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Have Trekkies Lost Their Faith?

Have Trekkies Lost Their Faith? image
Parent Issue
Day
26
Month
July
Year
1981
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Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
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Have Trekkies lost the faith?

By Tim Yagle
NEWS SPECIAL WRITER

The “Trekkie” cult is as strong as ever, but the recent film “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” did little to bolster the group’s inner strength or enhance its faith in the series to which it has been so loyal.

Such were the results of random interviews of patrons at the Michigan Theatre Friday night where two vintage episodes from the “Star Trek” television series (“Cat's Paw" and “Amok Time”) were shown.

Attendance at the showings was “light,” according to Rob Conway, the box office cashier. He added that he was “a little bit surprised” at the low turnout, especially when compared with higher attendance levels at recent film festivals of the Three Stooges and Sherlock Holmes.

Nonetheless, “Star Trek” buff Erik Larsen thinks the “Trekkie” cult is still strong, but he doesn’t like that particular label.

“I PREFER the word ‘Trekker’,” he said. “To me it implies you are more closely involved. The word ‘Trekkie’ is too faddy.” The 16-year-old Ann Arborite, who has been a fan of the series for five years, said he was disappointed in the “Star Trek” movie because he thought creator/producer Gene Roddenberry could have produced a better picture with the quality actors and film technology at his disposal.

Tom Kennedy of Detroit agreed and added that “the plot was lacking...but I think there is still an interest (in the series) out there.” The devotee of nine years said he thought the television series “was one of the best produced” of any show. “The characters were well-developed,” he commented.

Another “moderate” aficionado, Steph Franks, said the futuristic TV series “is refreshingly different because most things about the future are rather depressing...militaristic. It’s a good program that stayed relatively serious (about its purpose.)”

Franks, too, thought the movie was “boring,” that “the characters were too wooden” and it relied too heavily on its hyped special effects. “It was an enlarged TV episode,” he lamented. But he added the cult “seems to be very strong. People are hot and heavy into ‘Star Trek.’”

TERI JANASIK, a U-M student, said the fan club “is growing stronger” but the motion picture was something of a letdown for her.

“There wasn’t enough acting,” said the Bay City native who owns all the “Star Trek” books. “The actors tried too hard. Everything was really hyped.” Many “Star Trek” followers were updated on news from the TV series last May when Roddenberry lectured to a Cobo Arena audience in Detroit. He said Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles is about to begin polishing a script for a two-hour “Star Trek” movie or TV show which will be the pilot for a new series of six to eight two-hour episodes with the original cast. The show will feature new producers because Roddenberry said he wants fresh minds working on the script and the overall production.

However, Roddenberry said he will be a creative consultant to the production so that the show doesn’t stray too far from the series’ original ideas. He said if it does, he’ll remove his name from the credits as a sort of warning to “Star Trek” buffs that he wasn’t involved.

‘Star Trek’ television reruns were the bill of fare at the Michigan Theatre Friday
NEWS PHOTO BY JANE HALE