Trekkies':The frontier of bizarre

This is the fifth of a bi-weekly feature on movies: "In Case You Missed It the First Time." This week, it's the 1997 documentary, "Trekkies".

How do you say "kill" in Klingon? Learn how, in the obscenely bizarre documentary "Trekkies," a 1997 feature film that takes a look at the world's most zealous fans.

Hosted and narrated by Denise Crosby, (Tasha Yar from "Star Trek: The Next Generation"), "Trekkies" is a snarky and mean-spirited depiction of its titular subjects. Yet at the same time, the devoted followers of all things Trek are placed on a special pedestal, proud of their dorkiness, impenetrable to all teasing.

This is a film that has become a cult classic, all about a group of people enamored of a cult classic itself. Director Robert Nygard splices interviews with both former and current cast members of the "Stark Trek" series with featurettes and segments on some of the more unique Trekkies. These are the true stars of the film.

You've got Barbara Adams, your anonymous run-of-the-mill uniform-wearing, Vulcan-eared Trekkie. Anonymous, that is, until she gets called as a juror in the Clinton Whitewater hearings and chooses to wear her uniform in pride to the trials. Unfazed by the media attention and general ridicule heaped upon her, it's almost sad to watch Adams live her life in what seems to be a social vacuum. But when she asks her co-employees at Kinko's to refer to her as "Commander," its impossible to stifle your laughter.

Then there's Gabriel K"erner, a 15-year-old computer genius with the social mannerisms of an eight-year-old. Anyone who went through high school knew a kid just like Gabriel. Clad with a blond mullet and born of a father who never got out of the '60s, Gabriel is the knight in the spacesuit who lifts "Trekkies" out of mediocrity and into greatness. While at first he seems like a teen without anything going for him, when he yanks out his desktop and shows his stunning computer graphics, you can't help but be in awe of what must be his future incarnation as "The Simpsons'" Comic Book Store Guy.

Don't forget Denis Bourguignon, DDS, who, along with his Trekkie wife have redecorated their dentist's office by plastering each wall, toothbrush, and reclining chair in Star Trek paraphernalia. The jaw-dropping devotion these people have to a television series is simultaneously hilarious and depressing -- but then, that is pretty much the tone for the whole documentary.

Yet the show is more than just a literal representation of "Freaks and Geeks." Nygard's unfettered access to "Star Trek" cast members old and new brings a relatively normal contrast to their bizarre fans. It's all relative, however, as cast member George Takei (Sulu on the original series) only has to open his mouth to prove that something's a little bit "off." Other interviewees, however, like Brent Spiner (Data from "The Next Generation") promote a more positive, ordinary image of the Star Trek world.

On the flip side, there is Joyce Mason, head of the SpinerFems and possibly the scariest stalker ever caught on film. Then you have the confused cross-dresser who enjoys "filking": singing Star Trek folk songs. The final icing on the cake, though, must be those who claim to be Klingons. Quite frighteningly, these Trekkies who dress as the brutes of the world in fact teach kindergarten and enjoy miniature golfing.

See? They're normal, just like us.

While the above may have just consisted of a list of all the zany characters showcased in "Trekkies," it's only a snippet of the frightening and awe-inspiring world of Star Trek fanatics. The documentary is a never ending display of the bizarre people of our world, and one that should live long and prosper.