This just came across my desk and I thought it was a gas. It's a collection of TV commercials from the 1960's made by John Behrens and it is called, "Batteries Not Included." I thoroughly enjoyed this film and was especially pleased that I am allowed to embed this on this site for your viewing pleasure. I remember some of these toys from the 1960's and wish I hadn't of bashed them up. Some of them are worth a fortune now! Especially the made in Japan cars that, when you examined them closely, you could see that they were fashioned out of aluminum beer cans I saw some of those in mint condition selling at a toy show a few years ago and they were going for $500 ~ $900 each! Here are John Behrens comments: Batteries Not Included a Film by John Behrens: Batteries Not Included is a film that I put together early this year, after I made the film I did not know what to do with it because it is so much different than the Experimental art films that I am most known for doing. I decided to release this film on the internet and I thought the best place to do this would be right here on the Internet Archives. About the Film: Almost as long as I have been a filmmaker I have also been a film collector. I have for many years wanted to assemble a collection of vintage toy commercials into a flowing little feature length film, that feature all of these wonderful toys from 1950's 1960's and 1970's all of the major toy companies are represented in this film. Matel, Ideal, Hasbro, Marx, Aurora and many many others. So strap your self in and take a trip back through your childhood and you may discover a commercial for a toy that had a kid and my hope is that it will spark pleasant memory's from those days.
Enjoy and Best Regards Jon Behrens I greatly enjoyed this film and wish that you can see it now (or come back later when you have the chance). Wow! What a time trip!
This is a wonderful film and will take you back to a better time. For those of us born in the mid-1950's, it is a reminder that we were so lucky to have been born and lived in the most golden time that the USA ever had or probably ever will have.
Grab some popcorn, get your girl and watch this movie. Enjoy!
To go to the original link, click here.... Tell them I sent you!
I think there's been an ever accelerating trend all over the western world (and Japan) to get back to "old-fashioned ways." I think evidence of this can be seen nearly everywhere you look: The trend towards healthier lifestyles, more natural foods, the return of the popularity of canning foods or making your own jams and jellies at home, the popularity of retro fashions, designs, music and films....
It seems there is a hunger for the more "down to earth" ways of the past. Perhaps this is due to a bad economy or just due to a feeling that we've been heading down the wrong road through all these years of mass consumerism.
A photo from a Yakitori in Asakusa circa 1969
I even think that this desire to return to the old ways is a catalyst for many of the political and social protest movements like Occupy Wall Street or even the wonderful popularity on the Ron Paul movement in the US election; People think things now aren't as good as they used to be. They want to get back to better times.
Recently, I've noticed this movement in Japan too. Did you know that some products that were very popular 40 or 50 years ago, yet near their death-beds in the late 80's and 90's in Japan have had a massive return in popularity over these last 5 years or so? Yes. It's true.
One of the items that used to have a very uncool image amongst the young people 30 years ago was Hoppy. Back in the fifties and sixties, a cold glass of beer was a luxury for most Japanese businessmen. The solution? Hoppy. Hoppy is a non-alcoholic beer-tasting drink that, when added with Sho-chu (cheap) Korean liquor tastes like beer and gets the job done quite well, thank you. Hoppy was hugely successful before and during the days of Japan's Economic Miracle. It was still popular until about 1979 or so...
In the late seventies and early 80s, a new drink came on the market that just destroyed the competition and that was called "Lemon Sour" or "Chu-hi." Lemon Sour is lemon juice and carbonated water with sho-chu. It is quite easy to drink, cheap and didn't have an old fashioned image like Hoppy, so all the young people started drinking that. I used to drink those too.
In those days, of the early 80s, Hoppy was considered a stale old drink from stinky old men, that is, up until about 5 years ago. That's when the old man who ran the company that makes Hoppy retired and put his daughter in charge of the company as president. She is one smart woman and she set out to revitalize the company and the image of the drink. And what a job she's done! Hoppy sales have exploded in Japan and is now being drank by younger people. Why? Well Lemon Sour and Chu-Hi actually are high calorie drinks with lots of sugar in them. Hoppy is very low calorie and almost no sugar. So, since Hoppy is very low calorie (lower than Lemon Sour or beer) and so is Sho-chu, so you can drink Hoppy and be feeling great at a few dollars cheaper per glass and at a fraction of the calories of beer or Chu-hi.
The new president of Hoppy turned the company around and became a star of the business world
On a diet yet you want to drink but still want to look better? Hoppy it is!
This "healthier" image has done wonders for the company and the drink. In fact, it is my personal drink of choice now as Hoppy is very low on purine so it is best for drinkers who might suffer from gout or other drink related illnesses.
These sorts of old style drinking places are everywhere and resurgent in Japan.
I've marked where it says, "Hoppy" so you can try it next time.
Another thing that has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity is... Hi-Lite tobacco. Now, in this day and age, a resurgence in popularity in tobacco seems and impossibility, but with the Japanese government continually raising the taxes on cigarettes, many of the western brands, like Marlboro or Lucky Strike have gotten very expensive in Japan. It seems to me that I have witnessed, over these last two years, a high resurgence of younger guys smoking Hi-Lite cigarettes.
