Sunday, September 16, 2018

My TIFF 18 Film Reviews - The Oscar Race


As readers of this blog know, I attend the Toronto International Film Festival annually each September, hoping to see some of the best movie releases coming up for Oscar season and beyond.  I did not see the audience winner, Green Book but a friend saw it and loved it. This year, I was able to see 12 feature films and two documentaries over the course of a week, out of 342 total entries! 

In its commitment to gender equality, TIFF boasted that over a third of the festival entries were directed or co-directed by women (I saw three films directed by women here). Below are the films in the order in which I viewed them and my rating on a scale of 1 to 5 and the release date, if known.  A few of them are already in theaters.

Beautiful Boy – Based on a true story of how addiction impacts a family, particularly the father/son bond, this film directed by Felix Von Groeningen featured very strong performances from Steve Carell as David Sheff and Timothee Chalamet as his meth addicted son, Nic. 




The film is beautifully shot although the story does get a bit repetitive as Nic goes to rehab to get sober and falls off the wagon.  Maura Tierney is also strong in a supporting role as David’s wife and Nic’s stepmom. I also enjoyed the soundtrack which featured everything from David Bowie to Sigur Ros to Perry Como.  The post film Q&A was particularly moving since the real-life father and son were there to give their stamp of approval.  Chalamet will most likely get a Best Supporting Actor nod.  There were a few other addiction themed movies at the festival such as Ben is Back (which I did not see). 4/5 Release date: 10/12/18

Gloria Bell – At Newark airport, I spotted Julianne Moore and John Turturro boarding the flight before mine to Toronto.  I took that as a good sign that I would enjoy their film, Gloria Bell. Directed by Sebastian Lelio, this is an English language remake of his Spanish language 2013 film, Gloria.  Moore plays a 50-something divorcee with two grown children, who works at an insurance company in LA by day and goes looking for love at night.  Eventually she meets the divorced Arnold (Turturro) and starts a relationship with him full of ups and downs, mostly because he can’t seem to extricate himself from his needy ex-wife and two grown daughters who haven’t left the nest. 



The film has a great supporting cast, including a scene stealing Brad Garrett as Gloria’s ex, Rita Wilson as one of her friends and the always stellar Holland Taylor as her mom.  The mostly late 70s and early 80s soundtrack is used to great effect, including Laura Branigan’s “Gloria,” which plays over the credits.  Oscar winner Moore should get a best actress nod since she inhabits the title role perfectly.  Turturro may get a nod as well for supporting actor. (4.5/5)

This Changes Everything – This timely documentary (not to be confused with Naomi Klein’s 2015 doc about climate change) about female representation in Hollywood was co-produced by Geena Davis and directed by Tom Donahue.  Donahue has made another behind the scenes documentary called Casting By about unsung female casting directors.  

Plenty of A-list names populate the film including Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Shonda Rhimes and Reese Witherspoon, among others.  But the film belongs to the women behind the camera, the directors, writers and crew who struggle to make a sustainable living doing what they love due to systemic sexism.  (4.5/5)



Fahrenheit 11/9 – Michael Moore’s latest documentary purports to examine how Trump got elected in 2016, but mostly focuses on the Flint water crisis and the corrupt culture of politics.  He also criticizes the democratic party including former President Obama (in a shocking clip of him trying to downplay the crisis by drinking a glass of Flint water at an event) and profiles some up and coming Democratic candidates, including the Bronx’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who is running for Congress.  He is most provocative when comparing Trump to Hitler, using footage of Hitler at a rally using Trump’s voiceover.  

I felt the film was most effective examining the corruption behind the water crisis and the coverup that impacted thousands of children growing up in Flint, Moore’s hometown.  While the subject matter is all over the place, this documentary hammers home the message that people must turn out and vote in the upcoming midterms. (3.5/5) Release date: 9/21/18



The Black Book – A period piece by Chilean director Valeria Sarmiento, this French language film takes place in the late 18th century and centers on the relationship between an Italian nurse named Laura (Lou de Laâge) and her orphaned charge, Sebastian.  There are many dramatic turns that result in the two being separated with Laura spending much of the film trying to track him down as he grows into a young man.  While beautifully shot with gorgeous scenery and costumes, the story ends abruptly and melodramatically. (3/5)

Where Hands Touch – At 2016’s TIFF, I saw British director Amma Asante’s A United Kingdom about an interracial love story between a Southern African king and his wife.  I enjoyed the film even though some of the story was cliched.  Asante carries the interracial love story theme in this film about the little-known Rhineland bastards, who were born when French soldiers of African descent occupied Germany post WWI.



