Get a Life! (2012) - full transcript
An EPIX Original documentary directed by William Shatner, based on his hugely popular book, in which he examines the cultural phenomena of STAR TREK, its fan-following and his own role within it. In HD.
And finally, the man
you've all been waiting for,
Captain James Tiberius Kirk
himself, William Shatner!
Now, Bill's here
to field a few questions,
so just fire away.
Okay, on your horse farm,
all right?
How many saddle-bred horses
do you have?
34.
Wait. Is that including
the colt that was born
earlier this week?
- That mare had a foal?
- Tuesday.
Well, I guess
it's 35, then, isn't it?
All right! All right!
You know, before I answer
any more questions,
there's something
I wanted to say.
Having received
all your letters
over the years--
and I've spoken to many of you,
and some of you have traveled
hundreds of miles to be here--
I'd just like to say,
get a life,
will you, people?
So who are all these people,
and why are they still
coming to Star Trek conventions?
Perhaps the answers
lie in the cosmos.
Are they geeks or Greeks?
Or did they beam down
from an orbiting starship?
You name it, it's here
at this convention.
And we are
having a blast.
Qapla'!
We set aside
this time every year
just to come to this.
We love it.
We just took
a 27-hour flight...
from Shanghai to Las Vegas
to be here at this convention.
It's one big party.
We have a blast.
Resistance is futile!
You will be assimilated!
What a concept.
It's deep. It's funny.
Wow. It's so...
human!
An empty ballroom.
But not for long.
I was in Star Trek
nearly 50 years ago.
You'd think I'd know
everything there was
to know about it.
Well, I don't.
Epiphany!
There are ideas
and concepts...
I never heard about,
things I never
thought about.
Can you imagine how I feel
after being in hundreds
of Star Trek conventions...
and asking myself,
"Who are these people?"
I-I wrote a book
about the subject,
and I thought I knew.
But there was much more.
10:15. We got riggers coming
in 15 minutes, so we gotta get
these things opened real fast.
The Vegas show
is a year-long process,
from the development
of the event
to the execution of it.
It's a bit crazy, because
we have over 20,000 fans...
over the course
of a four-day period.
Supposed to get it done
before these mistakes
happen, not during.
So, the biggest challenge
this year is the fact that
we're moving to a new place...
and we have about
30% higher attendance,
so I'm worried about the
logistical challenges of meeting
the demands of the crowd.
Put 62 and 63 here.
We have issues
about the tilt of the screen
from the rear of the room.
Let's go up
on the stage.
I want you to walk me through
how we're bringing the talent
on and off. Okay?
They're actually gonna
be coming up those stairs.
Directly across from there
is the green room.
This is registration.
The people
will be funneled through
that Disneyland ride line.
They'll pick up their wristbands
and colored lanyard
that goes on their ticket...
and their gold coin
souvenir.
Hopefully we've streamlined it
over the last dozen years
we've been doing this,
but there's always issues.
They're coming in
any second now, man.
We're good now?
Okay.
Yeah.
The Star Trek
45th anniversary convention...
seemed like the perfect place
to hear some stories
and have some fun.
Las Vegas-- four days,
20,000 fans, 100 celebrities,
all congregating under one roof?
This is the grand nexus
of Star Trek conventions.
Creation Entertainment
had fans write to me
from all over,
sharing their personal stories
on how Star trek
has impacted their lives.
My quest was to find out
if there was a deeper meaning
behind it all.
I mean, come on.
It's been 45 years.
We're the Jue family!
I'm having
an awesome time!
All of us, obviously,
are avid Star Trek fans.
We knew that we were coming
to the 45th anniversary.
We mentioned it to the family
and everybody jumped onboard.
So the Jue family's in Vegas
all of the sudden-- all of us.
My name's Justin Luna,
and I'm here to visit
the Star Trek convention
in Las Vegas.
Why?
'Cause I love Star Trek.
We're here for the convention.
To see William Shatner
and Patrick Stewart.
And just to enjoy
Star Trek.
Okay, my name is Maxi Penning,
and I'm here for the convention
from Germany.
Hi.
My name is Barbara Scott.
I've been a Trek fan
since September 8, 1966,
when it first came on.
When Neil Armstrong
and Buzz Aldrin
walked on the moon,
I wanted to be there.
So I stayed up in my room
and watched, on this little
black and white television,
men exploring
where no one had gone before,
and, you know, the next day
I would watch Star Trek.
At a convention
we're all accepted...
because we all have
the same interests.
And it can be at various levels,
to where you want to dress up...
or you want the autographs,
or you want the photos.
Everybody's in
at a different spot.
The-- The relationships
that have been developed,
I mean, over 45 years,
are very important.
I think it all comes back down
to Gene Roddenberry's
original vision...
of a future
where we're all one world
of all one people,
and I think people
really want to be that.
They want to have that,
and this is the closest
that they can come...
at this given point
in time...
that we're all unified
as a people.
I'm Eric Allan Hall, and
I'm from Salt lake City, Utah.
I met my wife here,
and what got us together was our
mutual interest in Star Trek.
We met at
a speed-dating activity.
We spent about
five minutes
with each other.
I happened to have a picture
of me dressed as Mr. Data
on my phone, and--
And then I was hooked.
And now we have three kids--
the next generation,
so to speak.
Yeah, Eric and I
are both nerds.
Our children
haven't figured it out yet.
They still think
dressing up in costumes
and going to the conventions...
is just a blast.
Where's Mommy?
Who's that?
Me!
That's you.
Was I that small?
You were that small.
Yeah.
Have you grown up there?
Are you holding Spock there?
Yeah.
I've been to probably
75 or 80 conventions.
Some people at work
think I'm...
maybe a little obsessive
about that.
On the other hand,
I know people who get
season tickets...
for basketball
or football games,
or people who go hunting
very year.
It's the thing that I do
that I look forward to
every year.
I'm from Manalapan,
New Jersey.
I've been a Star Trek fan
since the beginning in '66.
That's why I have
a house full of memorabilia.
It's a wonder we have
a place to sleep anymore.
As each of my kids
move out of the house,
I take over their room...
and add Star Trek
memorabilia to it.
Music boxes, clocks,
pewter mugs,
many small pewter ships,
stuffed animals, glasses.
We have a lot of TV Guides.
I have about 60
Star Trek watches,
about 50 Star Trek ties,
the Star Trek
Bally pinball machine
from 1978.
Still working.
I don't know if there's
anything that I don't have.
I think I've seen
everything, and--
Well, there might be
some more autographs.
This is from
our photo op room.
You only have to
live in a silo
to display the banner.
One hundred over there.
101. 150. That's what we have.
- Put it on a credit card.
You don't have to really pay.
Three hundred. Sold for $300.
Congratulations. Very nice.
Sold, $1,700. Awesome.
This is signed
by the entire cast
of the new movie.
Throw in free shipping!
"Throw in free shipping."
Thank you, sir.
Security,
remove that man.
Six hundred.
Very rare.
Six hundred once.
Seven hundred in red.
Great deal.
- 1,650.
- 1,650.
1,650 once.
1,650 twice.
1,675.
1,675.
1,675 once.
1,675 twice.
Seventeen.
1,700.
Once. 1,700 twice.
They look like they're out.
They are.
Sold, $1,700.
My man Dan.
Awesome. Very nice.
I see we have
some honorary sisters
over there.
Let go.
Have fun.
No more!
My name is Brad Siegel.
Some years back
I traveled to Chicago,
and at that convention I
happened to meet a young lady...
who I became quite fond of.
We started to date...
and realized
we had Star Trek in common.
A year and a half later,
as we were coming up
to the New Jersey convention
in Seacaucus,
with Gary and Adam's help
at the convention in New Jersey,
um, we choreographed
a little contest.
She gets up on stage
to win the prize.
Then Gary said,
"Well, honey, why don't you
pick another seat number?"
Happens to be
my seat number.
Read the number on here.
My God.
It's 835!
835.
The fix is in. She has
no idea what's going on.
I had a prepared little speech.
I realize now
that I've never known
what it meant to be loved...
until I was loved by you
as I am.
Will you marry me?
Suddenly all the groans that you
just heard from the audience,
they all became cheers
and you heard all these
"oohs" and "ahhs."
It was nerve-racking,
but yet probably the most
amazing, amazing experience.
And for those of us who
are all part of Star Trek,
to have been able
to share that with 400 or 500
of my closest friends,
who are all about Star Trek,
was just-- just remarkable.
Qapla'!
Welcome!
You can do just about anything
at this convention--
even have lunch
with a Klingon.
So, are you humans
ready to party?
Yeah!
Are you ready
to eat?
It's dead!
You eat this?
This man here is about to
be sacrificed to marriage
in about four weeks.
Human marriage!
Come on. Let's get
that Vulcan food going.
Leave the meat for me.
Let's give a round of applause
for the real Klingons.
We're all real
in this room!
We did four episodes on T.N.G.
and then we did the movie.
Being part of Star Trek is
sort of a unique experience.
It's a huge
sociological bubble...
and I don't think
you have any idea
what it's going to be...
when you first get cast
on the show,
but you open a door
into this whole new world.
Cheers!
My name is Ryan Blazic.
I was a quartermaster,
deck watch officer...
and counting officer
on the Coast guard cutter
Willow.
My name is Bill Bushman. I just
retired a couple months ago--
21 years in the Coast Guard.
I was the engineering officer
aboard the same ship
that Ryan was on.
And when did you start
discussing Star Trek?
Almost from the beginning.
We both liked it.
We both grew up with it.
You used to shoot me over
the intercom with your phaser.
Yes, I did used to do that.
Star Trek ship
and a ship in the military
is basically the same thing,
the same
organizational levels,
I don't think you can
get any closer...
to being on an actual
starship than being
on a coast guard cutter.
Even the missions themselves
are much more humanitarian
than the other armed forces.
We do search and rescue,
we do fishery enforcement
with our small boats.
I've just always
liked the show.
Hello. My name
is Anthony Kwan.
Star Trek was something
that I started watching
in high school.
From there...
I just kept following the career
of Captain Kirk, so to speak.
I used to fly B-52's,
which meant I used to
babysit weapons.