Hi-Lite has a similar story to tell as Hoppy does: After the war, premium cigarettes were prohibitively expensive. Then people smoked cheaper brands. And the most popular of the cheapest brands (and strongest nicotine and tar - 14mgs!) was Hi-Lite. Hi-Lite was by far the best bang for the buck. Hi-Lite's package design hasn't changed in years and is very uncool. It's so uncool that it today fits in well, design wise, with the retro boom happening in Japan.
If I were this guy, I'd be drinking Hoppy and smoking cigarettes too... Maybe things weren't so bad for "ojisan" after all...
Another thing that has found a return to popularity and success in Japan is the kid's drink Ramune. Ramune was one of Japan's first "soda-pop" drinks. When the british brought over lemonade before 1870's, the Japanese thought they were saying, not "Lemonade" but "Ra-mo-ne." Some enterprising Japanese businessmen then decided to make Ramune and it first went on sale in 1870. Over the years, there have even been wasabi and curry-taste tasting Ramune....
Today there's all sorts of flavors of Ramune that kids like. My son loves it.
Ramune has been around all these years, and always available at festivals and matsuri season in Japan, but only in the last 5 or 6 years or so, has Ramune really gotten popular again. You might recognize Ramune by the unique shape of the bottle and, when you open it, a glass marble drops down inside the bottle too (never could figure out the reason for that). Ramune is even being sold in restaurants and grocery stores nowadays. I even saw it in a convenience store the other day!
Besides these three small examples, I see a resurgence of retro style and of people wanting things to get back to the way they were before. I see parents of small children wanting their kids to go do more traditional Japanese things and to enjoy the things those parents enjoyed when they were kids.
It was a time when things were simpler than now and life seemed just a little bit better.
Oh, how I wish we could get back to the way (some) things used to be: Friendlier neighborhoods, less crime, lower taxes, less stress... Maybe our grandparents did suffer through a lot, but I think they can also be envied for living something that us folks today only dream about.
What sorts of "getting back to better times" type of things do you see where you live? Let me know.
Asakusa Jinta is a band that relies heavily on retro sounds and images of the Showa period (1926 ~ 1989). This sort of concept would have died a quick death up until just a few years ago but is very popular today.
Thanks to marketing expert and promoter Asami Shishido
A few night's ago I had the simple pleasure of watching George C. Scott in the movie adaptation of Charles Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" (1984). In that movie, Scott played Ebeneezer Scrooge. It wasn't the greatest performance I've ever seen Scott in. I saw George C. Scott in the lead role of the classic "Patton" when I was a school child and, then again, later on as Buck Turgidson in Dr. Strangelove and Scott was magnificent both times. Scott was called "One of the greatest actors of his generation." So serious was he about his trade that he even refused to attend the Oscar ceremony in 1971 for his role in Patton. He thought the awards ceremonies were "demeaning" and a "two hour meat parade." He wanted no part of it.
As I watched, "A Christmas Carol" I sometimesfelt sorry for Scott. His performance seemed strained in parts. I thought, "Oh how far the mighty have fallen." Why such a triple AAA class actor has to appear in a B-Grade movie? Oh, well, one has to pay the bills.
Then I thought about what is an actors life? I know only too well how show business works; one day you are on top of he world, the next? You haven't a friend around.
The movie "A Christmas Carol" was good, but it seemed quite a drop from the lofty heights of Patton and Dr. Strangelove. I considered how such an excellent and fine actor such as George C. Scott had to actually go to an audition in order to get that part. Imagine! Once the winner of the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1971, auditioning for a part in, what surely was a well-made movie, but not nearly a classic in any sense of the word.
Like I said, it was a "nice movie."
I guess we all have to remember that no matter what we've done in the past, every day is a new day and we have to start again and find the fire and the muster to bring ourselves to an Academy Award performance.
We all know bad bosses. What makes them bad? I think it is something like comparing lies to the truth. There is always only one truth. There are many lies. So, there are many reasons a bad boss is bad.
Bad bosses are never cute... Excepting in Japanese anime.
What makes a good boss? Being a nice person? Perhaps. But what makes a great boss? I mean a really great boss?
Actually, this post is about a TV producer but it is interchangeable with any boss at any occupation. So, instead of just referring to a "producer," a title that doesn't strike a chord with most people, let me refer to this person as a "boss"
There are a lot of bad, stupid bosses.
JIMMY REED - BIG BOSS MAN
But first, let me tell you what a producer does. A TV producer is a person who coordinates everything concerning the production of a TV program or movie. Many people confuse "TV Producer" with "Director" but they are two distinctly different things. In many cases a producer lines up sponsors and stars to appear on shows and also hires directors and staff. They are the people who set up the over all view of how a program is to be run. The director, on the other hand, is the person who is actually in-charge of the shooting and is the boss at the set.
