Blu-ray Review – Trekkies

The world of "Star Trek" is enormous, with all types of media generating an impressively realized universe of characters, vehicles, and environments, giving fans a chance to completely immerse themselves in a fantasy realm that's carried on for nearly 70 years. Such escapism is a rare event, and director Roger Nygard and star/producer Denise Crosby seek to understand the subculture of fandom with 1997's "Trekkies" (theatrically released in 1999 as counterprogramming for "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace"), which takes cameras into the world of "Star Trek" conventions, meeting the people who fully believe in the power of Gene Roddenberry's original creation. Tonality is tricky here, with the documentary threatening to veer into camp and cruelty at any moment, but the great joy of this picture is how it remains as respectful as possible while dealing with people who've handed their lives over to the brand, enjoying the possibilities of hope and the protection of cosplay. "Trekkies" is hilarious, but never mean- spirited, offering viewers a clear understanding of passion mixed with a heavy pour of peculiarity. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com