You have a lot of power
at your fingertips,
but with that power
also comes responsibility.
That's what
the military teaches you--
that you're given the job
by the civilians, and that's
the job you carry out.
You carry it out
to the best of your ability.
We have all your geek news,
so check us out.
How's it going?
Well. How about yourself?
Business good?
Yeah.
Been busy.
Why?
A lot of people are interested
in the styles that we have.
What's the stuff
you're selling?
Check this one out.
It's been very popular.
It's the 45th
anniversary edition.
Do you like doing
what you're doing?
Yes.
Why?
Um, just a lot
of action.
It's a lot of fun
meeting all these people.
It's a really exciting job.
I've been doing the conventions
since 1972.
It was just one episode
that I did,
but it became
one of the classic,
iconic episodes.
You know, I've been
doing the shows...
probably now since '99,
and the fans
have become my friends.
I don't even use
the word "fans" anymore.
I just feel they're
my Star Trek family.
The
family theme is always common
at a Star Trek convention,
and one of the most passionate
members of the family
is David Sparks--
Captain Dave.
I first met Captain Dave
while filming my documentary
The Captains...
and was immediately struck
by his indomitable spirit...
and passion for Star Trek.
David suffered from birth with
Duchenne muscular dystrophy,
a deteriorating condition
that keeps muscles
from growing in the body.
His journey
is an amazing one.
When Dave was 15 and a half
years old...
he had respiratory failure.
We were in
the intensive care,
and on Saturday
and Sunday nights...
there were two
back-to-back episodes
of the original series.
He just fell in love
with Star Trek.
And he was released
from the hospital to my care...
on the ventilator,
and James Doohan
came to town.
He'd only been out
of the hospital a week.
He was so fragile.
But he wanted to go.
And it was wintertime.
It was so cold.
But I took him,
and he got to meet James Doohan.
You can see he signed this.
This was the very first
thing that he did,
and he went out
in the freezing cold to do it.
People choosing careers
and getting married...
all because of
their love of Star Trek?
Life-changing decisions.
And look what it's done
for Captain Dave.
About 90 minutes before
the theater opens, so we
can do a technical rehearsal.
It'd be really good
if both of you guys
were there.
I'm Adam Malin.
I'm co-C.E.O.
of Creation Entertainment.
I've been producing
live events for fans
for over 40 years.
I guess
the catalyst trigger...
was a kind of comic book
flea market of sorts...
that I attended in 1969.
That was truly
a revelatory moment...
because in that moment
I realized...
by God, there's family.
So I got with my buddy Gary.
There was no turning back.
The apple of my eye,
Grace Lee Whitney.
Mr. Ethan Phillips.
Let's have a big hand,
everybody!
Four decades later
it's the ultimate fan dream,
for sure.
About halfway through
the convention,
I met a college professor
who would really
get me thinking.
My name is Richard Imon,
and I am a professor
of liberal arts
at Regis University.
I teach myths,
cultures and traditions,
and I use Star Trek
a medium to teach.
As a child growing up
in the '60s,
I was able to view Star Trek
from a child's eye.
So as I grew older I thought,
Boy, some of these circumstances
and all these episodes...
deal with a lot of
philosophical life issues.
So I've incorporated this
in a lot of teaching
that I do at Regis.
The Joseph Campbell model...
for the psyche--
He applies Jung in this,
a little bit of Freud,
and of course he put
his own spin to it...
and we've come up with
this very nice model
to express the human psyche.
Listening to
all this philosophical
and cultural complexity...
and I'm sitting here saying,
what was I doing
all of these years?
Why didn't I see this?
But the truth of the matter is,
yeah, that starship
did represent mankind.
It did represent
a unity of the people.
And I never saw that.
Today I see it,
but today it's too late.
I'm on my way out.
Well, this is new.
See, I read Joseph Campbell's
Hero With a Thousand Faces...
and it looked at...
the psychological,
sociological, cosmological
and spiritual needs of man.
So I called on Bob Walter,
who is head of
the Joseph Campbell Foundation,
to see what he had
to say about it.
Fans.
People around the world,
not just in America,
have watched shows
like Star Trek.
Talk to me
about the people who
watch that and see it.
The human being
is a meaning-making machine.
We are hardwired
for narrative.
We struggle to make sense
of our experience...
by casting it in story.
But the stories
have to have meaning.
That's right.
The primal man sat by the fire
and listened to the story,
to return to that,
then went out and was a warrior,
or was a priest,
or was a whatever.
The inspiration
came from there.
Then that all
kinda fell apart.
And now what do we do?
We turn on the tube and--
and...
if were lucky
we get impassioned,
like a Trekkie.
One of the great attractions
of Star Trek...
is all the adventures
they get to go on.
Go, go, go!
I just have always had
such a great fascination...
and true love of Star Trek
since I was young.
And it's really been a very--
kind of a secret but important
part of my career.
I'm Katherine Ridenhour.
I have been a firefighter
for almost 25 years.
And my last seven years
were spent as a battalion chief.
So your truck doesn't carry
any extra--
When I look at the roles
of the captain throughout
all the different series,
I find it to be
incredibly inspirational.
Because what we see is someone
in a leadership role...
and how they dealt with
the humanity of their crew...
and those around them,
but also
their incredible ability
to make decisions...
in the heat of the battle.
I was a paramedic
early in my career,
so I've seen the suicides,
I've seen the gunshots,
I've seen the stabbings.
Maybe, in some
of those situations
where they didn't die,
we did make a difference,
we did save their life.
And I always took it
to really grasp
how precious our life is...
and to hopefully
live our moments...
and realize
how precious they are...
and how important it is
to be your best...
and always strive for that.
Autograph ticket holders
one to 25,
be looking at the screens
for all the information.
You may get on line now.
A convention, by nature,
should be interactive.
We want to get autographs
with these people and meet them
and shake their hands.
We want to take photos
with them.
I have 350 signatures
on here.
It took me 11 years.
I carry it around with me
wherever I go...
to get
all the signatures on it.
It travels first class.
I travel economy.
Well, for me,
it's just getting to meet
these people that you've seen...
on the big screen
and/or small screen...
that you've grown up with
your whole life...
and getting to meet them
in the flesh
and see them in person.
It's an amazing feeling.
Thank you so much.
I loved Odo.
I try
and make a point of meeting
all the actors and actresses.
I've done photo ops
with every major star
from all five series.
Looking at it
from a fan's point of view,
I think it's much more personal.
Opposed to autographs.
There isn't a table separating
you from the celebrity.
It's a short period of time,
but in those
five to 10 seconds...
you're not worried about
your personal life,
any problems you're having.
It's just being next to
someone you appreciate.
And to capture that for fans
is special.
I didn't know what to think,
but I just finished
my first event...
and I was so pleased.
Everyone was so warm.
I mean, they were saying
things like,
"Welcome to the family."
I mean, it's--
it's pretty awesome.
Is television...
not the hearth?
The television set,
certainly when
it was introduced,
became the hearth
in the living room.
It also became the conveyor
of a common reality.
The shows that really endure
and that have this kind
of rabid fandom,
they speak to
the human experience,
and hopefully with enough
variation that wherever you are
you can find a way in.
They speak about a society
that doesn't exclude you.
They're set in some kind
of cosmological field...
that you don't turn it on
and go, "That's ridiculous."
Star Trek happened right in
the middle of our space program,
right in the middle of NASA.
And then
we went to the moon.
There was this shift happening
in the consciousness
of the planet.
I see.
I work for NASA
as the Hubble space telescope
flight software manager.
My team is responsible for
making changes to the software
that's in the computers...
inside the telescope.
It goes back
to my childhood,
of wanting to be a part
of something that I saw
on television.
There was
an extraordinary leader
leading a team of people...
who cared about each other,
very much like the team
I work with now,
solving problems,
trying to do something
that's never been done before.
So, about two minutes.
Hi. My name is Richard Arnold.
I've been a Star Trek fan
my entire adult life.
I was 12 when the show
went on the air in 1966.
I've been to more than
a thousand conventions now
in the last 45 years.
I worked with Gene,
and I continued--
It's how I make my living--
I ended up working
with Gene Roddenberry...
from 1986, officially,
until 1991...
as Paramount's resident
Star Trek expert.
It was definitely geeksville
when you were a fan of
science fiction and Star Trek,
and I had to deal with that
all through high school.
At very early conventions,
I discovered
I'm with people...
who not only get
what it is that I like,
but aren't judging me.
I don't have to
explain myself anymore.
It really is
an acceptable thing...
to just totally immerse yourself
in this thing that you love.
It's something
that we all get,
we all understand.
It's going
to all the events and just
having fun, being together.
We watch each other's back,
we have fun together,
we laugh, we play.
We'll be at karaoke.
We'll be at karaoke
on Saturday!
**
More than anything else,
I think it's the camaraderie,
spending time together,
all of us being together--
you just get together with
other Trekkies and have fun.
And friends that I met
at that very first convention
I went to 16 years ago...
I'm still friends with them
to this day.
And a lot of times
I will see the same people
year after year...
and it's almost like
a family reunion.
I was really kind of
a quiet, shy kid.
I never went to my prom.
Um, it just--
I don't know if it was
lack of self confidence...
or just being shy.
Being in costume,
I guess, help me
break out of that shell.
The first time I dressed
as Mr. Data,
it was really cool
to be able to walk
into the convention center...
and have people kind of stop
and look and come up...
and ask for pictures.
It-- I don't know.
A little bit
of self validation?
For me, it's a way
to be creative.
We have a microphone here
and everything.
- Yeah.
- There you go.
Wow.
Okay, fine.
I know this!
In Nemesis, what's the name
of Data's twin android...
that's found
in the Scimitar?
B-4.
Before what?
No, I'm kidding.
Okay, in Nemesis,
which song does
Data's twin android--
I'm Heather Marsh,
and I've been a Star Trek fan
since I was nine years old.
I guess
I always kinda had...
an interest in space.
So seeing Star Trek,
it kinda shows you
what could be up there.
As a kid, that's something
that can really open your mind
and your imagination.
Back in February, I found out
that Terry Farrell was gonna be
at the Las Vegas convention.