This fictionalized story revolves around Leyna (rising star Amandla Stenberg), a bi-racial 17-year old who lives with her Aryan mother (Abbie Cornish) and younger brother during the last years of WWII.  Leyna tries to fit in as a good German girl but her appearance makes her a target.  She meets young Nazi Lutz (George McKay) and they fall in love.  Then all hell breaks loose when Leyna finds herself pregnant, separated from her family and sent to a labor camp, where all sorts of horrors abound (and has been done before in Holocaust era films).  Somehow Lutz winds up at the camp and uses his influence to help her survive.

While the performances are strong, particularly from Stenberg who transforms from an innocent girl to mom-to-be trying to survive, the story is melodramatic and manipulative.  The subject matter deserved more. (3/5) Release date: 9/14/18

Greta – Many at TIFF felt this would be more at home in its Midnight Madness line-up of horror films.  I probably wouldn’t have seen it if it were, so I’m glad it was placed in the Special Presentations category. Directed by Ireland’s Neil Jordan (The Crying Game), this twisted tale stars French legend Isabel Huppert in the title role as a lonely widow who befriends naïve young waitress Frankie (Chloe Grace Moretz). Frankie finds an expensive purse on the subway and returns it to Greta.  At first their relationship seems innocent and only Frankie’s roommate Erica, (scene stealer Maika Monroe) is suspicious.

Filmed in Dublin and Toronto, although set in Manhattan and Brooklyn (I could tell it was not shot in my home city), this is a fun and twisted tale of obsession, stalking and murder.  Jordan takes many horror clichés and turns them on their ear, but the main fun is watching Huppert descent into madness.  It’s also a very female centered film with just two males in supporting roles (Frankie’s estranged dad and Stephen Rea shows up as a private detective trying to find Frankie when she goes missing).  This also was one of the few films at TIFF to strike a deal, with Focus Features snapping it up for $6 million. (4/5)

Clara – This debut Canadian feature from Toronto native Akash Sherman is an ambitious tale of Isaac (Patrick J. Adams), an astronomy professor with a messy personal life who is obsessed with finding life on other planets.  After misusing university equipment, he loses his job but continues his quest.  He winds up hiring Clara (Troian Bellasario), an artist and world traveler with a secret illiness, to help him analyze data and look for patterns that could prove life exists on other planets. 



While the film creates a mood and the real-life husband and wife leads are convincing in their roles, I felt that the role of Clara herself never materialized as a full flesh and blood character.  She’s more of the manic-pixie-dream girl trope who serves as a muse to Issac.  I also enjoyed Blindspot’s Ennis Esmer as the comic relief best friend to Issac’s moodiness.  Still, as a debut filmmaker, Sherman shows promise and I’d be interested in seeing what he comes up with next. (3.5/5)

The Death and Life of John F. Donovan – Directed by Canadian Xavier Dolan in his English language debut, this film apparently was in editing for two years and excised a character played by Jessica Chastain. (I wonder if it would’ve been better to leave her in) Semi-autobiographical, the story follows young Rupert (Jacob Tremblay) who starts a correspondence with a TV actor, John Donovan (Kit Harington).  Shown in flashback, the adult Rupert (Ben Schnetzer) is being interviewed by Audrey (Thandie Newton) to promote a book he’s written about the letters.

The film has a great all-star cast including Susan Sarandon as John’s mother and Natalie Portman (in a ugly wig) as Rupert’s.  I also enjoyed seeing Canadian actors such as Emily Hampshire (Schitts’ Creek) as John’s beard/wife and Sarah Gadon (Alias Grace) as a vacuous actress.

