Editing Trekkies (film)

{{short description|1997 film by Roger Nygard}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Trekkies
| image = Trekkies VideoCover.png
| caption = Original movie poster
| director = [[Roger Nygard]]
| producer = [[W.K. Border]]
| editing = Roger Nygard
| starring = [[Denise Crosby]]
| music = J.J. Holiday<br/ >Billy Sullivan<br/ >Walter Wertzowa<br/ >Jimmie Wood
| cinematography = Harris Done
| studio = Neo Art & Logic
| distributor = [[Paramount Classics]]<ref name=EW/>
| released = {{Film date|1997|10|18}}
| runtime = 86 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $375,000 (estimated)
}}

'''''Trekkies''''' is a 1997 [[documentary film]] directed by [[Roger Nygard]] about [[Trekkie|the devoted fans]] of [[Gene Roddenberry]]'s ''[[Star Trek]]''.<ref name=EW>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|url=http://www.ew.com/article/1999/05/28/trekkies|first=Owen|last=Gleiberman|title=Trekkies|date=May 28, 1999}}</ref> It is the first film released by [[Paramount Vantage]], then known as [[Paramount Classics]], and is presented by [[Denise Crosby]], best known for her portrayal of Security Chief [[Tasha Yar]] on the first season of ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]''.

==Contents==
The film contains interviews with ''Star Trek'' devotees, more commonly known as [[Trekkie]]s. The fans range from people who dress as [[Klingon]]s to members of [[Brent Spiner]] fan clubs including a club that was formed as a result of his role in the film.

==Production==
After she worked with director Roger Nygard in his [[television film]] ''[[High Strung (1991 film)|High Strung]]'' (1991), former ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' actress [[Denise Crosby]] suggested that they should work together on a documentary regarding [[Trekkie|''Star Trek'' fandom]].{{efn|Crosby portrayed [[Star Trek: The Next Generation (season 1)|season one]] main cast character [[Tasha Yar]] in ''The Next Generation''.<ref>[[#Nemecek2003|Nemecek (2003)]]: p. 18</ref>}} Nygard thought it was a good idea and was surprised that it had not been done before. The first filming session took place at the Fantasticon [[science fiction convention]] at the [[Hilton Hotels & Resorts|Hilton Hotel]] in Los Angeles organised by [[William Campbell (actor, born 1923)|William Campbell]].{{efn|Campbell appeared as Trelane in ''The Original Series'' episode "[[The Squire of Gothos]]" and as the Klingon captain [[Koloth (Star Trek)|Koloth]] in "[[The Trouble with Tribbles]]".<ref>[[#gerrold1973|Gerrold (1973)]]: p. 276</ref><ref name=remembering/> His final appearance in ''Star Trek'' was in the ''Deep Space Nine'' episode "[[Blood Oath (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)|Blood Oath]]", where he reprised the role of Koloth.<ref name=remembering>{{cite web|last=Hoffman|first=Jordan|title=One Trek Mind: Remembering "Blood Oath"|url=http://www.startrek.com/article/one-trek-mind-remembering-blood-oath|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303213046/http://www.startrek.com/article/one-trek-mind-remembering-blood-oath|archive-date=March 3, 2016|publisher=Star Trek.com|date=March 27, 2013|access-date=March 8, 2016}}</ref>}} Nygard felt that the footage from this first convention was good enough to warrant continuing with the project.<ref name="deninterview">{{cite web|last1=Brew|first1=Simon|title=Interview: Roger Nygard on Trekkies, Trekkies 2 and The Nature Of Existence|url=http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/14442/interview-roger-nygard-on-trekkies-trekkies-2-and-the-nature-of-existence|publisher=[[Den of Geek]]|access-date=March 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308144317/http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/14442/interview-roger-nygard-on-trekkies-trekkies-2-and-the-nature-of-existence|archive-date=March 8, 2016|date=June 2, 2009}}</ref>

==Release==
''Trekkies'' received a national release in the United States on May 21, 1999. It was in direct competition with ''[[Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace]]''.<ref name="heraldreview">{{cite news|last1=Verniere|first1=James|title='Trekkies' Takes us to Space, the Final Frontier|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-57113111.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181120125700/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-57113111.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 20, 2018|access-date=March 8, 2016|work=[[Boston Herald]]|url-access= |date=May 21, 1999}}</ref>