I probably would
have been about 13
when Deep Space Nine started.
You're trying to figure out
who you wanna be,
and here was someone
that I could look to,
to idolize in a way.
When her name appeared
on that convention list,
that was it. We're going.
Her autograph ticket,
her photo op ticket
were the first ones I bought.
I wasn't even worried
about the rest.
It was the weekend
before my 30th birthday,
but I figured they wouldn't
move the convention
to suit my birthday, so--
I thought
I would move my birthday
to suit the convention.
We walked into
the big theater,
we're looking at the stage,
and I'm just looking around,
and then I turn around
and I see a big banner
of Jadzia Dax.
And I started to cry.
I felt like I was home.
In the telling of the story,
that legend began.
There was
a singular person...
who was heroic,
stronger,
more passionate,
more skilled, perhaps,
and people then
would say,
"Odysseus."
And the name would ring,
and the stories they'd tell
about Odysseus's travels.
All of these stories
and all these heroic figures,
they didn't exist
in a negative landscape.
Odysseus was
the personification of
the Greek ideal of heroism.
John Wayne was
the personification
of the American hero...
conquering the West.
The West.-
The fan sees a hero,
and the fan
holds that ideal up...
and models themselves
after that.
There's much more
going on here...
than simple admiration
for a TV show.
I always believed
that one of the things...
that keeps the franchise alive
is just the fact...
that unlike most science fiction
that looks towards...
the dystopias
that are awaiting us,
Star Trek says
we are going to transcend
our problems.
It says that humanity
is going to survive...
and still be recognizable
in the 24th century.
It's about as optimistic
a view of the future...
as you could possibly get.
"Captain Dave"?
He created that
for his e-mail address.
It stuck.
And Captain Dave
is who he identifies with.
He's-- He's Captain Dave.
To take David on a jaunt--
to a convention--
is like moving
an intensive care unit,
and every piece of equipment
is critical to his life.
It's like being
on a roller coaster...
or going down rapids.
You're just focused
on the next thing--
the next autograph,
the next photo op.
He had his time booked solid.
The last convention
was just amazing...
because he had been
in William Shatner's
The Captains.
He changed from being a fan
to a celebrity, actually.
He was so thrilled to be part
of the gang backstage.
And who knew that somebody
who couldn't move a muscle...
could have such a rich,
deep life?
What are we,
chopped liver?
Terry, how long
has it been
since I've seen you?
I haven't seen you since the
last day you worked on the show.
Yeah, but you
really look the same.
No, you--
He does.
So do you.
I must have looked awful.
No, you don't.
You know, that's it.
When someone says,
"You look the same,"
you go, "What?"
I find it very strange.
It's 7:00 in the morning,
but it's like speed dating.
We go from table to table--
Speed dating?
I want to know how you know that
about speed dating.
Well, I've seen
stuff online.
It is like speeding, because
they come and they tap you
on your shoulder--
and say, "It's time
to go to the next table."
- You go, "I have to go now.
- " - Yeah, even if you're in a story.
Did you all know that
we would be meeting here...
at 7:00 in the morning?
I didn't know that.
Personally, I think
they pay so much money
to come to these things,
I think that they deserve
your attention.
They want--
I talk about myself.
I talk about you too.
They want you
to talk about yourself.
I don't agree with that.
I think they want us
to see them,
to hear who they are--
I agree.
and then finally feel...
like there's a back-and-forth.
I have a group that's been
following me around,
and they're very devoted
and they're very understanding
and they're always there.
When I did Broadway,
they were in the front row,
night after night.
With my brother? Remember?
We came to see--
Absolutely, I remember that.
It is kind of like
Same Time Next Year.
Really, I don't matter anymore.
I'm not sure I ever did.
They have a friendship.
And it's like,
"Nana's going to Italy.
Great. Let's all go to Italy.
And then they go and have
an incredible time together.
...and then you catch up
on our lives--
everybody's lives.
Yeah.
What everybody's doing
since the last time
we saw each other,
how the family is,
what our careers are doing.
Yeah.
All that stuff.
How do you make new
a series like Star Trek...
to stay alive 50 years?
The TV's packaged, okay?
You know, you see it.
You don't affect the story
by your watching of it.
Um, in contradistinction,
perhaps,
to folks
who are into Star Trek...
who relive the story.
They embody it.
They go into it.
They dress up.
They have conventions.
So it inspires them to act.
Okay? And to act in community,
and so it doesn't die.
It doesn't die.
So if we watch television
with an intention,
we can reinterpret
what it is we're seeing...
and become artistic--
do something artistic--
as a result.
If it really grabs you,
you will feel impelled
to do something creative.
For me, I wouldn't even consider
going to a convention
without wearing an outfit.
My brother-in-law and I, Peter,
we actually won the 2010...
Star Trek costume contest
as Romulans.
This'll be the new uniform
we're debuting...
at the 45th annual
Star Trek convention
in Las Vegas.
When we make our uniforms,
we try to do it...
at least three to four
to six months in advance,
because it does take
a lot of time and effort.
I have been working
on my Borg costume...
since 1993.
This is part of a squirt gun.
It has a working claw.
This is a chest piece.
I found it
at a thrift store,
and I think it was
bicycle motocross gear...
that I just added
little bits and pieces to.
And then on the inside
I've wired up
a voice changer,
so when I talk--
I sound like a Borg,
and I can put it down like this
and say, "Resistance is futile.
You will be assimilated."
And it goes up--
although it doesn't sound
quite as scary...
if I do the same thing,
like this.
This is called
a "monster maroon."
I love this uniform
from The Wrath of Khan.
It's the most military
of the uniforms,
I think, Dad.
It's the most military
of the uniforms. Right.
And we actually
look good together.
I'm like the before,
and he's the current
or the after.
Today I'm wearing
my Klingon costume.
Every day I wear
a different uniform,
but I thought I'd like to debut
my new Klingon costume
without my forehead.
I'm looking forward
to the Klingon makeup class,
because after I leave here
I'm gonna do mine.
I enjoy it.
I enjoy the world of Trek.
I'm a fan,
just like everybody else.
But for me, the overall look--
Make it believable.
Make it look like you walked
off the TV set.
There's nothing
that will stop a crowd,
cause more commotion,
than a Klingon.
We got a tech
that's right over there.
Is it Doug?
Who's on it?
It's union guys.
IATSE guys.
But they don't know anything
about our disk.
They don't know anything
about it.
No, but Ben is here.
Ben is here?
Dr. Ben is here.
Do we have your disk,
by the way?
He's got it on his machine.
Yeah, okay. That's fine.
Yeah, no.
Then we'll give you
the same coverage
as always.
Now we will absolutely
terrify you.
I'm overjoyed
to be presenting to you...
the Klingon side.
Are there any warriors
out there among you?
I think if you sort of
think Amazon and bump it up
exponentially.
They're just
very fierce creatures.
Lay down on your side,
get up and start
all over again!
With a strong sense
of loyalty--
not to things that humans
would consider worth
being loyal to.
It's the best bad guy...
that I think any writer
has ever created.
We're part
of the obstacle...
for the human characters,
but within
the dramatic construct,
it's still all the same thing.
**
**-
Thank you!
We recognize all too well
the limitations
of the individual human being,
but when you try to identify
with these heroes...
who took it on
all by themselves--
these Odysseuses
and these John Wayne-like
figures--
you start to say,
"Wait a minute."
I have trouble identifying
with that right now,
because I don't see
people like that
in my experience.
What do I see
in my experience?
I see groups of people
working together.
Someone leads them,
but if they lead them
effectively,
then they lead them
by rallying them around.
We need a collective vision
of the hero,
where it's all of us.
The symbol of the ship
symbolizes Earth.
The different people
aboard the ship...
symbolizes
all the different cultures.
And it's sailing
through the universe,
which we call "life."
What they're doing
is much like...
what a practicing Christian
in the Renaissance
might have done...
when they adopted a patron saint
for their confirmation...
and took on that saint's name,
and then used that saint
as a touchstone for their
behavior down the line.
So what they're really doing
is they're buying into
a narrative--
a series of narratives--
a mythology, if you will.
If it's a mythology, it also
tells you how to relate
to your other human beings,
gives you some--
To your tribe.
To your tribe!
Exactly.
Mythology is a way
that people use metaphor
to describe the unknown.
A myth is a metaphor for--
Life or--
Of your existence.
Your existence
or unseen powers.
But all that is applicable
to the individual.
Right.
So mythology is an attempt
to understand--
So that you'd know
what was going on.
Some of the things that
were occurring in the '60s--
very controversial issues.
We have problems with race.
We have problems
with other countries.
We have the Vietnam War
at it's height.
We have the anti-military
establishment groups,
women's rights--
All of this stuff
is important,
and the writers of Star Trek
were brilliant,
because by placing
these social issues...
in a more futuristic realm,
they were able to get away
with putting this on the air...
and discussing it openly.
Tell you, I was in England
at a Star Trek convention,
and I looked up
in the line,
and there was a young man
who was obviously a skinhead.
And he was very nervous,
and they were watching him.
I signed for someone else,
and then it was his turn.
And he started quivering.
And he said,
"I don't know
if you believe me,
but I've done
some terrible things
in my life."
And he said,
"And then Star Trek
came on this year,
and I turned
and then I saw you,
and I realized...
- that I could not remain a skinhead.
- Of course.
I realized what God
had meant for us to have
on this earth--
all peoples of all races--
and I just wanted
to let you know...
what you meant to me
and what Star Trek
has meant to me,
and what being
a real human being
has meant to me,
and I just wanted to thank you."
Throughout time,
human beings have focused...
on what are
the most important things...
that they've
come to understand...
from the experience
of being human.
So for today,
people need to recreate
or create for themselves...
some kind of mythic reality
that gets 'em out of bed
in the morning. Okay?
That gives 'em a reason to be.
And so we pick
and we choose,
and then we have to live
into it.
So the fan is the one
who really lives
into their mythology.
It's not simply
that they read about it
or they talk about it.
They go out and embody it.
We're at the 45th anniversary
Star Trek convention.
We're seeing all the costumes.
There's a Lego Star Trek dude.
I see an awesome
Borg costume.
