Anybody seen the documentary film "Helvetica?"

[Bake]

Yep. You guessed it. It's about a the evelopment of a FONT. A frickin' TYPEFACE. My daughter, a graphic designer, tells me it's a great film. Sounds to me like watching paint dry. Has anyone here seen it? What did you think?

Bake

[Shell Beau]

1. Not exactly my cup of tea!!

:shrug:

[NV Whino]

2. You have to be into that particular type of movie

[Bake]

5. I like documentaries, generally

Not sure about this one.

Bake

[Omphaloskepsis]

3. It was good.. I am a typography nerd.

It was on Google Video for a few days but they took it down.

[Westegg]

4. I've seen it 93,000 times.

[Bake]

7. Actually, that thread is what reminded me to ask about this film.

I figured if there are people here who actually collect fonts, there ought to be somebody who has seen the film!

:rofl:

Bake

[Westegg]

13. I love fonts, and am sorta obsessed with fonts?

...but I don't collect them. Although I have books dealing with graphics from the 19th and 20th centuries. I have heard nothing but great things about the film (which I have not seen). I collect books, and I used to be a magazine editor. Fonts are something I truly appreciate, and used to deal with regularly. I'm currently writing a novel and am starting to obsess a bit about the font when it's published: the cover, the text, etc. I need some control over those choices! But probably won't get them. I DO mean to see the film as soon as possible.

[Redstone]

21. Well, I don't "collect" them, but I've bought a whole bunch for my work. And if you NEED to

work with them, it's best to study them (like anything else). It can be a fascinating subject (at least as fascinating as a subject can be on a professional level).

I can't afford to use cheap fonts, so the ones I do use tend to have some interesting history / methodology behind them.

Redstone

[rug]

6. It was bold at times.

[KitchenWitch]

8. I cannot underscore that statement more emphatically.

[Shell Beau]

9. Y'all are so silly!

:rofl:

[Redstone]

19. However, at times, it had No Style.

Redstone

[NV Whino]

10. I haven't seen it, but would like to

Helvetica is arguably the biggest breakthrough in type design ever. I'm taking a wild guess, here, but I bet it is the most used typeface in the world.

[Redstone]

11. And a dreadful typeface at that. It just SCREAMS "1970s!!"

Redstone

[Omphaloskepsis]

16. My resume is in Comic Sans.. Should I change it?

[Redstone]

18. I can't picture what it looks like offhand. If you're asking seriously, I'd go with Optima.

Or New Century Schoolbook for a serif face.

But if you weren't serious (I get confused these days so sometimes I can't tell), never mind.

Redstone

[Auggie]

26. Only when hack designers don't give a damn. It can be quite graceful

when used correctly.

[Phillycat]

12. My husband watched it at his WORK.

He said it was excellent. :shrug:

[Throd]

14. I would probably touch myself while I watched it.

I love fonts. I use them all day, every day in my line of work.

In grade school I used to sketch new fonts instead of drawing planes and race cars like the other boys.

[Schema Thing]

15. I'm not sure there is even a kern-el of truth to this rumor, but

I heard Omar Sharif was going to be one of the leading characters, but in the end it was made sans Sharif.

[Redstone]

20. Ouch, ouch OUCH! "Sans Sharif?" You're killing me, here. Great pun; thanks for the laugh.

Redstone

[KitchenWitch]

27. ...

:spray:

[Javaman]

17. It does...pica...my interest...

groan. :eyes:

[Bake]

22. Gawd, you Lounge Lizards crack me up!!!!

Great puns, all!!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Bake

[Z_I_Peevey]

23. I really should get the lead out and go see it,

but I probably won't.

[Whisp]

24. was that the one produced by Jethro Bodini? n/t

[XemaSab]

25. It's totally ironic you should mention this

I'm sitting next to a poster for the film that I checked out waiting for my email to load. :P

[Oeditpus Rex]

28. I'd rather see a 'Dateline' exposé

on why Windows comes with like 120 fonts but you can throw out 117 of 'em because of look-alikes. x(

[Blue_Tires]

29. sad that we now associate that word with a font, rather than the beloved swiss