The film tries to say a lot about mothers and sons, closeted sexuality and fame, but never quite gels as a story or has much impact.  It also overuses songs to create emotion such as “Stand by Me,” “Rolling in the Deep,” and “Bittersweet Symphony” in cloying ways. (2.5/5)

Colette – Directed by Brit Wash Westmoreland (Still Alice), Colette is a biopic of French writer Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (Keira Knightley) who marries Willy (Dominic West), a Parisian book publisher. Willy discovers his wife’s writing talent and she eventually writes a series of books about the fictional Claudine, although they are based on her life experience.  Colette is not given credit for her writing even when Claudine becomes the toast of Paris as a lifestyle brand and popular among young women, who were not considered a viable market.



Knightley is perfect in the role as she navigates from a pig-tailed country girl in love with her new husband to a sophisticated woman exploring her sexuality with both sexes and a transgender man, Missy (Denise Gough).  West is charming and three dimensional as the roguish Willy, and makes you almost sympathize with him as he locks Colette in a room so she can write to make him money.

Beautifully shot, the film may get a nomination for Knightley for Best Actress but we’ll see how the Oscar race goes.  (4.5/5) Release date: 9/21/18

Roma – Directed by Mexican Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity) and shot in black and white, this film is set in Mexico City during the early 1970's about an upper middle-class family and their housekeeper/nanny, Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio).  Roma is the neighborhood where they live and also a laundry soap brand used in the film.  Not a lot happens until young Cleo gets pregnant and both she and her employer Sofia (Marina de Tavira) are abandoned by the fathers of their children.  There are a lot of heartbreaking as well as beautiful images in the film that will stay with you long after you watch this masterpiece. 

Roma has already won the top prize at the Venice Film festival and critics are rapturous.  I hope it finds an audience when released, despite having no famous stars, is shot in black and white and has subtitles. Netflix is the distributor, but it’s best seen in a theater with surround sound. (5/5) Release date: 12/14/18

First Man – Starring Ryan Gosling as astronaut Neil Armstrong, who was the “first man” on the moon, this somber film explores the human cost of the race to the moon during the 1960s.  Directed by Damian Chazelle (LaLa Land), this is an intense film from start to finish with claustrophobic shots of being inside space vehicles.  Gosling and Claire Foy, as his wife Janet, are both excellent as well as the supporting cast including Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler and Ethan Embry.

There has been some controversy that Chazelle decided not to show Armstrong planting the American flag (although it is shown as being planted) on the moon.  His reason is that it’s more about the human achievement and not one country. It didn’t bother me but others may disagree.

Either way, it shouldn’t detract audiences from seeing it and I predict lots of Oscar nods for this one including Best Actor (Gosling), Best Supporting Actress (Foy), Best Director (Chazelle), Picture and some technical awards. (4/5) Release date: 10/12/18

Museo/Museum – For the past few years, I have seen at least one film starring Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal at TIFF.  This year he had three, and I saw two of them (the other being The Kindergarten Teacher).  Museum is based on a true story of a heist of indigenous artifacts from the National Museum of Anthropology in the 1980s. 

As directed by Alonso Ruizpalacios, Bernal plays Juan, a man in his 30s living at home with his large extended family, who is studying to be a veterinarian.  He also works at the museum photographing artifacts to supplement his income, until he decides to rob it over Christmas break when it is closed for repairs.  He recruits his best friend from childhood, Benjamin (Leonardo Ortizgris) to help him and they succeed. Trying to fence the priceless artifacts proves to be a challenge and the remainder of the film sends the two friends on a road trip full of twists and turns. 

I enjoyed Museum and while I’ll never fully understand Juan’s motivation for the heist, Bernal makes him a fascinating and unpredictable character. (4/5) Release Date: 9/14/18

The Kindergarten Teacher – As I mentioned above, Gael Garcia Bernal is in this film but in a supporting role as a poetry teacher.  The film belongs to Maggie Gyllenhaal who plays the title character of Lisa, a restless Staten Island teacher who fancies herself an artist who wants to create poetry.  While married with two teen-aged children, Lisa is frustrated that her children are not interested in creative pursuits.


