Product Details

• Actors: Denise Crosby, Frank D'Amico, Barbara Adams, Denis Bourguignon, David Greenstein
• Directors: Roger Nygard
• Producers: Denise Crosby, Joel Soisson, Michael Leahy, Scott Nimerfro, W.K. Border
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Paramount
• VHS Release Date: July 11, 2000
• Run Time: 86 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (74 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6305582394
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #315,123 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

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

From the back cover

"Thumbs up." --Roger Ebert

Get ready to beam up to a galaxy where autograph hounds abound, dentists drill in Federation garb, and the debate over "Trekkies" vs. "Trekkers" rages on. Denise Crosby of Star Trek: The Next Generation hosts this often-hilarious documentary about the Star Trek "fan-nomenon." Interviewing hundreds of devoted fans and such Star Trek cast members as Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig, Kate Mulgrew, and Brent Spiner, the film creates an entertaining and endearing portrait of the landmark series that has touched the lives of people around the world.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Are You A Trekkie?, June 16, 2000

By 

Lauryn Angel-cann (Frisco, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Trekkies (DVD)

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!

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting Subculture, May 16, 2005

By 

K. Fontenot "Prairie Cajun Lives!" (Louisiana) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Trekkies (DVD)

Although I've watched many of the countless episodes of the original Star Trek and all of its spin-offs, as well as viewed most of the films, I wouldn't consider myself a big fan of Star Trek. Outside of the major characters and a few of the ships, I don't remember many names of planets, alien races, etc. As a matter of fact I really didn't have much interest in watching this film until I happened upon it one day on cable.

It honestly amazed me at how serious some people take this juggernaut that is "Star Trek." Some of the folks documented here seemed to be pretty normal, excepting the fact that they carry a phaser around with them. Others were just a little bit too serious for my taste, such as the lady who is addressed by her rank of "commander" at work and the man who has flirted with the idea of getting Vulcan ear implants.

With that stated, however, there are plenty of people out there who obsess over other things a little too much as well. For instance, lots of kids dress up like the pop queen flavor of the month. Tons of folks as of this writing are walking around with "West Coast Choppers" clothing on but have never even touched a bike before. Also, there are plenty of fans of reality shows right now who have their favorite "Survivor" or castaway, etc. The one thing that separates "trekkies" and "trekkers" from this bunch is that most of them stick with Star Trek for their entire lives.

Soon enough, West Coast Choppers will be a fleeting memory and all of the people who think it is cool right now will be wearing some other T-Shirt or cap. Pop princesses will go out of style and end up in the pages of Playboy. The same goes for some reality TV stars. Though "Survivor" and many of its copiers are still around, they are beginning to take heavy ratings losses. But unlike those things, "Star Trek" continues to pull in fans and followers. I'm pretty sure that someone dressed like a Klingon will be going to a convention twenty years from now. I'm also sure that West Coast Choppers gear will be replaced by that trusty ol' Harley Davidson jacket.

In other words, fads come and go, but much like Harley Davidson, Boston Red Sox lovers/haters, and Elvis, Star Trek lives forever. I won't be carrying the torch for Trek, but I'm not going to sit here and pick at "trekkies" for being what they are. At least they're devoted to something, and they don't try
to latch on to the latest trends or fads. What they have is special, and though I might find it a little weird, you have to respect them for being true to themselves.

As for this movie, it is an interesting look into the lives of some very different and unique people. Most of them are extremely intelligent and have sought out occupations in the scientific arena. What's so weird about that? Although I still sometimes wonder what is going through some of these peoples' minds, I have to admit that I do appreciate them a little more now than I did before.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the point is made, January 13, 2006

By 

The Mandrew "Coop" (The Dub-V) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Trekkies (DVD)

This documentary really shows how ST has ingrained itself in all levels of the culture. At some point during this DVD, I was a little concerned for some of the individuals involved, but gradually by the end of the film reminded myself that the point of the ST universe is acceptance of all.

These people's passion drives them to be better people, and thats something no one should criticize. While bizarre at times, the people in the film follow Roddenberry's guidelines for life - were the world to do so, I doubt we would face most of the problems we now deal with globally.

The need to belong manifests itself in different ways for different people. ST is clearly an outlet for a rather large group to be a part of something larger than themselves. They don't hurt anyone doing it. They embrace different cultures and ways of life. They support each other with a common belief.

Who can argue with that?