==Reception==
Colin Covert gave three and a half stars in his review for the ''[[Star Tribune]]'', adding that it was likely to shake up the viewers opinions of ''Star Trek'' fans. He praised the structure of the film, with the initial "shock value" of each fan being followed up with further background to round out the portrait.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Covert|first1=Colin|title=''Trekkies'' a Portrait of Die-Hard Life|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-62474465.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181117170457/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-62474465.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 17, 2018|access-date=March 8, 2016|work=[[Star Tribune]]|url-access= |date=May 21, 1999}}</ref> Renee Graham at the ''[[Boston Globe]]'' gave a similar opinion, saying that despite the expectation of the reviewer, none of the opinions put forward by ''Trekkies'' felt like a "[[insult|put-down]]". She summed up the documentary by saying "The Trekkie phenomenon may fall short of common definitions of normalcy, but as a film, {{'}}''Trekkies''{{'}} sure beats sleeping outside for days to see a mediocre movie about some galaxy far, far away."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Graham|first1=Renee|title='Trekkies' Charts a Phenomenon's Course|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8551430.html|access-date=March 8, 2016|work=[[Boston Globe]]|url-access= |date=May 21, 1999}}{{dead link|date=February 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

Bob Stauss, the film critic for the ''[[Los Angeles Daily News]]'' gave two and a half stars, saying that the documentary goes on too long and did not delve into the "real psychological issues raised by such obsessive interest". He added that the fans were "amusing for about 15 minutes, tops" and that the cumulative effect of watching the fans for that long was "numbing".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Strauss|first1=Bob|title='Trekkies' Too Much, Not Enough|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-83612087.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180701222330/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-83612087.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 1, 2018|access-date=March 8, 2016|work=[[Los Angeles Daily News]]|url-access= |date=May 21, 1999}}</ref> James Verniere for the ''[[Boston Herald]]'' gave three stars, suggesting that Nygard may have found his niche as the "[[Michael Moore]] of weirdness" with this and his following film, ''Six Days in Roswell''. Verniere suggested that ''Trekkies'' wasn't as definitive as the film ''[[Free Enterprise (film)|Free Enterprise]]'' (1999) but described it as an "interesting, often hilarious piece of sociological comedy".<ref name="heraldreview" /> Alicia Potter, also at the ''Boston Herald'', described the film as "surreally funny".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Potter|first1=Alicia|title=Phasers on Fun: 'Trekkies' Catalogs Fan Worship|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-57112267.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180701222316/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-57112267.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 1, 2018|access-date=March 8, 2016|work=[[Boston Herald]]|url-access= |date=May 23, 1999}}</ref>

On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds a rating of 86% from 42 reviews with the consensus: "To fan or not to fawn over: this lifelong and prosperous journey into a sometimes cringeworthy world makes ''Trekkies'' the lovable center of its universe."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/trekkies | title=Trekkies - Rotten Tomatoes | website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] }}</ref>

==Sequels==
In 2004, a [[sequel]] was released, titled ''[[Trekkies 2]]''. This documentary travels throughout the world, mainly in [[Europe]], to show fans of ''Star Trek'' from outside the United States. It also revisits memorable fans featured in the previous film.

Nygard sought to answer some of the criticism received from Trekkies in the sequel, in that he was accused of not showing "normal" fans. With this in mind, he attempted to include some degree of a description of what was normal fan behaviour and what was more unusual.<ref name="deninterview"/>

In an interview with TrekNews.net at the ''Star Trek Mission: New York'' convention in September 2016, Crosby talked about the potential for another documentary about ''Star Trek'':

<blockquote>
We do want to make a Trekkies 3. In earnest, we’re hoping to get started in two more years. We have to time it with the rights and all the legal stuff. There’s a lot of politics involved. We approached CBS/Viacom/Paramount [who own various rights to Star Trek] already and there’s interest. So fingers crossed. When producing these documentaries, I’m always delighted by the surprise at something we didn’t expect, such as the stories people tell and interacting with the fans, hearing stories. I never get tired of it..."<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.treknews.net/2016/09/07/denise-crosby-trekkies-3-tng-star-trek-online/ |title = EXCLUSIVE: Denise Crosby Talks Trekkies 3, TNG, Star Trek Online |date = 7 September 2016 |publisher = TrekNews.net |access-date = 2017-07-09}}</ref>
</blockquote>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin|40em}}
* {{cite book|last=Gerrold|first=David|title=The Trouble with Tribbles: The Birth, Sale and Final Production of one Episode|year=1973|edition=2004 BenBalla|publisher=BenBalla Books|location=Dallas, TX|ref=gerrold1973}}
* {{cite book|last=Nemecek|first=Larry|title=Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion|year=2003|edition=3rd|publisher=Pocket Books|location=New York|isbn= 0-7434-5798-6|ref=Nemecek2003}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* {{official website|http://www.trekdoc.com}}{{Dead link|date=September 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
* {{IMDb title|0120370|Trekkies}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|trekkies}}
* {{Mojo title|trekkies}}
{{Memoryalpha|Trekkies|''Trekkies''}}
* [http://interviews.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/11/18/1748226 Interview conducted by Slashdot with Roger Nygard]

{{Star Trek}}

[[Category:1997 films]]
[[Category:Documentary films about fandom]]
[[Category:Documentary films about Star Trek]]
[[Category:Star Trek fandom]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Roger Nygard]]
[[Category:English-language documentary films]]
[[Category:Cult following]]