User Reviews

This is OK for about half an hour, but all of the interviews seem to take place in hotel rooms, in black and white, and it's not very visually interesting. Isn't there any footage of Star Trek conventions that could be cut in to break things up a little bit? Couldn't we see the home turf of the Klingon Language Institute? The home life of the guy who spoke nothing but Klingon to his two year old son? There are strange little abstract images as well, and perhaps this is where bigger shots would be edited in, when the makers can afford them. The feel of it is like a reasonable quality student film. It just needs more investigation into the lives of these people, even if it's just following around that fat singer for a day or two, or random interviews at conventions with fans. And more colour! One camera, pointed at people sat on chairs, for two hours? Even news programmes keep their interviews down to about three minutes.

I saw this recently in London, its a fascinating and hilarious study of obsession - you don't have to be a trekkie to get it, my girlfriend loved it - she couldn't stop laughing...

there is actually a guy in this film who for years would only talk to his baby son in Klingon!

it's kinda like watching the no-hopers on pop-idol, who think they can sing but they can't, its that tragic/comic - but trekkies will love it too!

the DVD is coming out here in the UK -

i've just pre-ordered from....

www.play.com

In 1979, the linguist, Marc Okrand, began to develop the Klingon language for the first feature-length film, STAR TREK: THE WRATH OF KHAN. And so, the first language ever to emerge from outer space, was born. Earthlings explores the lives of the obsessive fans for whom Klingon has become an obsession.

Marvel as Dr. Lawrence M. Schoen, director of the Klingon Language Institute, and musician Rich Yampell, composer of the Klingon Anthem, reveal what the "language of contained fury" means to them. Meet the acting troupe who translate the works of William Shakespeare and the lovelorn postal worker who lives his life by the Klingon code of values and the father who taught his son to speak Klingon from birth. And most importantly, learn what Worf, Michael Dorn, makes of it all in this fascinating documentary.

A film focusing on the fanatical devotees of the Star Trek fictional universe, but unlike other Star Trek fan documentaries this film specifically turns its attention to the most colorful fans of the Mongol/Viking-ish alien race known as "Klingons" who actually speak the constructed language created for this fictional race.

From a purely Film Studies-perspective, I think every film student should watch this film.

**Spoiler** - The director made this film entirely in a hotel room at a Star Trek convention and consists of interviews of Klingon fans from the convention. Somehow he managed to get Michael Dorn (i.e. the actor who plays the character Lt. Worf) to come up for an interview. I still wonder whether this film was planned or impromptu, but the casual observer would have no reason to wonder this: the film is enjoyable and feels expertly polished despite its provenance.

With virtually nothing to work with (other than what you would find in an average hotel room?!) this director utilizes what little is available to him (hotel room lights, chairs, etc.) as props, with lighting and camera angles that give the film a slightly abstract... almost surrealist style. There is also the most creative off-the-cuff use of a shower curtain for the basis of Special FX!

As purely a matter of film and art, Earthlings: Ugly Bags of Mostly Water is like taking a gum wrapper off the ground and turning it into beautiful origami.

Most films about fans usual fall into one of two categories: either "funny" for members of that fan group (and thus myopic and of little value to "normal" people), or "poking fun" at members of that fan group. The director here was at most a casual Star Trek fan (if even that... based on talking to the director), but his perspective was clearly as a film maker actually wanting to bring his audience into this unique linguistic culture of Klingon fandom.

Criticisms: This film is a bit long, so even Star Trek fans may get a tad bored at points, especially due to thinking / anticipating that something more overtly exciting is going to happen. Watching the film as purely a Star Trek fan (as opposed to being a film buff) and without knowing the impromptu circumstances under which it was created some of the appreciation could be lost. Trimmed down a bit this film would be a hit at any Star Trek or sci-fi/ish convention, event, or film class.

Reviewer's Note: Today I happened to come across the signed lobby card I saved from the film's premier at the Denver Int'l Film Festival that I had tucked away from 2004. This inspired me to see if this film was available online. (sadly, not!)

I hope the director will release this on Youtube, nobody I know has seen this film!

Qapla!!!