You got all kinds
of costumes here.
It's pretty awesome,
and everyone's having
a lot of fun.
Yeah.
Myself, my sister,
my brother-in-law--
We want to represent
the Klingon Empire well.
So the moment has arrived.
It's time
for the 2011 edition...
of the official
Star Trek convention costume
competition finals.
Yeah!
Dude, what are you?
I am a spatial anomaly,
and I am attacking
a shuttle pod.
A spatial anomaly
attacking a shuttle pod.
It's also girl repellant.
I thought it was
a chick magnet myself.
All right, good job.
Let's give him
a nice hand.
Go on over there,
buddy.
Look who we've got next.
My God.
Whoa!
Hello, ladies.
Aside from
your obvious assets--
Yes?
what kind of work
did you do on
the costumes here, girls?
Did you make 'em yourselves?
Yes, I did.
Yes. I'm referring
to the costumes now,
not your God-given talents.
Judges, just give me a chance.
I'll get 'em to you, okay?
We'll let the judges
take a look.
My goodness.
We have a noble Klingon group.
Qapla'!
And you did
all the costume work yourselves?
Qapla'!
Well done.
There's a Borg
in the house.
Let the judges
take a look, please.
Did you go to the Borg store
for those?
Mostly thrift stores.
The right hand was part
of a Nintendo Power Glove.
The left arm was part
of a Sears leaf blower.
And essentially you're
the Borg version
of a Swiss Army knife.
Is that correct or--
That is correct.
Masterful.
I'm really excited
for the costume contest.
Even if I don't win,
it is just an honor...
to be among such other
fantastic costumers,
to see what their imaginations
have brought to life.
I present to you your finalists
in the costume competition.
Give 'em a big round
of applause!
And during this period,
our judges will be tending
their verdicts...
and deciding who
our grand prize winners will be.
I gotta tell you,
this was the most difficult
parade of costumes...
we've ever had to decide on.
Which brings us
to our first place win.
This is good for $1,000.
Really, this was
the toughest competition
I ever had to judge.
These scores are all so close,
but we discussed it,
and the top prize
goes to the Borg.
Thanks.
I feel overwhelmed.
It's a fantastic feeling.
There are people cheering.
There are people rushing
up to the stage
to get my picture.
It's kind of like
I'm a mini celebrity.
For that moment,
I am the face
of Star Trek fandom.
I won.
A thousand bucks.
What are you gonna do with it?
I was looking
at some of the things
in the dealers' room.
I'm thinking maybe
one of the leather jackets.
Maybe a couple
of the leather jackets.
Resistance is futile.
You will be assimilated.
Jen and I were just waiting
to go get an autograph,
and this guy approached me...
and says,
"You're Heather Marsh."
And I say, "Yes, I am."
And he says,
"You have a fan group for
Terry Farrell on Facebook."
Next thing I knew,
they were putting a mike on me,
and asking me to walk down
the really long hallway.
I got close to the camera guy,
and he tells me that I'm gonna
want to walk through the door.
My God.
And I open the door,
and Terry Farrell
is sitting there
waiting for me.
You're kidding me.
Nice to meet you.
It was funny because
she introduced herself to me--
"Hi. I'm Terry Farrell."
And I'm standing there going,
"Yeah, I know that."
But for some reason,
she made me feel
very comfortable.
My son actually plays
with one of your action figures.
Mine too.
- How old is Regan?
- He just turned six in July.
Wow.
So our kids are really
close in age too.
Yeah.
Cool.
"Trials and Tribulations"
was one of the first ones
I showed Max,
because then you have
the original series--
Yeah.
which was my--
I'm a little older than you--
my favorite show,
that I watched with my family
when we had dinner at 6:00.
And when I would
play at school,
I was always the alien,
and then my friend Grant
was always Bill Shatner.
But I didn't want him
to kiss me.
But I wanted-- Well.
Anyway--
Yeah, so,
we're passing it along.
And how did you move
from Next Gen
to Deep Space Nine?
I'm not even sure
what to say right now.
Um, definitely,
seeing
the Jadzia Dax character,
seeing a strong woman character
like that, that I could--
It helps me focus,
and when I have some time
to myself,
instead of dwelling on
things that have happened, um--
My fiancé and his mother
were killed in a car accident.
And--
That was about five years ago.
Brody and I discovered
that we had a lot
of the same interests,
and that
we were both kind of...
closet fans of things.
It was nice to find somebody
who had that same kind of,
"Well, I like that too,"
and not feel awkward.
He was...
a perfect match for me,
and we were starting
to plan our lives together.
It was-- It was hard.
It still is hard.
Um, there are times
that I look at Regan
and I see Brody,
and sometimes
I just get thrown off.
And-- But I know that--
It's almost like
he's still here with us.
We had-- We had planned
on going through...
the entire Deep Space Nine
series together,
watching it
from start to finish,
and we never got a chance
to do that.
Any time that...
I was feeling down,
or... felt like
I couldn't do it anymore,
I would just pop in some
Deep Space Nine or--
Then, you know,
it made it easier to get up
the next day,
and to not quit
and to keep going.
It's not like
I'm the only person...
that this has happened to,
but at the same time,
here she is in front of me,
and I can thank her...
for helping me
get through that.
As she held my hands,
I knew that this
was definitely okay...
to be sharing with everyone.
We had the world's record
for most Star Trek costumes
ever.
And then, practically as fast
as we get the record,
FedCon goes
and breaks our record.
So I want it back.
The official Star Trek
convention...
really should have the record
for the most Star Trek
costumes.
These are uniform fans,
so we get to--
we get to come too.
On some level,
we take in what's happening,
and we reinterpret it.
But if you go there with
the intention of participating,
it's a creative act.
Twenty-one.
So everybody who goes
to a convention,
is, in their own way,
an artist?
Yeah, because they're living
into this thing dynamically.
That's the whole point.
You didn't go
to the cathedral...
like you went to a museum
to admire the art.
You went there
to live your truth,
to embody your belief,
and everything around you
was reinforcing that.
You do something.
There's a doing.
...to Las Vegas.
We just beat the record.
791 and climbing.
We just passed 800!
Whoo!
It's incredible
to see how may people are here.
Even though this is
my 75th convention,
the excitement,
it's almost like the first time.
Star Trek! Star Trek!
Star Trek! Star Trek!
Star Trek! Star Trek!
Star Trek! Star Trek!
Ritual should be
a spontaneous enactment.
If you're gonna
enter into a ritual,
you have to be prepared...
to entertain the illusion
of the first time
every time you do it.
It has to be a first time.
I almost want to cry,
that's so meaningful.
The people
come there to partake
in the same ritual...
because it has
the same freshness it had...
when they first came.
And to make it new again.
And it becomes new
because what happened
last year...
adds a layer
to the newness
of this year.
That's right.
And so the ritual deepens.
I thought for years,
"They're coming
to see me.
I'll tell 'em
a good story."
You mean they didn't?
Then I wrote a book,
and I discovered they weren't.
They were coming
to see each other.
Then I did a documentary
and I discovered...
not only were they
seeing each other--
are deeply embedded
in a ritual...
that is new each time
for them.
This was the largest
Star Trek convention
in history.
It was a great event for us.
I hope you've enjoyed
our transition
to the Rio Hotel.
So give it up, everybody.
Thank you for an amazing event.
We look forward
to seeing you all again,
bright-eyed and bushy-tailed
at the next show.
Take care.
His sister called me.
His sister said, "He's gone."
And I thought,
"Well, where did he go?"
She said, "He's gone."
And we-- we didn't expect it.
They said that his heart
was just so worn out.
He went as far as he could go.
I saw him so close to death
so many times,
and he just refused.
And why?
Because Next Generation
was putting out
another season,
and he had to be here
to see it.
It's a rare thing
to live that long...
with this disease,
and he lived
every minute of it...
as deeply as anyone
I've ever met.
People who don't get
Star Trek--
I can't really answer for them.
It's a puzzlement to me.
All the fans
at the conventions,
they certainly get it.
David got it,
and when he was with them,
he was with like-minded people,
and he felt accepted.
It's really true that Star Trek
kept him alive.
We were on top of the world.
I laid him to rest in
his Captain Dave uniform.
He would have
wanted that.
The man dies--
And the hero is born.
So the individual human being,
through the act of heroism,
becomes the hero.
What's the act of heroism?
It's going into the battle
even though you know
you're not gonna maybe win.
Joseph Campbell's remark
is that the myths of tomorrow...
are in the psyches
of the artists of today.
Our stories are still gonna have
that unknown in them.
They're still gonna go where
no man has ever gone before.
They're gonna still be grappling
with the unknown...
to give you an idea
of what is around you
that you can't see.
And that's what
these shows do.
They lift us out
so that we can see...
that we're part
of one human tribe...
on one little blue marble
floating in space.
We're on a spaceship
called Earth,
sailing through the cosmos
like a starship...
with many different people
on board.
We need the mythology
to give us some meaning
about where we're going,
what we're doing.
See, I thought I got it
about Star Trek,
but...
I didn't get it.
I never fully comprehended
the levels...
to which this
science fiction show reached...
into the souls of people.
I mean, that's all part of it.
You know, continuing
the legacy of Star Trek.
Star Trek gives us hope
for a better future...
where humanity
works together.
One of the things about
the Star Trek universe...
and the world
that Roddenberry created...
was that people are equal,
so gender, racial, religious,
sexual orientation--
whatever--
is not an issue.
I'm part of a family
that spans the globe,
and you meet people
and get to know them.
I love my life.
I love what I do.
I wouldn't have
the life that I have
if it weren't for Star Trek.
I really want
to thank them so much
for what they have given me.
I love Star Trek.
I always did.
He didn't know how to lie.
He didn't know how to be mean.
He didn't know how to quit.
And I think all those qualities,
those really good,
human qualities,
come out in the heroes
of Star Trek.
The story that
this franchise tells...
is a beautiful,
optimistic story
about mankind.
I just feel like
it's the best version
of humanity.
Star Trek says
we're going to transcend
our problems...
and reach a better future,
and I don't think
we can underestimate
the power of that statement.
I get it now.
It's about community,
hope...
and love.
