classicsoncall Review of For the Love of Spock

For the Love of Spock (2016)

"I have been, and always will be, your friend."

[8/10 · 13 October 2020]

I found this documentary to be a fitting companion piece to Leonard Nimoy's own autobiography titled "I Am Not Spock". Like many Star Trek fans, the character made famous by Nimoy happens to be my favorite from that series, and it's a tribute to all those connected with the show that it's influence and popularity endures for over fifty years since it went off the air. I got a kick out of the clip in which Nimoy reads the first review of Star Trek from the Hollywood bible, 'Variety' magazine, which stated that the show 'won't work'. I do recall those arguments by studio executives that the program was 'too cerebral', suggesting that it needed to be dumbed down to an audience that could understand it better. I just love it when real life intrudes on the biases people have when they think they know more than the average person. The things that made Spock, and thereby the show popular, were the things that appealed to viewers who could identify with it's characters and want to go on a journey with them. The one thing I was never aware of was the existence of these so called 'slash fantasy' fanzines that fantasized about a gay relationship between Captain Kirk and his science officer. I can understand it, even if the idea strikes me as surreal. Besides Nimoy's development of the Spock character, this doc goes on to describe his life after Star Trek and the personal issues he encountered with it's constant demands, which affected his family life. On screen appearances by his son Adam, who directed the film, siblings Mel and Sybil Nimoy, and a host of fellow actors from the TV series and subsequent movies, lend credence to the huge effect Nimoy had on fans and followers. It's a worthwhile documentary to experience if you're a Star Trek fan, and quite honestly, even if you're not.