10 Must-See Fan Documentaries About The People Who Matter Most

4. Trekkies

From Dungeons and Dragons to The Lord of the Rings, a lot of fans just love to get dressed up as their favourite characters and show off their costumes at fan conventions. But perhaps the best fans for really getting into character are Trekkies, some of whom have been doing so for decades. Roger Nygard directs this great documentary about the eponymous fans, with former crew member Denise Crosby (who played Tasha Yar in Star Trek: The Next Generation) covering the lives of a group of hardcore followers. Some of them escape from their lives dressing as Klingons and spending small fortunes at memorabilia auctions, while others dedicate their spare time to maintaining the Brent Spiner fan club or producing a Star Trek movie of their own. They all take it very seriously, and for many of them Star Trek is far more than a slice of entertainment to pass the time after work; it is a way of life and a philosophy, with creator Gene Roddenberry's emphasis on plausible science leading to more than a few careers in academia, astrology and even one at NASA. It remains to be seen whether or not the legacy of Star Trek will continue on down future generations - if J. J. Abrams has anything to do with it, any intellectual qualities the concept had will inevitably be phasered out in favour of mindless explosive action and 'might-makes-right', repeatedly-punching-people-in-the-face diplomacy. Let's hope the true fans keep the spirit of Roddenberry alive and well.