It's fueled by the passions...
we fans feel...
for the ideals...
of Star Trek.
Hi parts deleted by
DvX3M
& farkem thx for subs
you've all been waiting for,
Captain James Tiberius Kirk
himself, William Shatner!
Now, Bill's here
to field a few questions,
so just fire away.
Okay, on your horse farm,
all right?
How many saddle-bred horses
do you have?
34.
Wait. Is that including
the colt that was born
earlier this week?
- That mare had a foal?
- Tuesday.
Well, I guess
it's 35, then, isn't it?
All right! All right!
You know, before I answer
any more questions,
there's something
I wanted to say.
Having received
all your letters
over the years--
and I've spoken to many of you,
and some of you have traveled
hundreds of miles to be here--
I'd just like to say,
get a life,
will you, people?
So who are all these people,
and why are they still
coming to Star Trek conventions?
Perhaps the answers
lie in the cosmos.
Are they geeks or Greeks?
Or did they beam down
from an orbiting starship?
You name it, it's here
at this convention.
And we are
having a blast.
Qapla'!
We set aside
this time every year
just to come to this.
We love it.
We just took
a 27-hour flight...
from Shanghai to Las Vegas
to be here at this convention.
It's one big party.
We have a blast.
Resistance is futile!
You will be assimilated!
What a concept.
It's deep. It's funny.
Wow. It's so...
human!
An empty ballroom.
But not for long.
I was in Star Trek
nearly 50 years ago.
You'd think I'd know
everything there was
to know about it.
Well, I don't.
Epiphany!
There are ideas
and concepts...
I never heard about,
things I never
thought about.
Can you imagine how I feel
after being in hundreds
of Star Trek conventions...
and asking myself,
"Who are these people?"
I-I wrote a book
about the subject,
and I thought I knew.
But there was much more.
10:15. We got riggers coming
in 15 minutes, so we gotta get
these things opened real fast.
The Vegas show
is a year-long process,
from the development
of the event
to the execution of it.
It's a bit crazy, because
we have over 20,000 fans...
over the course
of a four-day period.
Supposed to get it done
before these mistakes
happen, not during.
So, the biggest challenge
this year is the fact that
we're moving to a new place...
and we have about
30% higher attendance,
so I'm worried about the
logistical challenges of meeting
the demands of the crowd.
Put 62 and 63 here.
We have issues
about the tilt of the screen
from the rear of the room.
Let's go up
on the stage.
I want you to walk me through
how we're bringing the talent
on and off. Okay?
They're actually gonna
be coming up those stairs.
Directly across from there
is the green room.
This is registration.
The people
will be funneled through
that Disneyland ride line.
They'll pick up their wristbands
and colored lanyard
that goes on their ticket...
and their gold coin
souvenir.
Hopefully we've streamlined it
over the last dozen years
we've been doing this,
but there's always issues.
They're coming in
any second now, man.
We're good now?
Okay.
Yeah.
The Star Trek
45th anniversary convention...
seemed like the perfect place
to hear some stories
and have some fun.
Las Vegas-- four days,
20,000 fans, 100 celebrities,
all congregating under one roof?
This is the grand nexus
of Star Trek conventions.
Creation Entertainment
had fans write to me
from all over,
sharing their personal stories
on how Star trek
has impacted their lives.
My quest was to find out
if there was a deeper meaning
behind it all.
I mean, come on.
It's been 45 years.
We're the Jue family!
I'm having
an awesome time!
All of us, obviously,
are avid Star Trek fans.
We knew that we were coming
to the 45th anniversary.
We mentioned it to the family
and everybody jumped onboard.
So the Jue family's in Vegas
all of the sudden-- all of us.
My name's Justin Luna,
and I'm here to visit
the Star Trek convention
in Las Vegas.
Why?
'Cause I love Star Trek.
We're here for the convention.
To see William Shatner
and Patrick Stewart.
And just to enjoy
Star Trek.
Okay, my name is Maxi Penning,
and I'm here for the convention
from Germany.
Hi.
My name is Barbara Scott.
I've been a Trek fan
since September 8, 1966,
when it first came on.
When Neil Armstrong
and Buzz Aldrin
walked on the moon,
I wanted to be there.
So I stayed up in my room
and watched, on this little
black and white television,
men exploring
where no one had gone before,
and, you know, the next day
I would watch Star Trek.
At a convention
we're all accepted...
because we all have
the same interests.
And it can be at various levels,
to where you want to dress up...
or you want the autographs,
or you want the photos.
Everybody's in
at a different spot.
The-- The relationships
that have been developed,
I mean, over 45 years,
are very important.
I think it all comes back down
to Gene Roddenberry's
original vision...
of a future
where we're all one world
of all one people,
and I think people
really want to be that.
They want to have that,
and this is the closest
that they can come...
at this given point
in time...
that we're all unified
as a people.
I'm Eric Allan Hall, and
I'm from Salt lake City, Utah.
I met my wife here,
and what got us together was our
mutual interest in Star Trek.
We met at
a speed-dating activity.
We spent about
five minutes
with each other.
I happened to have a picture
of me dressed as Mr. Data
on my phone, and--
And then I was hooked.
And now we have three kids--
the next generation,
so to speak.
Yeah, Eric and I
are both nerds.
Our children
haven't figured it out yet.
They still think
dressing up in costumes
and going to the conventions...
is just a blast.
Where's Mommy?
Who's that?
Me!
That's you.
Was I that small?
You were that small.
Yeah.
Have you grown up there?
Are you holding Spock there?
Yeah.
I've been to probably
75 or 80 conventions.
Some people at work
think I'm...
maybe a little obsessive
about that.
On the other hand,
I know people who get
season tickets...
for basketball
or football games,
or people who go hunting
very year.
It's the thing that I do
that I look forward to
every year.
I'm from Manalapan,
New Jersey.
I've been a Star Trek fan
since the beginning in '66.
That's why I have
a house full of memorabilia.
It's a wonder we have
a place to sleep anymore.
As each of my kids
move out of the house,
I take over their room...
and add Star Trek
memorabilia to it.
Music boxes, clocks,
pewter mugs,
many small pewter ships,
stuffed animals, glasses.
We have a lot of TV Guides.
I have about 60
Star Trek watches,
about 50 Star Trek ties,
the Star Trek
Bally pinball machine
from 1978.
Still working.
I don't know if there's
anything that I don't have.
I think I've seen
everything, and--
Well, there might be
some more autographs.
This is from
our photo op room.
You only have to
live in a silo
to display the banner.
One hundred over there.
101. 150. That's what we have.
- Put it on a credit card.
You don't have to really pay.
Three hundred. Sold for $300.
Congratulations. Very nice.
Sold, $1,700. Awesome.
This is signed
by the entire cast
of the new movie.
Throw in free shipping!
"Throw in free shipping."
Thank you, sir.
Security,
remove that man.
Six hundred.
Very rare.
Six hundred once.
Seven hundred in red.
Great deal.
- 1,650.
- 1,650.
1,650 once.
1,650 twice.
1,675.
1,675.
1,675 once.
1,675 twice.
Seventeen.
1,700.
Once. 1,700 twice.
They look like they're out.
They are.
Sold, $1,700.
My man Dan.
Awesome. Very nice.
I see we have
some honorary sisters
over there.
Let go.
Have fun.
No more!
My name is Brad Siegel.
Some years back
I traveled to Chicago,
and at that convention I
happened to meet a young lady...
who I became quite fond of.
We started to date...
and realized
we had Star Trek in common.
A year and a half later,
as we were coming up
to the New Jersey convention
in Seacaucus,
with Gary and Adam's help
at the convention in New Jersey,
um, we choreographed
a little contest.
She gets up on stage
to win the prize.
Then Gary said,
"Well, honey, why don't you
pick another seat number?"
Happens to be
my seat number.
Read the number on here.
My God.
It's 835!
835.
The fix is in. She has
no idea what's going on.
I had a prepared little speech.
I realize now
that I've never known
what it meant to be loved...
until I was loved by you
as I am.
Will you marry me?
Suddenly all the groans that you
just heard from the audience,
they all became cheers
and you heard all these
"oohs" and "ahhs."
It was nerve-racking,
but yet probably the most
amazing, amazing experience.
And for those of us who
are all part of Star Trek,
to have been able
to share that with 400 or 500
of my closest friends,
who are all about Star Trek,
was just-- just remarkable.
Qapla'!
Welcome!
You can do just about anything
at this convention--
even have lunch
with a Klingon.
So, are you humans
ready to party?
Yeah!
Are you ready
to eat?
It's dead!
You eat this?
This man here is about to
be sacrificed to marriage
in about four weeks.
Human marriage!
Come on. Let's get
that Vulcan food going.
Leave the meat for me.
Let's give a round of applause
for the real Klingons.
We're all real
in this room!
We did four episodes on T.N.G.
and then we did the movie.
Being part of Star Trek is
sort of a unique experience.
It's a huge
sociological bubble...
and I don't think
you have any idea
what it's going to be...
when you first get cast
on the show,
but you open a door
into this whole new world.
Cheers!
My name is Ryan Blazic.
I was a quartermaster,
deck watch officer...
and counting officer
on the Coast guard cutter
Willow.
My name is Bill Bushman. I just
retired a couple months ago--
21 years in the Coast Guard.
I was the engineering officer
aboard the same ship
that Ryan was on.
And when did you start
discussing Star Trek?
Almost from the beginning.
We both liked it.
We both grew up with it.
You used to shoot me over
the intercom with your phaser.
Yes, I did used to do that.
Star Trek ship
and a ship in the military
is basically the same thing,
the same
organizational levels,
I don't think you can
get any closer...
to being on an actual
starship than being
on a coast guard cutter.
Even the missions themselves
are much more humanitarian
than the other armed forces.
We do search and rescue,
we do fishery enforcement
with our small boats.
I've just always
liked the show.
Hello. My name
is Anthony Kwan.
Star Trek was something
that I started watching
in high school.
From there...
I just kept following the career
of Captain Kirk, so to speak.
I used to fly B-52's,
which meant I used to
babysit weapons.
You have a lot of power
at your fingertips,
but with that power
also comes responsibility.
