My regular edition hasn’t shown up — that’s probably because Canada Customs is holding it up (and likely for ransom, thinking I’m a desperate cross-border shopper). :-(

I’m looking forward to seeing the movie on the big screen tonight here in Winnipeg. The movie was brought back by popular demand; apparently, people were lined up around the block to see it. No riots, though. :)

Mine arrived today. For Si:

http://gallery.mac.com/marksimonson#100008

It was great seeing it at TypeCon and meeting and talking with Gary. I haven’t watched the DVD yet, but I’m looking forward to seeing it with my family. Believe it or not, they were jealous that I got to see it before them.

Thanks Mark - that is so cool!

Cheers, Si

As much as folks diss Winnipeg, it’s not the end of the earth (um, although if you stand on a large dune at Grand Beach.....)

Mark: those are great pix — it’s almost like seeing a sequential still version of Gypsy Rose Lee in her prime, y’know? ;-)

Heh—I was thinking the same thing when I was taking the pics. :-)

> As much as folks diss Winnipeg, it’s not the end of the earth

True, but it’s not exactly in the middle, though, is it.

:)

So would this be a movie that someone like me, who has an interest in fonts but not a lot of training or historical background, would want to watch?

(And I had no idea it was going to be shown in the Peg or I might have tried to get to it...)

My neighbors, who are not graphic designers, much less type nerds, but interested in the arts, saw it when it was shown at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. I happen to bump into them when I was out for a walk the next day. Knowing I’m a type designer, they stopped me to ask if I had seen it. They said they really enjoyed it and we stood there on the sidewalk talking about it for a good half an hour.

It’s very entertaining and accessible. If you’re expecting some kind of dry historical survey you might struggle to stay awake through in an art history class, it’s nothing like that.

They sent an email saying they had problems with printing and that they will send them 2 weeks late.

May have been a font problem?

Yeah, everything defaulted to Arial.

See, I keep throwing you these easy pitches and you hit them out of the park. Well done :-)

“They sent an email saying they had problems with printing and that they will send them 2 weeks late.”

That e-mail referred to the earlier release date of 11/6. If I understand the film blog correctly, pre-ordered DVDs (regular and limited edition) have started shipping already.

http://www.helveticafilm.com/blog/2007/10/30/dvd-release-date-changed-to...

“Yeah, everything defaulted to Arial.”

:)

Anyone planning on doing someting with their metal piece? You could incorporate it into a personal stamp (assuming you got one matching your name), or have it encased in plastic for a nice paperweight

Mine arrived...

We used to throw those metal pieces in the hellbox. Who would have guessed they’d be worth packaging someday?

Gerald

Oh, maaaan! They’re sold out.......pffft!

I saw the movie. It was okay. I reviewed it.

Winnipeg kind of is in the middle.

Perpetually in the middle of winter, yeah.

Not really. Middle of global climatalogical data, however. A lot of design gets done in the winter I hear. :)

Your IMG broke broke - http:///deckchairs.net/images/deck_idea5.gif

/// indeed

Thanks, Simon!

I thought /// would make me look Web 3.0.

How can i get my hands on a dvd now? I’d like to get it for my college filmclub!

shreyas

The regualr edition can be ordered from the usual sources eg http://www.amazon.com/Helvetica-Luke-Geissbuhler/dp/B000VWEFP8/ref=pd_bb...

Yaaay, mine has arrived too. I can’t remember how much I paid for it. Any ideas how much it cost?

oh and Limited edition too so get your hands on it quick and fast and a signed poistcard off the director.

I got the lowercase ’i’ and a different postcard to Mark but alls good.

Wait people, is it worth it? Will Gary Hustwit’s signature be worth alot in the long run? How many years do I have to wait to make my million on it? haha

I think your best bet would be unload it via eBay immediately, you may top $150 if there are people out there desperate to give it to their designer spouse for Xmas. Although limited to 1000 copies, DVD is an obsolete medium, the HD DVD / BR version will be out next year, and I’m sure they’ll be a limited edition of that too.

But do you think it has been worth it? This limited edition package? I hope so. Amazon are selling the DVD and I guess I may have paid too much. What do you all think? Are Limited Edition items worth it?

My two copies of the regular edition (one for me, one as a gift) arrived while I was out of town on Wednesday. Can’t wait to check out the extra footage...

I’m still waiting for the regular edition :^(

My regular edition arrived in the UK today.

Value = $5?

It also describes it as “Promo” so perhaps the $5 is just the postage, but I’m sure I had to pay for the DVD too.

Now to persuade my wife that she wants to watch it with me this evening.

I’m getting the regular edition. How much was the limited? it was all sold out when I before I could get it. :(

Chase Langdon

Seems like such a long time ago...

http://web.archive.org/web/20070819054255/http://www.helveticafilm.com/s...

$75!

The regular edition arrived yesterday. Now all I have to do is to find some time to watch it in peace. Can’t wait!

My regular edition showed up today, so I’m faced with a serious decision tonight: Canadiens @ Toronto, or Herr Spiekermann saying the “f” word. :-)

75 wasn’t that bad, I was thinking it was going to be about $125.

Can’t wait for my regular edition to get here though. Can I get a big Hell Veah?

Chase Langdon

Sure, $75 isn’t out of order - “wayback” does reveal some interesting diffs

August - “A limited-edition package in a custom box that includes the retail DVD, three letterpressed mini-posters, a color C-print of a still from the film (one of ten different stills) signed by director Gary Hustwit, two love/hate Helvetica buttons, and a letter of actual Helvetica metal type! We might even throw more cool stuff in there too.”