Instead, she discovers that one of her pint-sized students, Jimmy (Parker Sevak) is a poet, almost savant like in his recitations. Her drive to get his poetry heard includes plagiarizing them in her poetry class and then ultimately taking Jimmy in Manhattan to recite at a hipster poetry reading.  She does a lot of shady and questionable things to nurture his talent. Based on an Israeli film from 2014, director Sara Colangelo holds a steady hand over the proceedings even as Gyllenhaal's Lisa loses perspective.  

I found the film watchable and compelling but the abrupt ending was unsatisfying and unclear in what she was trying to say about the pursuit of creativity.  Gyllenhaal may get an Oscar nod for Best Actress but I don’t see the rest of the film getting recognition.  (3.5/5) Release Date: 10/12/18.



I'd love to know your thoughts below or reach out to me on Twitter @nydigitalmarket.


Andrea Goldstein is a digital marketing
professional with a passion for business and pop culture.
@nydigitalmarket on Twitter


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Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Seventeen years ago today our country was attacked, crumbling NYC's World Trade Center.

This is a re-posting of previous annual 911 blog posts by AllThingsDigitalMarketing. Please visit this blog frequently and share this with your social media and professional networks. Thanks.

I turned this controversial photo upside-down in 2011 to celebrate the 10th year and today marks 17 years of resilience; Also a symbol of rising peace. Flagship 1 WTC stands at the symbolic height of 1776, the year when we Americans declared our independence and "all men created equal," now once again, 1776 beautifying NYC's skyline. This photo is symbolic for our rising towers, faith and independence. I share this post (update it a bit) every anniversary year.
For those born on 9/11 or near that date, please visit birthdaySpirit.org ~~  no matter what your age, visit birthdaySpirit.org and celebrate all goodness born on this tragic day of mourning. You can even register to stay up to date on happenings and things about 9/11 birthday members.
Photo below, "The Falling Man," by Richard Drew; which I call
"Flipped Falling Man."


two haikus commemorating 10 years after 9/11

▐║ 911 ten
▐║ years later falling man is
▐║ still provocative

▓▌▄▒║ ▓║ ║▌

▐║ pin-straight
Falling Man

▐║ endless time still shows
the world

▐║ our
land, brave and free


by
Gloria
Buono-Daly     &nbsp (c) 2011


Emotionally charged, mixed feelings - 2001 to 2015. From Poet Laureate, Billy Collins' prose commemorating all of the 9/11 victims, "The Names," posted below, to one of the most provocative, unforgettable images by Associated Press photographer Richard Drew, of a man falling from the twin towers, positioned perfectly in the middle. 

The photo was taken at about 9:41 am on 9/11/01 -- 15 minutes before the 1st building, the South tower, collapsed. Videos would show that the falling man was actually a tumbling man in the air and this is one moment in his time that was captured.


Note how perfectly straight, positioned in the middle and parallel to the burning towers the falling man is. The above photo was branded distasteful and voyeuristic -- never to be shown again, yet the incredible "falling man" is still around.


For those of 

you 

wondering 

how our 

WTC 

looked before 

9/11/01, 

here's a 

photo 

by 

photographer 

Joseph Lopes 

taken in 1979.  





There is much up side today. By the 11th anniversary (2012) the new multi-billion-dollar World Trade Center, was back up in lower Manhattan's skyline.

One World Trade Center (formerly known as the Freedom Tower) which was completed on August 30, 2012 and the final component spire installed on May 10, 2013.