That's what
the military teaches you--
that you're given the job
by the civilians, and that's
the job you carry out.
You carry it out
to the best of your ability.
We have all your geek news,
so check us out.
How's it going?
Well. How about yourself?
Business good?
Yeah.
Been busy.
Why?
A lot of people are interested
in the styles that we have.
What's the stuff
you're selling?
Check this one out.
It's been very popular.
It's the 45th
anniversary edition.
Do you like doing
what you're doing?
Yes.
Why?
Um, just a lot
of action.
It's a lot of fun
meeting all these people.
It's a really exciting job.
I've been doing the conventions
since 1972.
It was just one episode
that I did,
but it became
one of the classic,
iconic episodes.
You know, I've been
doing the shows...
probably now since '99,
and the fans
have become my friends.
I don't even use
the word "fans" anymore.
I just feel they're
my Star Trek family.
The
family theme is always common
at a Star Trek convention,
and one of the most passionate
members of the family
is David Sparks--
Captain Dave.
I first met Captain Dave
while filming my documentary
The Captains...
and was immediately struck
by his indomitable spirit...
and passion for Star Trek.
David suffered from birth with
Duchenne muscular dystrophy,
a deteriorating condition
that keeps muscles
from growing in the body.
His journey
is an amazing one.
When Dave was 15 and a half
years old...
he had respiratory failure.
We were in
the intensive care,
and on Saturday
and Sunday nights...
there were two
back-to-back episodes
of the original series.
He just fell in love
with Star Trek.
And he was released
from the hospital to my care...
on the ventilator,
and James Doohan
came to town.
He'd only been out
of the hospital a week.
He was so fragile.
But he wanted to go.
And it was wintertime.
It was so cold.
But I took him,
and he got to meet James Doohan.
You can see he signed this.
This was the very first
thing that he did,
and he went out
in the freezing cold to do it.
People choosing careers
and getting married...
all because of
their love of Star Trek?
Life-changing decisions.
And look what it's done
for Captain Dave.
About 90 minutes before
the theater opens, so we
can do a technical rehearsal.
It'd be really good
if both of you guys
were there.
I'm Adam Malin.
I'm co-C.E.O.
of Creation Entertainment.
I've been producing
live events for fans
for over 40 years.
I guess
the catalyst trigger...
was a kind of comic book
flea market of sorts...
that I attended in 1969.
That was truly
a revelatory moment...
because in that moment
I realized...
by God, there's family.
So I got with my buddy Gary.
There was no turning back.
The apple of my eye,
Grace Lee Whitney.
Mr. Ethan Phillips.
Let's have a big hand,
everybody!
Four decades later
it's the ultimate fan dream,
for sure.
About halfway through
the convention,
I met a college professor
who would really
get me thinking.
My name is Richard Imon,
and I am a professor
of liberal arts
at Regis University.
I teach myths,
cultures and traditions,
and I use Star Trek
a medium to teach.
As a child growing up
in the '60s,
I was able to view Star Trek
from a child's eye.
So as I grew older I thought,
Boy, some of these circumstances
and all these episodes...
deal with a lot of
philosophical life issues.
So I've incorporated this
in a lot of teaching
that I do at Regis.
The Joseph Campbell model...
for the psyche--
He applies Jung in this,
a little bit of Freud,
and of course he put
his own spin to it...
and we've come up with
this very nice model
to express the human psyche.
Listening to
all this philosophical
and cultural complexity...
and I'm sitting here saying,
what was I doing
all of these years?
Why didn't I see this?
But the truth of the matter is,
yeah, that starship
did represent mankind.
It did represent
a unity of the people.
And I never saw that.
Today I see it,
but today it's too late.
I'm on my way out.
Well, this is new.
See, I read Joseph Campbell's
Hero With a Thousand Faces...
and it looked at...
the psychological,
sociological, cosmological
and spiritual needs of man.
So I called on Bob Walter,
who is head of
the Joseph Campbell Foundation,
to see what he had
to say about it.
Fans.
People around the world,
not just in America,
have watched shows
like Star Trek.
Talk to me
about the people who
watch that and see it.
The human being
is a meaning-making machine.
We are hardwired
for narrative.
We struggle to make sense
of our experience...
by casting it in story.
But the stories
have to have meaning.
That's right.
The primal man sat by the fire
and listened to the story,
to return to that,
then went out and was a warrior,
or was a priest,
or was a whatever.
The inspiration
came from there.
Then that all
kinda fell apart.
And now what do we do?
We turn on the tube and--
and...
if were lucky
we get impassioned,
like a Trekkie.
One of the great attractions
of Star Trek...
is all the adventures
they get to go on.
Go, go, go!
I just have always had
such a great fascination...
and true love of Star Trek
since I was young.
And it's really been a very--
kind of a secret but important
part of my career.
I'm Katherine Ridenhour.
I have been a firefighter
for almost 25 years.
And my last seven years
were spent as a battalion chief.
So your truck doesn't carry
any extra--
When I look at the roles
of the captain throughout
all the different series,
I find it to be
incredibly inspirational.
Because what we see is someone
in a leadership role...
and how they dealt with
the humanity of their crew...
and those around them,
but also
their incredible ability
to make decisions...
in the heat of the battle.
I was a paramedic
early in my career,
so I've seen the suicides,
I've seen the gunshots,
I've seen the stabbings.
Maybe, in some
of those situations
where they didn't die,
we did make a difference,
we did save their life.
And I always took it
to really grasp
how precious our life is...
and to hopefully
live our moments...
and realize
how precious they are...
and how important it is
to be your best...
and always strive for that.
Autograph ticket holders
one to 25,
be looking at the screens
for all the information.
You may get on line now.
A convention, by nature,
should be interactive.
We want to get autographs
with these people and meet them
and shake their hands.
We want to take photos
with them.
I have 350 signatures
on here.
It took me 11 years.
I carry it around with me
wherever I go...
to get
all the signatures on it.
It travels first class.
I travel economy.
Well, for me,
it's just getting to meet
these people that you've seen...
on the big screen
and/or small screen...
that you've grown up with
your whole life...
and getting to meet them
in the flesh
and see them in person.
It's an amazing feeling.
Thank you so much.
I loved Odo.
I try
and make a point of meeting
all the actors and actresses.
I've done photo ops
with every major star
from all five series.
Looking at it
from a fan's point of view,
I think it's much more personal.
Opposed to autographs.
There isn't a table separating
you from the celebrity.
It's a short period of time,
but in those
five to 10 seconds...
you're not worried about
your personal life,
any problems you're having.
It's just being next to
someone you appreciate.
And to capture that for fans
is special.
I didn't know what to think,
but I just finished
my first event...
and I was so pleased.
Everyone was so warm.
I mean, they were saying
things like,
"Welcome to the family."
I mean, it's--
it's pretty awesome.
Is television...
not the hearth?
The television set,
certainly when
it was introduced,
became the hearth
in the living room.
It also became the conveyor
of a common reality.
The shows that really endure
and that have this kind
of rabid fandom,
they speak to
the human experience,
and hopefully with enough
variation that wherever you are
you can find a way in.
They speak about a society
that doesn't exclude you.
They're set in some kind
of cosmological field...
that you don't turn it on
and go, "That's ridiculous."
Star Trek happened right in
the middle of our space program,
right in the middle of NASA.
And then
we went to the moon.
There was this shift happening
in the consciousness
of the planet.
I see.
I work for NASA
as the Hubble space telescope
flight software manager.
My team is responsible for
making changes to the software
that's in the computers...
inside the telescope.
It goes back
to my childhood,
of wanting to be a part
of something that I saw
on television.
There was
an extraordinary leader
leading a team of people...
who cared about each other,
very much like the team
I work with now,
solving problems,
trying to do something
that's never been done before.
So, about two minutes.
Hi. My name is Richard Arnold.
I've been a Star Trek fan
my entire adult life.
I was 12 when the show
went on the air in 1966.
I've been to more than
a thousand conventions now
in the last 45 years.
I worked with Gene,
and I continued--
It's how I make my living--
I ended up working
with Gene Roddenberry...
from 1986, officially,
until 1991...
as Paramount's resident
Star Trek expert.
It was definitely geeksville
when you were a fan of
science fiction and Star Trek,
and I had to deal with that
all through high school.
At very early conventions,
I discovered
I'm with people...
who not only get
what it is that I like,
but aren't judging me.
I don't have to
explain myself anymore.
It really is
an acceptable thing...
to just totally immerse yourself
in this thing that you love.
It's something
that we all get,
we all understand.
It's going
to all the events and just
having fun, being together.
We watch each other's back,
we have fun together,
we laugh, we play.
We'll be at karaoke.
We'll be at karaoke
on Saturday!
**
More than anything else,
I think it's the camaraderie,
spending time together,
all of us being together--
you just get together with
other Trekkies and have fun.
And friends that I met
at that very first convention
I went to 16 years ago...
I'm still friends with them
to this day.
And a lot of times
I will see the same people
year after year...
and it's almost like
a family reunion.
I was really kind of
a quiet, shy kid.
I never went to my prom.
Um, it just--
I don't know if it was
lack of self confidence...
or just being shy.
Being in costume,
I guess, help me
break out of that shell.
The first time I dressed
as Mr. Data,
it was really cool
to be able to walk
into the convention center...
and have people kind of stop
and look and come up...
and ask for pictures.
It-- I don't know.
A little bit
of self validation?
For me, it's a way
to be creative.
We have a microphone here
and everything.
- Yeah.
- There you go.
Wow.
Okay, fine.
I know this!
In Nemesis, what's the name
of Data's twin android...
that's found
in the Scimitar?
B-4.
Before what?
No, I'm kidding.
Okay, in Nemesis,
which song does
Data's twin android--
I'm Heather Marsh,
and I've been a Star Trek fan
since I was nine years old.
I guess
I always kinda had...
an interest in space.
So seeing Star Trek,
it kinda shows you
what could be up there.
As a kid, that's something
that can really open your mind
and your imagination.
Back in February, I found out
that Terry Farrell was gonna be
at the Las Vegas convention.
I probably would
have been about 13
when Deep Space Nine started.
