Trekkies 2 (2004)

Denise Crosby takes another look at the huge fans of "Star Trek" and how the series from around the world has affected and shaped their lives.

Director:

Roger Nygard

Stars:

Vaughn Armstrong, Richard Arnold, Robert Meyer Burnett

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vaughn Armstrong	...	Himself
Richard Arnold	...	Himself
Robert Meyer Burnett	...	Himself
Casey Biggs	...	Himself
John Billingsley	...	Himself
Brannon Braga	...	Himself
Lolita Fatjo	...	Herself
Leslie Fish	...	Herself
Michael Forest	...	Himself
David A. Goodman	...	Himself
Richard Herd	...	Himself
Dominic Keating	...	Himself
Jacqueline Lichtenberg	...	Herself
Cirroc Lofton	...	Himself
Phil Morris	...	Himself

Storyline

In this follow-up to the popular 1997 documentary, Denise Crosby returns for another look at fans of the "Star Trek" franchise. This time there are interviews with fans from other countries, updates on fans featured in the original film, and performances by "Star Trek"-themed "filk" bands. The filmmakers visited fans all over the world, including an Englishman who transformed his flat into a starship and listed this on the Internet for $2 million, and the first convention ever held in Serbia. The film also checks in on some of the original profilees like wunderkind Gabriel Koerner and alternate Whitewater juror Barbara Adams.

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Plot Keywords:

fan the person | star trek | band | interview | geek culture | 

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Taglines:

How much is too much?

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Genres:

Documentary | Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

Serbo-Croatian English German Italian French Portuguese

Release Date:

20 April 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Trekkies - linnunradan intoilijat

Filming Locations:

Bakersfield, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Neo Art & Logic, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

Barbara Adams: What did you think of Enterprise this week?
Jon Garrison: If they had George Lucas to write for them, make it more like Star Wars, it'd probably be a better show.
Barbara Adams: It's a different genre of science fiction.
Jon Garrison: Star Wars is a lot better because it's got more, you know, laser fights, more, you know... They pretty much don't have different settings on their laser guns. It's, you know, one shot, one kill, sorta thing, unless they wing 'em or something.
Barbara Adams: Star Trek is better because of the philosophy and the ideology.
Jon Garrison: ...

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Crazy Credits

During the ending credits, interviewees discuss the impact of the first Trekkies film.

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Connections

References Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1934)

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Soundtracks

Tranya
No Kill I

User Reviews

An endearing portrayal of the modern fanbase.

Trekkies 2, like the first movie, is an endearing portrayal of the Star Trek fanbase. This time the producers go on the road and travel around the world to meet Star Trek fans from Australia, Brazil, Italy, France, Germany and even Serbia, documenting their experiences with Star Trek and going into the lives of several fans.

In between each segment of the travelogue are pieces that can be described simply as an open forum for fans to discuss issues relating to fandom, such as what makes a "Normal Fan", should you wear your uniform in public, etc. This helps give the fans more a of voice, which many found lacking in the first film.

One thing to note about the DVD is that it in fact features 2 documentaries, as the deleted scenes are cut together in a coherent way to complement the main film, raising issues that may not have fit well with the main film.

Of course, the film also features 'characters' from the first movie, like Gabe Koerner, Brian Dellis, Barbara Adams and Daryl Frazetti, making the movie feel like one of several other documentaries that have followed its subjects over the years, like 7-up.

Moments that stood out for me were the interview with Robert Burnett and the Sacramento segment that feature five Star Trek tribute bands. The Serbia segment was also quite effective because it felt more 'important', going a bit into the recent war and how some fans looked to Star Trek as a way of coping with the war. In fact, the film documents the first ever convention held in Serbia.

As a casual Star Trek fan, it was interesting to see that there was still a fanbase that existed given the current nature of Trek. Given that Star Trek: Nemesis pretty much flopped and Enterprise is on the verge of cancellation, it's kind of nice to see that there are still fans out there who are enthusiastic about Star Trek. It was also nice to see fans that were self-deprecating and could joke about the fact that they're fans. There are also poignant, philosophical moments that get to the heart of the film, such as when one of the fans says, "When reality stops being so lame, we'll stop doing this."

The film not only works because of its content, but also because of its style - irregardless of it's content, the film is just a great documentary. Given this, and the fact that you actually get two films on the DVD, I think everyone should pick this up.

8/10