Today - “A limited-edition package in a custom box that includes the retail DVD, three letterpressed mini-posters, a color C-print of a still from the film (one of four different stills) signed by director Gary Hustwit, two love/hate Helvetica buttons, and a letter of actual Helvetica metal type.”

>We might even throw more cool stuff in there too.

Or we might not ;-)

The David Carson posters (at the Helvetica film store) are hilarious. He didn’t even use Helvetica, though you might not notice it right away.

always with that damn risk and suspense.

Chase Langdon

>you might not notice it right away.

People either did notice, or perhaps Mr Carson doesn’t have the draw he once had, as the limited run of 50 isn’t yet “sold out”.

If people are not buying because he “used the wrong font,” that would be a shame. I’m sure he did it on purpose as a joke.

Hey, I have one question for the lucky owners: how many languages are available as subtitles?

dr

“English & German subtitles.”

thanks

dr

Checking out the extras now.

If people are not buying because he “used the wrong font,” that would be a shame. I’m sure he did it on purpose as a joke.

Absolutely. He just did the last “High Profile” feature in New York magazine. A different guest designer did it every week, and one of the rules is that the only colors you can use are red and black. Well, he did his using only black. (By the way, Massimo Vignelli is in there, too, using Helvetica!)

>Well, he did his using only black.

“The pensioner of grunge” - still going strong. Sweet!

Carson told me that Helvetica just wasn’t giving him that “Helvetica” feeling for the poster, he thought Franklin Gothic was saying “Helvetica” much better...

And thanks to all for getting DVDs, hope you’re liking the extras.

Cheers!

- Gary

Thanks for the background story Gary!

I’ve been savoring the extras slowly, a couple at a time. :-)

ROFL! Me too.

Although I couldn’t resist watching Herr Spiekermann over and over and over and over and over and over.... ;-)

He does have one of the best lines... :-D

Just one? Hee hee hee heeee.

Actually there are several videos of him around on the net. I learned something from each one.

best lines I’ll bite. Which one was that then?

I am more & more of the opinion that Michael Bierut just stole the show.

Right! The Drink Code. Period. Use Helvetica. Period. Any Questions? No! Beirut bit had me in stitches each time I say the movie.

Re: Best Spiekermann line.

I’ll bite. Which one was that then?

Mine is where he uses the “f” word — thanks for not bleeping it out, Gary! — because it’s not forced or out of place: almost any other time you hear or see it in movies (even other documentaries), it feels like someone put it in because they couldn’t think of anything else. Not the case here.

I’ve been watching Beirut over and over too: heck, there isn’t a bum interview in the whole thing! ;-)

Linda, I just watched the Spiekermann extras and I am ROTFLMAO! :-D

But funny bits aside, my favorite extras so far are Hoefler and Frere-Jones showing their collection of specimen books, and Frere-Jones talking about Gotham, and showing some of the photos from his painstaking project to document lettering on New York buildings...

I’ll be the last person to argue that the funny bits were the only parts worth watching.

That being said, I found it just hilarious watching and listening to the crowd in the theatre here: you could tell the serious typegeeks from the excessively styled poserkins by who laughed at the inside jokes.

That, IMO, was as much, if not even more, fun as the movie itself. ;-)

For those of you who still want a Limited addition, there are 50 for grabs. I received an email about it. They realised they had 50 copies in the warehouse afterwards.

The email:

THE LAST 50 LIMITED-EDITION BOX SETS, ON SALE MONDAY
You probably know that the 1,000 copies of the limited-edition DVD box set sold out the week we started taking pre-orders back in August. After the dust had settled from the shipping date a few weeks back, we discovered we still had 50 copies left in the warehouse. So this Monday, December 17th, at 2pm EST, we’ll put the last 50 box sets on sale in the web shop. THERE IS A LIMIT OF ONE BOX SET PER CUSTOMER. Head to the Helvetica web shop at 2pm EST (New York time) Monday for yours. We’ll also be auctioning off 10 copies of the box set to benefit A Public Space, see below.

Helvetica Web Shop: http://www.helveticafilm.com/shop.html

They have also got Gary’s Freitag bag for grabs and being auctioned:

UP FOR AUCTION: GARY’S HELVETICA FREITAG BAG, SPECIAL EDITION BOXES, MORE
The excellent Brooklyn non-profit arts magazine A Public Space sponsored our New York cinema run at IFC, and now we’re returning the favor by auctioning off 10 of the sold-out limited-edition box sets as a benefit for them. Plus, director Gary Hustwit has donated his personal Helvetica Freitag bag, as seen in the movie. It’s the yellow one with the X on it that you see being made at the factory, the bag that also accompanied Gary on his 90-city international screening tour. Inside the bag, you’ll find a limited-edition box, a Helvetica T-shirt, and special extra goodies. It’s all for a good cause, so bid now! See all the auctions.

This is the link: http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZplexigary
I think it has gone upto $405.00 so far.

Cool - thanks for sharing. My guess is the bag will top $2K.

$2k? And I thought I was nerdy for watching the extras over breakfast this week.

I got that email, too. Does anyone know how much the limited editions will be going for?

Oh, I guess they forgot to put that in the email... the last 50 copies on sale Monday will be at the same price they were originally, $75 USD plus shipping.

Hmm...Linda. How obsessive! Not my cuppa tea. lmao!

Ohhh.... I can’t wait to get my hands on it!!! The movie was sooooo great :-)) I just loved the scene where they showed the “Linotype” building - it is sooo funny when you have seen the “real” building, hihi....

Pike, it’s a movie - “a creative work of fiction.” I thought only Americans believe everything they see on TV. ;-)

Haha, nice one Sii. Funny!