You're trying to figure out
who you wanna be,
and here was someone
that I could look to,
to idolize in a way.
When her name appeared
on that convention list,
that was it. We're going.
Her autograph ticket,
her photo op ticket
were the first ones I bought.
I wasn't even worried
about the rest.
It was the weekend
before my 30th birthday,
but I figured they wouldn't
move the convention
to suit my birthday, so--
I thought
I would move my birthday
to suit the convention.
We walked into
the big theater,
we're looking at the stage,
and I'm just looking around,
and then I turn around
and I see a big banner
of Jadzia Dax.
And I started to cry.
I felt like I was home.
In the telling of the story,
that legend began.
There was
a singular person...
who was heroic,
stronger,
more passionate,
more skilled, perhaps,
and people then
would say,
"Odysseus."
And the name would ring,
and the stories they'd tell
about Odysseus's travels.
All of these stories
and all these heroic figures,
they didn't exist
in a negative landscape.
Odysseus was
the personification of
the Greek ideal of heroism.
John Wayne was
the personification
of the American hero...
conquering the West.
The West.-
The fan sees a hero,
and the fan
holds that ideal up...
and models themselves
after that.
There's much more
going on here...
than simple admiration
for a TV show.
I always believed
that one of the things...
that keeps the franchise alive
is just the fact...
that unlike most science fiction
that looks towards...
the dystopias
that are awaiting us,
Star Trek says
we are going to transcend
our problems.
It says that humanity
is going to survive...
and still be recognizable
in the 24th century.
It's about as optimistic
a view of the future...
as you could possibly get.
"Captain Dave"?
He created that
for his e-mail address.
It stuck.
And Captain Dave
is who he identifies with.
He's-- He's Captain Dave.
To take David on a jaunt--
to a convention--
is like moving
an intensive care unit,
and every piece of equipment
is critical to his life.
It's like being
on a roller coaster...
or going down rapids.
You're just focused
on the next thing--
the next autograph,
the next photo op.
He had his time booked solid.
The last convention
was just amazing...
because he had been
in William Shatner's
The Captains.
He changed from being a fan
to a celebrity, actually.
He was so thrilled to be part
of the gang backstage.
And who knew that somebody
who couldn't move a muscle...
could have such a rich,
deep life?
What are we,
chopped liver?
Terry, how long
has it been
since I've seen you?
I haven't seen you since the
last day you worked on the show.
Yeah, but you
really look the same.
No, you--
He does.
So do you.
I must have looked awful.
No, you don't.
You know, that's it.
When someone says,
"You look the same,"
you go, "What?"
I find it very strange.
It's 7:00 in the morning,
but it's like speed dating.
We go from table to table--
Speed dating?
I want to know how you know that
about speed dating.
Well, I've seen
stuff online.
It is like speeding, because
they come and they tap you
on your shoulder--
and say, "It's time
to go to the next table."
- You go, "I have to go now.
- " - Yeah, even if you're in a story.
Did you all know that
we would be meeting here...
at 7:00 in the morning?
I didn't know that.
Personally, I think
they pay so much money
to come to these things,
I think that they deserve
your attention.
They want--
I talk about myself.
I talk about you too.
They want you
to talk about yourself.
I don't agree with that.
I think they want us
to see them,
to hear who they are--
I agree.
and then finally feel...
like there's a back-and-forth.
I have a group that's been
following me around,
and they're very devoted
and they're very understanding
and they're always there.
When I did Broadway,
they were in the front row,
night after night.
With my brother? Remember?
We came to see--
Absolutely, I remember that.
It is kind of like
Same Time Next Year.
Really, I don't matter anymore.
I'm not sure I ever did.
They have a friendship.
And it's like,
"Nana's going to Italy.
Great. Let's all go to Italy.
And then they go and have
an incredible time together.
...and then you catch up
on our lives--
everybody's lives.
Yeah.
What everybody's doing
since the last time
we saw each other,
how the family is,
what our careers are doing.
Yeah.
All that stuff.
How do you make new
a series like Star Trek...
to stay alive 50 years?
The TV's packaged, okay?
You know, you see it.
You don't affect the story
by your watching of it.
Um, in contradistinction,
perhaps,
to folks
who are into Star Trek...
who relive the story.
They embody it.
They go into it.
They dress up.
They have conventions.
So it inspires them to act.
Okay? And to act in community,
and so it doesn't die.
It doesn't die.
So if we watch television
with an intention,
we can reinterpret
what it is we're seeing...
and become artistic--
do something artistic--
as a result.
If it really grabs you,
you will feel impelled
to do something creative.
For me, I wouldn't even consider
going to a convention
without wearing an outfit.
My brother-in-law and I, Peter,
we actually won the 2010...
Star Trek costume contest
as Romulans.
This'll be the new uniform
we're debuting...
at the 45th annual
Star Trek convention
in Las Vegas.
When we make our uniforms,
we try to do it...
at least three to four
to six months in advance,
because it does take
a lot of time and effort.
I have been working
on my Borg costume...
since 1993.
This is part of a squirt gun.
It has a working claw.
This is a chest piece.
I found it
at a thrift store,
and I think it was
bicycle motocross gear...
that I just added
little bits and pieces to.
And then on the inside
I've wired up
a voice changer,
so when I talk--
I sound like a Borg,
and I can put it down like this
and say, "Resistance is futile.
You will be assimilated."
And it goes up--
although it doesn't sound
quite as scary...
if I do the same thing,
like this.
This is called
a "monster maroon."
I love this uniform
from The Wrath of Khan.
It's the most military
of the uniforms,
I think, Dad.
It's the most military
of the uniforms. Right.
And we actually
look good together.
I'm like the before,
and he's the current
or the after.
Today I'm wearing
my Klingon costume.
Every day I wear
a different uniform,
but I thought I'd like to debut
my new Klingon costume
without my forehead.
I'm looking forward
to the Klingon makeup class,
because after I leave here
I'm gonna do mine.
I enjoy it.
I enjoy the world of Trek.
I'm a fan,
just like everybody else.
But for me, the overall look--
Make it believable.
Make it look like you walked
off the TV set.
There's nothing
that will stop a crowd,
cause more commotion,
than a Klingon.
We got a tech
that's right over there.
Is it Doug?
Who's on it?
It's union guys.
IATSE guys.
But they don't know anything
about our disk.
They don't know anything
about it.
No, but Ben is here.
Ben is here?
Dr. Ben is here.
Do we have your disk,
by the way?
He's got it on his machine.
Yeah, okay. That's fine.
Yeah, no.
Then we'll give you
the same coverage
as always.
Now we will absolutely
terrify you.
I'm overjoyed
to be presenting to you...
the Klingon side.
Are there any warriors
out there among you?
I think if you sort of
think Amazon and bump it up
exponentially.
They're just
very fierce creatures.
Lay down on your side,
get up and start
all over again!
With a strong sense
of loyalty--
not to things that humans
would consider worth
being loyal to.
It's the best bad guy...
that I think any writer
has ever created.
We're part
of the obstacle...
for the human characters,
but within
the dramatic construct,
it's still all the same thing.
**
**-
Thank you!
We recognize all too well
the limitations
of the individual human being,
but when you try to identify
with these heroes...
who took it on
all by themselves--
these Odysseuses
and these John Wayne-like
figures--
you start to say,
"Wait a minute."
I have trouble identifying
with that right now,
because I don't see
people like that
in my experience.
What do I see
in my experience?
I see groups of people
working together.
Someone leads them,
but if they lead them
effectively,
then they lead them
by rallying them around.
We need a collective vision
of the hero,
where it's all of us.
The symbol of the ship
symbolizes Earth.
The different people
aboard the ship...
symbolizes
all the different cultures.
And it's sailing
through the universe,
which we call "life."
What they're doing
is much like...
what a practicing Christian
in the Renaissance
might have done...
when they adopted a patron saint
for their confirmation...
and took on that saint's name,
and then used that saint
as a touchstone for their
behavior down the line.
So what they're really doing
is they're buying into
a narrative--
a series of narratives--
a mythology, if you will.
If it's a mythology, it also
tells you how to relate
to your other human beings,
gives you some--
To your tribe.
To your tribe!
Exactly.
Mythology is a way
that people use metaphor
to describe the unknown.
A myth is a metaphor for--
Life or--
Of your existence.
Your existence
or unseen powers.
But all that is applicable
to the individual.
Right.
So mythology is an attempt
to understand--
So that you'd know
what was going on.
Some of the things that
were occurring in the '60s--
very controversial issues.
We have problems with race.
We have problems
with other countries.
We have the Vietnam War
at it's height.
We have the anti-military
establishment groups,
women's rights--
All of this stuff
is important,
and the writers of Star Trek
were brilliant,
because by placing
these social issues...
in a more futuristic realm,
they were able to get away
with putting this on the air...
and discussing it openly.
Tell you, I was in England
at a Star Trek convention,
and I looked up
in the line,
and there was a young man
who was obviously a skinhead.
And he was very nervous,
and they were watching him.
I signed for someone else,
and then it was his turn.
And he started quivering.
And he said,
"I don't know
if you believe me,
but I've done
some terrible things
in my life."
And he said,
"And then Star Trek
came on this year,
and I turned
and then I saw you,
and I realized...
- that I could not remain a skinhead.
- Of course.
I realized what God
had meant for us to have
on this earth--
all peoples of all races--
and I just wanted
to let you know...
what you meant to me
and what Star Trek
has meant to me,
and what being
a real human being
has meant to me,
and I just wanted to thank you."
Throughout time,
human beings have focused...
on what are
the most important things...
that they've
come to understand...
from the experience
of being human.
So for today,
people need to recreate
or create for themselves...
some kind of mythic reality
that gets 'em out of bed
in the morning. Okay?
That gives 'em a reason to be.
And so we pick
and we choose,
and then we have to live
into it.
So the fan is the one
who really lives
into their mythology.
It's not simply
that they read about it
or they talk about it.
They go out and embody it.
We're at the 45th anniversary
Star Trek convention.
We're seeing all the costumes.
There's a Lego Star Trek dude.
I see an awesome
Borg costume.
You got all kinds
of costumes here.
It's pretty awesome,
and everyone's having
a lot of fun.
