Subject: Retrospective: Trekkies (1997)

From: Murali Krishnan <[email-masked]>
Date: 6 Mar 2000 17:11:34 GMT

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[2.5/4.0]

In the history of American television, no series has attracted as much
devotion as Star Trek. The original series and its progeny have
created a following that contains elements stranger than anything that
ever appeared on the science fiction series. This film is a
documentary that examines the obsession some people have with the
show.

The film is narrated by Denise Crosby, who is a former cast member and
also a participant in the documentary's inquiry. The technique used is
primarily interviews and profiles of particularly possessed
individuals, interviews with current and former cast members
recounting their experiences, and encounters with the show's fandom.

Interspersed with the interviews are many scenes and quick sound bites
from several of the many of the series' ubiquitous conventions, where
fans gather, in complete space regalia, to listen to cast members
talk, buy and sell memorabilia, and generally commiserate with other
fans. The propensity of the conventioneers to dress as characters from
the show creates an odd and humorous mood. It is not unusual to see
people take an interest, but the absurdity of the lengths they go to
is continuously laughable.

What is most compelling is that it is possible to discern several
different types of fans. There are those who digest the moral order
espoused by the show and synthesize it as a personal religion by which
they live. There are some who put all their creative energy into
following the show, like the teenage fan who appraises and trades
memorabilia, and who even developed a computer graphics generated
sketch of an episode based on the series. Some fans are more casual
and do not feel the need to outwardly display their affiliation with
the show but they see the meaning and poignancy developed in the
series' narrative, and they like to discuss this with others. All of
these seem like harmless and quirky individuals who have an interest
but not an unhealthy attraction to the show. However, one type of fan
was unnerving, and that is those who have an obsession with a
particular cast member and character. One woman in particular keeps
her multitude of pictures and other totems connected to her favorite
cast member in a safe, and paints a disturbing picture of obsession.

The primary flaw with the film is that it does not have a focused
theme that it follows through its narrative like a standard
documentary. It meanders between the various interviews with short
convention snippets collected in between. Without a central theme, the
film appears to be little more than a carnival freak show.

Recommended. Judged by the requirements of documentary filmmaking,
this film is lacking in vision by not making a clear statement about
its subject. It is definitely entertaining. Watching the film is
probably more fun as a group activity, since a group of viewers can
laugh together at the odd creatures on screen.

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(c) 2000 Murali Krishnan
The Art House Squatter
http://ArtHouseSquatter.com

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