore were dedicated to the theme of Star Trek, and that is highlighted here.

Various of the original series cast members were interviewed and talked about their surprise at the after-the-fact success of this three-year series that was cancelled so long ago. The first convention, to which they were invited, was thought to be a small affair, but it ended up being packed, standing room only, lines around the block. The phenomenon of Star Trek was established, and it was this fan base dedication that prompted Paramount to release the first feature film, and continue the franchise with the television series of Star Trek: The Next Generation, which did its best to incorporate as many of the original cast members along the way. DeForest Kelly, as McCoy, was on the first episode; later episodes would include Leonard Nimoy as Spock and James Doohan as Scotty; the bridge-film Star Trek:Generations provided a link with Chekov (Walter Koenig), Uhuru (Nichelle Nichols) and Kirk (William Shatner).

Cast and crew from the original series, the films and the Next Generation series were included in this documentary, as well as some members of the spin-offs Deep Space Nine and Voyager (this was prior to the current, beleaguered series Enterprise). Majel Barrett gave touching and humourous stories about Gene Roddenberry, her husband, the creator of the series and power that kept the vision alive and consistent, including confirming that Roddenberry's ashes were taken aboard the space shuttle. 'Outside notables' such as astronaut Buzz Aldrin and author/newsanchor Robert MacNeill provided glimpses of how the Star Trek phenomenon affected the world beyond it, including the first NASA space shuttle being christened 'Enterprise'.

Often hilarious, sometimes hysterical, particularly with the almost cultic devotion bestowed upon the object of adoration that some seem to have, this film looks at life as a Trekkie with a loving eye - those who take Klingon language classes and join their own 'starships' as crew members are not ridiculed or mocked. This is a fun film, and is not intended to be serious documentary; issues such as timelines of series and showcases of particular production issues is left out in favour of the more incidental, and often more human, aspects.

One of the common themes of the actors is their surprise not only of the success of the series and film after its cancellation, but the dramatic impact it made on all of their lives. James Doohan was forever Scotty after the series, so much so it became a running theme - the line in Star Trek IV of McCoy to Scotty, when Scotty was 'playing' a visiting professor - 'Don't lose yourself in the part!' was but one of many inside jokes. Nichelle Nichols being told by Martin Luther King, Jr. that she could not quit the role as she had become a symbol to African Americans is another interesting part of Trek lore.

This is a film that inspires a lot of emotion in Trek fans (not the least being the continuing definitional battle between 'Trekkie' and 'Trekker'). Love it or hate it, it is now part of the greater corpus of Star Trek media.

The film ends on a bizarre note, with a host of stand-up comedians running through a series of jokes about Star Trek and Star Trek fans. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery; to become the object of comedy shows that one's establishment is fairly secure.

Trekkies
This is probably a must see for Trekkies, or Trekkers, or whatever. Or simply for anyone who remembers the series and wonders what all the fuss is about. As I write this (May 2004) a sequel, TREKKIES 2, is being released. ... Read more

Amazon.com

As promised, the sequel to Trekkies presents an expanded universe of Star Trek fandom, and even curmudgeonly Klingons will enjoy this globetrotting trek of discovery. NextGen alumnus Denise Crosby returns as host of this sincerely appreciative survey of Trek enthusiasts from the U.S.A., Germany, England, Australia, Italy, Brazil, France, and even war-torn Serbia. Director Roger Nygard seizes the opportunity to revisit the most memorable fans from Trekkies, and Trek savants the world over will be delighted to learn that über-nerd Gabriel Koerner is not only married but happily employed as a digital-effects modeler (go, Gabe!), while Whitewater juror (and Starfleet Commodore) Barbara Adams continues to exemplify the Prime Directive in Little Rock, Arkansas. Emphasis is duly placed on the charitable activities of Trek devotees (yes, the Trekkies/Trekkers debate continues to rage), while "filk" singers and Trek tribute bands are given props for their musical inspiration. Most importantly, Trekkies 2 meaningfully explores of the motivation, purpose, and appropriateness of Trek fandom in a world that is still light-years away from the benevolent idealism that Star Trek represents. Trekkies 3 (due a few years later) promises to expand the survey to Asia, Africa, India, the Middle East, and Russia. Could this be the start of genuine unification? --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (17)

It will make you laugh out loud.....if you are in car sales
Sorry guys I cant give it 5 stars because only a hand full of movies (ie:The Godfather,Deer hunter) get that rating with that said I give this flick 4 stars for anyone in the business, It will make you laugh your butt off. I myself have been in the car business for over 20+ years and have seen all these characters in real life including myself as the sales manager (OH NO!!)I play this movie at our sales meeting from time to time to lighten up the day. It is the most dark side of the business, I'd like to think we dont pull this stuff on a daily basis but it does happen like it or not. I have to say I cant reccomend this movie to anyone outside the SALES business it most likely wouldnt be so funny if you cant relate. The end of the movie was a little out of wack but if you didnt have some way of ending it I guess it could go on forever. allthough I have seen some parts of the ending in the business no deaths that I recall......at least not from shooting.

Almost Perfect to Form! Car Biz Laugh your butt off!!!!
I am a third generation in the car business. All true! Buy couple dozen copies. I did. It is amazing how true to form this movie is. I'd recommend this and "Cars and People, pissing at 60 miles an hour (book by Anthony Ziegler)to everyone in the car business.

Decent movie until it degrades into a low-rent caper flick
Good writing, pacing, and direction. Suckers made me laugh out loud several times, and was a good movie on its own merit until the direction takes a left turn into Quentin Tarrantinoville. The movie would have been a lot better had they stuck to the salesman theme.

"The horror of reality."
Forget "Used Cars" & "Cadillac Man". "Suckers" is why I left the buisness. The first time I saw this film I sat with mouth gaping. Every line spoken by Daniel Benzali I had heard over and over again, in every sales meeting, on every car lot I had worked. This movie is 100% real, with the exception of the drug dealing foul ups. That of couse would never happen. Car salesmen are not that sloppy.

Outstanding!!!
This is on of the greatest true-to-life movies I have ever seen. At my old dealership, Regie became our hero and the boss now acts like him. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

In just under 90 minutes, this dynamic documentary manages to boldly go where a lot of Star Trek fans have gone before: into the heart of Star Trek fandom, where humanity blossoms into its most endearingly odd and bracingly positive manifestations. Are "Trekkies" (or "Trekkers") just a bunch of geeks, loners, and societal outcasts who've found their niche on the fandom convention circuit? This delightful film proves that the stereotypes are simultaneously valid and woefully myopic, because the people introduced here are only as strange as you make them. We could just as easily embrace them as ideal citizens of the United Federation of Planets, living Gene Roddenberry's fictional future on present-day Earth. Who's to say theirs is not a better world than ours?

Superbly directed by Roger Nygard and hosted by Denise Crosby (who played Tasha Yar on Star Trek: The Next Generation), the film offers splendid interview segments with all of the original Star Trek cast, and many from later Trek series, but the real story here lies with the devoted fans who are profiled with an equal balance of fascination, bemusement, and respect; they're a bit weird, to be sure, but these die-hard Trekkies are never unduly patronized. Instead, Crosby and Nygard respond as all Trek insiders have in the past: with astonished affection.

Filmed in 1996-97 at a variety of locations and conventions, Trekkies visits a vast array of Trekkers, Trekkies, and just plain folks who love the series and its pop-cultural progeny. Uplifting, thoughtful, comprehensive, and frequently hilarious, this good-natured film (sanctioned by Paramount without being subservient) is guaranteed to entertain fans and nonfans alike, and a proposed sequel would be wholeheartedly welcomed. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more