Yeah.
Myself, my sister,
my brother-in-law--
We want to represent
the Klingon Empire well.
So the moment has arrived.
It's time
for the 2011 edition...
of the official
Star Trek convention costume
competition finals.
Yeah!
Dude, what are you?
I am a spatial anomaly,
and I am attacking
a shuttle pod.
A spatial anomaly
attacking a shuttle pod.
It's also girl repellant.
I thought it was
a chick magnet myself.
All right, good job.
Let's give him
a nice hand.
Go on over there,
buddy.
Look who we've got next.
My God.
Whoa!
Hello, ladies.
Aside from
your obvious assets--
Yes?
what kind of work
did you do on
the costumes here, girls?
Did you make 'em yourselves?
Yes, I did.
Yes. I'm referring
to the costumes now,
not your God-given talents.
Judges, just give me a chance.
I'll get 'em to you, okay?
We'll let the judges
take a look.
My goodness.
We have a noble Klingon group.
Qapla'!
And you did
all the costume work yourselves?
Qapla'!
Well done.
There's a Borg
in the house.
Let the judges
take a look, please.
Did you go to the Borg store
for those?
Mostly thrift stores.
The right hand was part
of a Nintendo Power Glove.
The left arm was part
of a Sears leaf blower.
And essentially you're
the Borg version
of a Swiss Army knife.
Is that correct or--
That is correct.
Masterful.
I'm really excited
for the costume contest.
Even if I don't win,
it is just an honor...
to be among such other
fantastic costumers,
to see what their imaginations
have brought to life.
I present to you your finalists
in the costume competition.
Give 'em a big round
of applause!
And during this period,
our judges will be tending
their verdicts...
and deciding who
our grand prize winners will be.
I gotta tell you,
this was the most difficult
parade of costumes...
we've ever had to decide on.
Which brings us
to our first place win.
This is good for $1,000.
Really, this was
the toughest competition
I ever had to judge.
These scores are all so close,
but we discussed it,
and the top prize
goes to the Borg.
Thanks.
I feel overwhelmed.
It's a fantastic feeling.
There are people cheering.
There are people rushing
up to the stage
to get my picture.
It's kind of like
I'm a mini celebrity.
For that moment,
I am the face
of Star Trek fandom.
I won.
A thousand bucks.
What are you gonna do with it?
I was looking
at some of the things
in the dealers' room.
I'm thinking maybe
one of the leather jackets.
Maybe a couple
of the leather jackets.
Resistance is futile.
You will be assimilated.
Jen and I were just waiting
to go get an autograph,
and this guy approached me...
and says,
"You're Heather Marsh."
And I say, "Yes, I am."
And he says,
"You have a fan group for
Terry Farrell on Facebook."
Next thing I knew,
they were putting a mike on me,
and asking me to walk down
the really long hallway.
I got close to the camera guy,
and he tells me that I'm gonna
want to walk through the door.
My God.
And I open the door,
and Terry Farrell
is sitting there
waiting for me.
You're kidding me.
Nice to meet you.
It was funny because
she introduced herself to me--
"Hi. I'm Terry Farrell."
And I'm standing there going,
"Yeah, I know that."
But for some reason,
she made me feel
very comfortable.
My son actually plays
with one of your action figures.
Mine too.
- How old is Regan?
- He just turned six in July.
Wow.
So our kids are really
close in age too.
Yeah.
Cool.
"Trials and Tribulations"
was one of the first ones
I showed Max,
because then you have
the original series--
Yeah.
which was my--
I'm a little older than you--
my favorite show,
that I watched with my family
when we had dinner at 6:00.
And when I would
play at school,
I was always the alien,
and then my friend Grant
was always Bill Shatner.
But I didn't want him
to kiss me.
But I wanted-- Well.
Anyway--
Yeah, so,
we're passing it along.
And how did you move
from Next Gen
to Deep Space Nine?
I'm not even sure
what to say right now.
Um, definitely,
seeing
the Jadzia Dax character,
seeing a strong woman character
like that, that I could--
It helps me focus,
and when I have some time
to myself,
instead of dwelling on
things that have happened, um--
My fiancé and his mother
were killed in a car accident.
And--
That was about five years ago.
Brody and I discovered
that we had a lot
of the same interests,
and that
we were both kind of...
closet fans of things.
It was nice to find somebody
who had that same kind of,
"Well, I like that too,"
and not feel awkward.
He was...
a perfect match for me,
and we were starting
to plan our lives together.
It was-- It was hard.
It still is hard.
Um, there are times
that I look at Regan
and I see Brody,
and sometimes
I just get thrown off.
And-- But I know that--
It's almost like
he's still here with us.
We had-- We had planned
on going through...
the entire Deep Space Nine
series together,
watching it
from start to finish,
and we never got a chance
to do that.
Any time that...
I was feeling down,
or... felt like
I couldn't do it anymore,
I would just pop in some
Deep Space Nine or--
Then, you know,
it made it easier to get up
the next day,
and to not quit
and to keep going.
It's not like
I'm the only person...
that this has happened to,
but at the same time,
here she is in front of me,
and I can thank her...
for helping me
get through that.
As she held my hands,
I knew that this
was definitely okay...
to be sharing with everyone.
We had the world's record
for most Star Trek costumes
ever.
And then, practically as fast
as we get the record,
FedCon goes
and breaks our record.
So I want it back.
The official Star Trek
convention...
really should have the record
for the most Star Trek
costumes.
These are uniform fans,
so we get to--
we get to come too.
On some level,
we take in what's happening,
and we reinterpret it.
But if you go there with
the intention of participating,
it's a creative act.
Twenty-one.
So everybody who goes
to a convention,
is, in their own way,
an artist?
Yeah, because they're living
into this thing dynamically.
That's the whole point.
You didn't go
to the cathedral...
like you went to a museum
to admire the art.
You went there
to live your truth,
to embody your belief,
and everything around you
was reinforcing that.
You do something.
There's a doing.
...to Las Vegas.
We just beat the record.
791 and climbing.
We just passed 800!
Whoo!
It's incredible
to see how may people are here.
Even though this is
my 75th convention,
the excitement,
it's almost like the first time.
Star Trek! Star Trek!
Star Trek! Star Trek!
Star Trek! Star Trek!
Star Trek! Star Trek!
Ritual should be
a spontaneous enactment.
If you're gonna
enter into a ritual,
you have to be prepared...
to entertain the illusion
of the first time
every time you do it.
It has to be a first time.
I almost want to cry,
that's so meaningful.
The people
come there to partake
in the same ritual...
because it has
the same freshness it had...
when they first came.
And to make it new again.
And it becomes new
because what happened
last year...
adds a layer
to the newness
of this year.
That's right.
And so the ritual deepens.
I thought for years,
"They're coming
to see me.
I'll tell 'em
a good story."
You mean they didn't?
Then I wrote a book,
and I discovered they weren't.
They were coming
to see each other.
Then I did a documentary
and I discovered...
not only were they
seeing each other--
are deeply embedded
in a ritual...
that is new each time
for them.
This was the largest
Star Trek convention
in history.
It was a great event for us.
I hope you've enjoyed
our transition
to the Rio Hotel.
So give it up, everybody.
Thank you for an amazing event.
We look forward
to seeing you all again,
bright-eyed and bushy-tailed
at the next show.
Take care.
His sister called me.
His sister said, "He's gone."
And I thought,
"Well, where did he go?"
She said, "He's gone."
And we-- we didn't expect it.
They said that his heart
was just so worn out.
He went as far as he could go.
I saw him so close to death
so many times,
and he just refused.
And why?
Because Next Generation
was putting out
another season,
and he had to be here
to see it.
It's a rare thing
to live that long...
with this disease,
and he lived
every minute of it...
as deeply as anyone
I've ever met.
People who don't get
Star Trek--
I can't really answer for them.
It's a puzzlement to me.
All the fans
at the conventions,
they certainly get it.
David got it,
and when he was with them,
he was with like-minded people,
and he felt accepted.
It's really true that Star Trek
kept him alive.
We were on top of the world.
I laid him to rest in
his Captain Dave uniform.
He would have
wanted that.
The man dies--
And the hero is born.
So the individual human being,
through the act of heroism,
becomes the hero.
What's the act of heroism?
It's going into the battle
even though you know
you're not gonna maybe win.
Joseph Campbell's remark
is that the myths of tomorrow...
are in the psyches
of the artists of today.
Our stories are still gonna have
that unknown in them.
They're still gonna go where
no man has ever gone before.
They're gonna still be grappling
with the unknown...
to give you an idea
of what is around you
that you can't see.
And that's what
these shows do.
They lift us out
so that we can see...
that we're part
of one human tribe...
on one little blue marble
floating in space.
We're on a spaceship
called Earth,
sailing through the cosmos
like a starship...
with many different people
on board.
We need the mythology
to give us some meaning
about where we're going,
what we're doing.
See, I thought I got it
about Star Trek,
but...
I didn't get it.
I never fully comprehended
the levels...
to which this
science fiction show reached...
into the souls of people.
I mean, that's all part of it.
You know, continuing
the legacy of Star Trek.
Star Trek gives us hope
for a better future...
where humanity
works together.
One of the things about
the Star Trek universe...
and the world
that Roddenberry created...
was that people are equal,
so gender, racial, religious,
sexual orientation--
whatever--
is not an issue.
I'm part of a family
that spans the globe,
and you meet people
and get to know them.
I love my life.
I love what I do.
I wouldn't have
the life that I have
if it weren't for Star Trek.
I really want
to thank them so much
for what they have given me.
I love Star Trek.
I always did.
He didn't know how to lie.
He didn't know how to be mean.
He didn't know how to quit.
And I think all those qualities,
those really good,
human qualities,
come out in the heroes
of Star Trek.
The story that
this franchise tells...
is a beautiful,
optimistic story
about mankind.
I just feel like
it's the best version
of humanity.
Star Trek says
we're going to transcend
our problems...
and reach a better future,
and I don't think
we can underestimate
the power of that statement.
I get it now.
It's about community,
hope...
and love.
It's fueled by the passions...
we fans feel...
for the ideals...
of Star Trek.
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