Additional complexes include 7 World Trade Center, three other high-rise office buildings, a museum and memorial, and a transportation hub similar in size to Grand Central Terminal. The Four World Trade Center opened to tenants and public on  November 13, 2013. The 9/11 memorial is complete, and the museum opened May 21, 2014. Three World Trade Center open in 2015 and the $4 billion Transportation Hub, the most expensive ever also called "Oculus" (originally opened back in 1903) reopened  March 4, 2016.  Two World Trade Center's full construction has been placed on hold until tenants can be found; It began construction in June 2008 and is still expected to be completed by 2020. Three World Trade Center, in the very center of  the new WTC began construction in 2010 and is scheduled to open by 2018 (earlier than anticipated). As posted by wtc.com "The defining aspect of 3 WTC is its load-sharing system of diamond-shaped bracing, which helps to articulate the building's east-west configuration. This allows unimpeded 360-degree panoramic views of New York."  WTC overview photo above by Joe Woolhead, Silverstein Properties

Budgeted at 3.9 billion upon completion, flagship, One World Trade Center, formerly known as the Freedom Tower, has been opened since November 3, 2014. At 104 stories (1368 feet high), the decorative architectural spire atop makes the building stand at the symbolic height of 1,776 feet. Observation decks will adorn the 100th, 101st and 102nd floors. Tenants so far include magazine publisher Conde Nast and the federal government's General Services Administration. Visit time lapse of 1 WTC video animation of rebuilding 1 WTC.

Rendering of 1 WTC photo left courtesy of Wikimedia.

At 72 stories (977ft high) Four World Trade Center, was the first office building to open, (October 2013). First tenants were Port Authority, the Bistate agency that owns the trade center site and lost its headquarters when the twin towers were attacked. According to many articles and documentaries, there were about 200 people who jumped to their deaths, some were able to be identified only for the victim’s families and to provide closure for them. But there was no time to recover or identify those who were forced to jump prior to the collapse of the towers. We lost almost 3,000 lives that day.

Where were you on 9/11/2001?
I was working on Wall Street( on the corner of Wall and Water Streets). It was a beautiful, clear skied morning. I arrived early as I usually do and was at my desk on the computer when I heard a loud bang and felt rumbling underneath my desk at 8:46 a.m. I shouted "What was that?" Then 15 minutes later another bang, as some fellow employees arrived - initially we thought it was from a missile. Hard to imagine it would be the biggest single attack on American lives. I still keep asking myself "how could this be?" I was curious and ran outside to see what was happening.

As I was walking on Water St. and reached Liberty St., it was at about 10:00 am, I saw large billows of gray smoke, appearing to turn day to night, enveloping hundreds if not thousands of people running for their lives towards me – apparently heading towards the river. I asked some folks what is happening now and all were in shock. With all the commotion, all they could say while they were running was “it’s down, it’s down.” At that moment, I thought another plane came down. I ran back to the office and learned from colleagues that the South tower collapsed (incidentally, this was the 2nd building hit). The North tower (1st building hit) collapsed at about 30 minutes later. And the world would never be the same.


"The Names" poem by Billy Collins posted below:
Yesterday, I lay awake in the palm of the night.
A soft rain stole in, unhelped by any breeze,
And when I saw the silver glaze on the windows,
I started with A, with Ackerman, as it happened,
Then Baxter and Calabro,
Davis and Eberling, names falling into place
As droplets fell through the dark.
Names printed on the ceiling of the night.
Names slipping around a watery bend.
Twenty-six willows on the banks of a stream.
In the morning, I walked out barefoot
Among thousands of flowers
Heavy with dew like the eyes of tears,
And each had a name --
Fiori inscribed on a yellow petal
Then Gonzalez and Han, Ishikawa and Jenkins.
Names written in the air
And stitched into the cloth of the day.
A name under a photograph taped to a mailbox.
Monogram on a torn shirt,
I see you spelled out on storefront windows
And on the bright unfurled awnings of this city.
I say the syllables as I turn a corner --
Kelly and Lee,
Medina, Nardella, and O'Connor.
When I peer into the woods,
I see a thick tangle where letters are hidden
As in a puzzle concocted for children.
Parker and Quigley in the twigs of an ash,
Rizzo, Schubert, Torres, and Upton,
Secrets in the boughs of an ancient maple.
Names written in the pale sky.
Names rising in the updraft amid buildings.
Names silent in stone
Or cried out behind a door.
Names blown over the earth and out to sea.
In the evening -- weakening light, the last swallows.
A boy on a lake lifts his oars.
A woman by a window puts a match to a candle,
And the names are outlined on the rose clouds --
Vanacore and Wallace,
(let X stand, if it can, for the ones unfound)
Then Young and Ziminsky, the final jolt of Z.
Names etched on the head of a pin.
One name spanning a bridge, another undergoing a tunnel.
A blue name needled into the skin.
Names of citizens, workers, mothers and fathers,
The bright-eyed daughter, the quick son.
Alphabet of names in a green field.
Names in the small tracks of birds.
Names lifted from a hat
Or balanced on the tip of the tongue.
Names wheeled into the dim warehouse of memory.
So many names, there is barely room on the walls of the heart


