Product Description

Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which will celebrate its 50th birthday in 2007) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. The film is an exploration of urban spaces in major cities and the type that inhabits them, and a fluid discussion with renowned designers about their work, the creative process, and the choices and aesthetics behind their use of type.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4933 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-11-20
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Dolby, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: German, English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 80 minutes

Time Out London
One of the wittiest, most diligently researched, slyly untelligent and quietly captivating documentaries of the year.

Entertainment Weekly
Viewers are in for an exclamation point of joy from such a well designed doc. "A -"

NY Times
Provocative.

Customer Reviews

I have seen it over 6 times...
OK I did not mean to see it 6+ times but, I actually saw it on the "big screen" when it was shown at a conference. Then, two weeks later, at another conference on a really big screen. Both with design oriented audiences but one in the U.S. and one in Europe. It was interesting to see what the two audiences found funny, or not.
Then, I rented the Netflix DVD, mainly to see the additional interviews but, that DVD did not have them for some reason. After that, it was me showing it to my design students in class.
The first time I saw it, it was fun. The second time, I saw more of the structure (brilliant work there). After that, I focused more on details and how it all interweaves.
I don't know how you could have made a better picture on this subject and kept people intrigued about it. I think the director might have to do a recut of it in a few years and remove the references to the Iraq War. These segments are not aging as well as the rest of the movie which, in some respects, will be timeless. Like Helvetica?

Boring, even for a movie about a typeface
I have a high tolerance for slow documentaries, but this one was pretty dull. There were some interesting bits; talking heads that got really passionate about art and design, stories about the old days of typesetting, etc. But too much of the film was pretentious filler.

Kept me awake!
I was surprised to find this so interesting. It was very well done and held my attention completely.