The producer has a lot of say in what goes on and can give his opinion to the director in how s/he thinks the production and editing should be done, but the final say goes to the director. If the producer, or producers, don't like what they see in the director, they can fire that director and hire another one.
Producers of TV shows are much like people on the Board of Directors at a company; they can advise on policy and choose a CEO but the actual daily running of the company is left up to the CEO. If the Board of Directors doesn't like the direction in which the company is going, they can remove the CEO and get another one.
I have been a producer of programs many times. I have only been a director a few times. Being a director is a tough job. Being a producer is an easier job, I think. Why? Because a good producer doesn't really have to do much excepting make sure that there is an atmosphere whereby everyone, including the director, can be and do their best.
In other words, in many cases, producers are glorified "coffee boys."
As a producer (and I think I am a good one) I make sure that everyone is happy and is enjoying their work. I try to prevent tensions and disagreements. I always try to make sure that there are enough refreshments and coffee back stage for everyone. I try to make sure the "talent" or sponsors and staff of the program know that they are well respected and cared for.
Of course, though, there are times when I must put my foot down; but I like to think that when I do, it is for what is best for the show or the people who appear on the show. It is never for what is best for me.
The great producers are humble and are, like I said, de facto servants to the staff and talent. Everyone needs to know that they are needed and everyone needs to know that their opinion's are heard. Everyone needs to like the producer and want to work hard for him because he is such a good person and an inspirational leader.
That's the key here: The great producer's make everyone want to work hard and do their best. The great producers are able to make an atmosphere whereby everyone feels important and everyone feels that they are respected and they know that they can blossom and bloom to be their very best.
If you, as a producer or boss, can create the atmosphere where everyone knows they are respected, where their opinion counts, where they are somebody important, where they can be their absolute "best" then you have real power.
Once again, the truly great producers (and directors) are able to create an atmosphere whereby everyone can be their best. That is the key to success. They are also the ones that, when praise does come, the first thing out of their mouth's is something like,
"Well. I have a great team!"
Great producers never take credit for themselves. They always thank the team first... Bad producers suck up praise like Spongebob sucks up water. (I like Spongebob!)
Alas, there are far too many bad producers (bosses) who get confused and start to think of themselves as superior to their staff. They take all the credit for success and blame others for failures. They talk down to their staff and belittle them. They start to believe that all the success that has been gained so far is 100% due to themselves and not to the hard efforts of those around them.
Those are the bad producers.
The bad producer yells at people in a disrespectful manner. The bad producer treats people with little respect. The bad producer will belittle people in front of others. The bad producer will not motivate people to be their best.
The bad producer is his own worst enemy. The bad producer is a fool.
There are a very many bad producers and bosses in this world.
Think about it; which is better? Motivating people to do their best and to grow and achieve or to disrespect them and demotivate them to do the minimum required? When the staff are not doing their best, who suffers? Of course, as workers, the staff do, but also the producer does.
Who loses money when the staff don't perform up to the best of their abilities? The producer (boss) does. So why does the bad producer continue with these bad habits? Isn't it self-defeating? It sure is.
Long ago, I had a boss who was an excellent producer. His name was Kiyoshi Mizuno. He produced many films in Japan and has won famous awards. One day he was talking to me when I was a 25 some year old. He was talking to me about what a good producer was. He told me a story that I realized was a sort of parable. He pointed to an old dirty ashtray and he said to me,
"Mike. Imagine you were a famous and wealthy producer and you wanted this ashtray from me. You came and asked me for it and I said I would give it to you if you got on your knees and kissed my feet. Would you do it?"
"Of course not!" I replied.
"Well, then, you will never become a good producer." He replied, "A good producer will be humble and lower his head and do whatever is necessary to get the job done. All you would need to do is to get on your knees and kiss my feet. That would take just ten seconds of your time. But for that ten seconds, you'd have this ashtray forever. That's the difference between a great producer and a bad one. The bad producer has too much pride."
He was right. The bad producer (boss) has too much pride. He is arrogant and talk down to people and belittles his staff in front of others. He doesn't make an atmosphere whereby everyone can do and become their best.
Only a fool is a bad producer. Don't be a fool.
Any intelligent person can become a great producer (boss)...
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For more on becoming a great boss or producer, I recommend reading:
The film stars Toshirō Mifune as a young man who gets a prominent position in a corrupt postwar Japanese company in order to expose the men responsible for his father's death. It has its roots in Shakespeare'sHamlet. It also is a critique of corporate corruption.
Yojimbo(用心棒Yōjinbō) is a 1961 jidaigeki (period drama) film directed by Akira Kurosawa. It tells the story of a ronin (masterless samurai), portrayed by Toshirō Mifune, who arrives in a small town where competing crime lords make their money from gambling.
Sanjuro(椿三十郎Tsubaki Sanjūrō) is a 1962 black and white Japanesesamurai film directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring Toshirō Mifune. It is a sequel to Kurosawa's previous film Yojimbo, with Mifune reprising his role as a wandering ronin. The film combines action and humour, and is lighter in tone than its predecessor.