Additional information at the following links:


║ Chiff.com http://www.chiff.com/home_life/holiday/september-11.htm

New York City's $4 billion World Trade Center Transportation Hub is finally open to the public — take a look inside

║See CBS video, “The Passionate Eye,” http://www.cbc.ca/passionateeyemonday/video_player.html?fallingman&playerType=wmp

║Video “911 The Falling Man”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EFvGuIXIJc&feature=related Images of bodies hanging out of windows, holding on across the steel across windows, leaning out for air.

║Google Blog: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/ten-years-later.html


My two 911 haikus:
║ 911 ten ═ years later falling man is ═ still provocative

║ pin-straight Falling Man ═ endless time still shows the world ═ our land, brave and free

Search engine stats for the term 911 on Sept. 11, 2014
Match type  &nbsp Broad   &nbsp   &nbsp Exact
Google   44,900,000   &nbsp 44,400,000
Yahoo   &nbsp 54,200,000   &nbsp 54,100,000
Bing     &nbsp 54,200,000   &nbsp 54,200,000

Search engine stats for the term 911 on Sept. 11, 2011
Match type  &nbsp Broad   &nbsp   &nbsp Exact
Google   981,000,000   &nbsp 431,000,000
Yahoo   &nbsp 246,000,000   &nbsp 240,000,000
Bing     &nbsp 245,000,000   &nbsp 242,000,000

RESOURCES & THINGS TO DO IN MEMORY OF 911 IN ADDITION TO VISITING THE 911 MEMORIAL
▓▌▄▒║ ▓║ ║▌ Soothe your soul by listening to music in memory of 911 like Unhappy Birthday, by The Bacon Brothers, Originally from the album "White Knuckles" reworked for the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 with updated lyrics, written by Michael and Kevin Bacon, Directed by Bill Keller
▓▌▄▒║ ▓║ ║▌ visit the NYC FireStore on Greenwich Street, NYC
▓▌▄▒║ ▓║ ║▌ World Trade Center Status Detailed By Developers 11 Years After September 11th Attacks , by the Associated Press, September 10, 2012
▓▌▄▒║ ▓║ ║▌ World Trade Center Timeline, by WTC organization

▓▌▄▒║ ▓║ ║▌ Downtown Manhattan Future Skyline animation, by Silverstein Properties


Please check out all the links in the resource section above and share this on your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks you enjoy! Thanks!

This is a re-posting of previous annual 911 blog posts by AllThingsDigitalMarketing. Please visit this blog frequently and share this with your social media and professional networks. Thanks.

Visiting this blog frequently and sharing this with your social media and professional network is much appreciated. Thanks.

Saturday, September 1, 2018

Happy 136th Labor Day America (or 124th when it became an official holiday); Do you still wear white after Labor Day? See Pantone's 2018 Fall Colors, from Grenadine Red to Tawny Autumn Maple!

“Labor day is a great American holiday that people celebrate by going out and buying products made in China.” ~~ David Letterman,
American television host and comedian; Host of CBS Late Show with David Letterman, recently surpassing Johnny Carson for having the longest late-night hosting career in the USA, on the irony of Labor Day

Letterman photo above courtesy of Wikimedia.org


Today is Labor Day. Happy 136th Labor Day America! Let’s admit it, this holiday has been amazingly ironic over the past decade and a half:

Imagine American’s celebrating workers, particularly in light of our country’s high unemployment rates which are a lot higher than our government reports.

Stats and economy aside, all across America, this holiday which was once symbolic for back to school, the end of the summer and the archaic fashion trend – where wearing white after Labor Day is a fashion faux pas – have all been passé for years. Fashion trends rarely pay attention to this rule.

