CONVERSATIONS: WANDA*: IN WHICH WE SPEAK OF FROZEN, EQUILIBRIUM, AND INSOMNIAC CHRISTIAN BALE.

WANDA.
I have a great difficulty passing certain things by, such as cookie samples, or people playing accordions in the street,

or a Redbox booth, even if I'm not planning to rent anything which I wasn't, but the woman next to me at the other kiosk peered intently at me - 60s, silvery-white hair streaked with blue, pretty and Bohemia-ish and asked if I had seen Frozen. 

- Why yes, I just saw it a few weeks ago.
I said.

Aah, wasn't it delightful!
She exclaimed, clapping her hands together, then turning back to her kiosk. The scene where she finds out what true love truly is...wasn't it just magical?! Wasn't it? It was, wasn't it?!

Yes.
I said.
And she put up her hand for me to high-five.
I did.

She continued:
Now, I'm thinking about getting this new film with Christian Bale, but I don't know if it's going to be any good. Do you know what is SUCH a wonderful film?!

Enthusiastically, she forged ahead to answer her own question:
It's an older one with Christian Bale and it's sci-fi and - 

I interrupted:
Are you talking about Equilibrium?

Yes!
Her big smile got biggest.
Isn't it SO GOOD?! The scene where he confronts the authorities, and where she goes into the furnace...what a wonderful film! Do you have any recommendations of other ones with Christian Bale like that? Ones that aren't just all...violence and horror, but really good stories and...gritty?

Well,
I said.
Have you seen The Machinist?

No!!
She clapped her hands.
Is it good? What is it about?

Well,
I said.
I don't want to say too much, but it's a sort of...psychological thriller about a man who hasn't slept for weeks and can't figure out what's happening to him. It's dark, and definitely gritty, but it's a very good story and intelligent and although there's a bit of violence, it's very motivated and integral to the story when it does appear. It is quite a unique film.

That sounds perfect!
She said.
I'm going to find it so I can watch it. The Machinist?

Yes.
I said.

And it has Christian Bale?

Yes.
I said.

Wonderful!
She said. 
Thank you, I'm going to watch it!

Wonderful!
I said.
Have a good one, and perhaps our paths will cross again one of these days.

And they did, later at the Post Office.
____


*Not her real name, unless she purposely gave me a false name and the name I changed her name to at the top turned out to be her actual real name.


MANIFESTO ALA MODE; SANS RANT.
Of course I don't judge a book by its cover, but I certainly judge it by its typeface choice used for the body text.

And now that I think about it, I actually do judge books by their covers as well. Enough with all the photographs - don't strip away my imagination; give me a taste of what's inside a good novel through tasteful use of texture, illustration, typography, and design rather than wunderkind sharp-jawed models that show me exactly how pretty the supposedly flawed protagonists are supposed to be.

(and please, any design students out there: I'm weary of Comic Sans putdowns; shouting that you loathe a font every other designer already loathes is so making me start to fall in love...almost)