Also back to school shopping is now done during the end of July and month of August.

Labor Day photo left courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos

According to Pantone Color Institute® "Fall 2018: the theme for fall is "Autumnal hues that evoke the feeling of leaves on the forest floor, rich plumage and twilight reveal a modern fall pallette of deep and rich tones and rich tones with outbursts of colorful surprise!"  
(To go directly to Pantone's color spectrum image above, follow the Link above or copy/paste https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-features/pantone-ranks-leading-10-fall-colors-for-a-pre-fashion-week-forecast-11140358/) 

Nail Art Inspiration for Pantone 2018 Fall Colors in NYC 



Purple is taking the world by storm for 2018 



"As designers and consumers alike continue to transition away from cyclical trends, and instead focus on self-expressive colors that evade antiquated seasonal structure, we are seeing very notable non-traditional choices."   ~~ Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director, Pantone Color Institute®



Will you be incorporating the Pantone 2018 Color of the Year in work and wardrobe? We'd love to know. Please share your answer in the comments section below.



Labor Day also marks the beginning of bargain shopping and also when sports excitement begins as the NFL and college football seasons begin. 


NFL photo left courtesy of Wikimedia.org


For the many attentive parents and their children, it's the end of summer reading programs and making sure all of their children's book reports and other assignments are in order!


In a world of digital, it is also a great idea to use the internet for exciting news and interesting ideas. SchoolsNYC.org, SummerReading.org, and Scholastic.com are very helpful sites.

So much happens over the summer and discussing a few books (or just 1)that your child has read, (a simple question will do) is a great refresher and memory exercise. This also best prepares your child for the first day of school.

What about vacation? Talk about a great memory or event during summer family visits and travels.

Back to School photo above courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.


HISTORY (sources: Wikipedia.org and HISTORY Channel)

One hundred and thirty three years ago (1882), Matthew Maguire, a machinist, first proposed the holiday while serving as secretary of the CLU (Central Labor Union) of New York. Others argue that it was first proposed by Peter J. McGuire of the American Federation of Labor in May 1882, after witnessing the annuallabour festival held in Toronto, Canada. Oregon was the first state to make it a holiday on February 21, 1887. By the time it became a federal holiday in 1894, thirty states officially celebrated Labor Day.

In the United States, Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of their country.

In many countries, the working classes sought to make May Day an official holiday, and their efforts largely succeeded. In the United States and Canada, however, the official holiday for workers is Labor Day in September. This day was promoted by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor, who organized the first parade in New York City.

After the Haymarket Massacre, US President Grover Cleveland feared that commemorating Labor Day on May 1 could become an opportunity to commemorate the affair. Thus, in 1887, it was established as an official holiday in September to support the Labor Day that the Knights favored.

Labor Day weekend: what to do.
(or copy/paste 
https://www.timeout.com/newyork/labor-day)

Please share this on your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks you enjoy! Thanks! 

Do celebrate Labor Day? What are your plans?

RESOURCES 
▐■  TimeOut Labor Day Weekend -
https://www.timeout.com/newyork/labor-day▐■  In Praise of the American Worker, Life Magazine http://www.life.com/image/first/in-gallery/48141/in-praise-of-the-american-worker
▐■  The History of Labor Day, United States Department of Labor http://www.dol.gov/laborday/history.htm

▐■  History of Labor Day, Knights of Labor, http://web.archive.org/web/20070930082656/http://progressivehistorians.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2041

▐■  Labor Day, Wikimedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_Day

▐■  Wear White Immediately -- We'll Show You How (PHOTOS), Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/04/wear-winter-white-photos_n_2789912.html

▐■  You Can’t Wear White After Labor Day? These 7 Fashion-Tech Founders Say Otherwise, Fueled.com http://fueled.com/blog/you-cant-wear-white-after-labor-day-these-7-fashion-tech-founders-say-otherwise/



This is a re-posting of prevous annual Labor Day blog posts by AllThingsDigitalMarketing. Please visit this blog frequently and share this with your social media and professional networks. Thanks.