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Home / Audi / A3 / Vs / BMW 1 series
Audi A3 VS BMW 1 series
Holden Calais
Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class
Subaru Liberty
Sedan styling looks superb
Quattro all-wheel drive on highest grade
AEB on all grades
Plain standard interior
Limited rear legroom
Low on standard features
Great engines
Run-flat tyres
Audi's A3 is one of the most affordable ways into this prestige German brand. But like some amusement park mirror maze you'll find with so many A3 variations there are numerous, seemingly identical ways into the model.
Which one do you choose? There's a sedan, a hatch, and a convertible with four different engines, not to mention front- or all-wheel drive.
That's why this range review is here – to guide you through the A3 hall of mirrors, and identify the right model for you.
2.0L turbo
Premium Unleaded Petrol
5.8L/100km
VIEW FULL PRICING & SPECS
If you think it's a Mercedes-Benz A-Class you want or maybe an Audi A3 Sportback or even a Volkswagen Golf, then stop and read this first before making a purchase.
The BMW 1 Series alternative isn't just another prestige little car, because there are some fundamental differences between this 1 and those others, and they could cause you to totally rethink your decision.
If you're already keen on getting a 1 Series then you need to read this, too, not only to help you find the right one, but also to alert you to what might be a couple of uncomfortable truths.
Audi A37.5/10
The Audi A3 is now five years into this current generation and it's beginning to show its age in terms of tech and styling in the cabin, despite updates adding new equipment. It's expensive compared to most small cars but is spot-on for a prestige vehicle.
The Sedan is, in my view, the best looking small sedan on the planet and offers the biggest boot space in the A3 range. The Sportback, however, is arguably more practical, with better legroom, headroom and cargo carrying ability (with the rear seats down). The Cabriolet has the same perfect proportions as the sedan, but like all good convertibles doesn't make practicality a priority.
The sweet spot of the range would have to be the Sportback 2.0 TFSI quattro S Line with its $50,000 list price making it the most affordable but most 'specced up' A3 in the entire range.
You have $50,000. Do you buy an entry-grade Audi A3 Cabriolet, a 2.0 TFSI Sport Sedan or a Volkswagen Golf R? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
VIEW FULL PRICING & SPECS >
BMW 1 series7.5/10
I'm the first to say the 1 Series is kind of the ugly duckling of the BMW family, but those looks grow on you, especially when you consider that this is exactly what a BMW hatch should look like. That this is one of the only rear-wheel-drive hatches left on the planet makes it even more special – and of course engaging to pilot. The downside is the price and the lack of value from a features perspective, plus safety could be bolstered with more technology. Still, anybody who likes to drive will commend you on your choice of a BMW.
Is the BMW 1 Series better at doing the small prestige hatch thing than the A-Class or A3 Sportback? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
Audi A38/10
The A3 comes in three body styles: a five-door hatch, which Audi calls the Sportback; the four-door Sedan, and a two-door convertible which it refers to as the Cabriolet. It may not surprise you to learn they're all different sizes, too.
The Sportback doesn't look like the shortest of the three but at 4313mm end-to-end it's 145mm shy of the Sedan and 110mm shorter than the Cabriolet. But those exterior dimensions don't tell the whole story on interior space. So, which one is more practical? We'll get to that.
But first, the looks. The Sportback has a wagon-like appearance with its large (for a hatch) rear quarter windows. If you think it looks longer than a regular hatchback, you're right: a Volkswagen Golf is 50mm shorter even though it shares the same platform as the A3.
However, unlike the Golf, there's something about the Sportback's proportions which doesn't seem balanced.
Then there's the A3 sedan. Now this is a perfectly proportioned car. Looking like a miniature version of the A8 limo, the A3 is one of the only tiny sedans on the planet that looks fantastic.
The Cabriolet is based on the Sedan, and it too looks beautifully proportioned. Soft tops, when they're up, never do much for a car's profile. Be it a Bentley or an A3, they always look better down. When the roof is down the A3 appears lower, sleeker, and tougher.
While all A3's have the same grille and headlight design the rear treatment of the Sedan and Cabriolet is more refined with their blade-like tail-lights and boot lid lip, than the Sportback, even if it does have a roof-top spoiler.
Interiors are identical across each A3 grade, the cabin benefiting from excellent fit and finish and the use of high-quality materials. But if you like bling-tastic cockpits, maybe you should be looking at a Benz A-Class because even the fanciest A3 money can buy, the RS3, comes with a small display screen and a rather low-key interior design.
As for rivals, the new A-Class (which I've just reviewed) is a glitzy competitor in hatch form, with a soon-to-arrive sedan going head-to-head with the little Audi as well.
Or there's BMW's 1 Series hatch and 2 Series Coupe. The 1 Series hatch is seriously ugly, the 2 Series is stunning and looks fast standing still.
BMW 1 series8/10
The 1 Series looks exactly how a BMW hatchback should. I know that sounds silly but what I mean is BMW could easily have designed something that was proportioned more like other hatches; that popular sort of bubble on wheels.
Instead, what you have is a hatch that retains BMW's traditional attributes – there's the long nose, the cabin set back, the high sides and the wheels placed almost at the very corners.
Seriously, look at the image of the orange 1 Series side on, now hold your out your hand and use it to cover just the windows – see, it looks just like a BMW 2 Series convertible. Does it look good? To me it does, right up until you get to the hatchback, and then it looks a bit awkward. But I do admire BMW's designers for creating something unique looking.
That orange 120i ('Sunset Orange' is the official colour) is the most recent 1 Series I've tested. Those wheels aren't standard, they're 18-inch M ones and they are part of the optional 'M Sport Package', which also includes the body kit, complete with side skirts and the lower grille in gloss black.
The 1 Series is as affordable as BMWs get, but it's still a real BMW. The cabin, for example, looks much like every BMW, only smaller.
There's the large, slab-like dash with the display sitting atop, below are the air vents and below that is the radio and then the climate-control dials. It's a stack that's kept its familiar order and shape on nearly all BMWs for what seems like forever.
The centre console has a similar layout as the one in a 3 Series or 5 Series or any Series, with the shifter and rotating media controller. Even the doors have the same design as those cars higher up in the BMW family, with the big moulded pockets and large pull handles.
That steering wheel is part of the M-Package too, but the leather upholstery is a separate option.
The signs that this isn't a more expensive BMW are the manual handbrake, the compact instrument cluster with analogue dials, the small dash-top display and the fact that there's a lot less real estate to be covered by trim pieces and material, which doesn't have the same high-quality feel as those fancier models.
The cabin isn't as 'blingy' as the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class, but it's not as plain as the cockpit of an Audi A3 – it's somewhere in between; refined and well designed.
At 4.3m end to end, the 1 Series is 16mm shorter that the A3 Sportback and 20mm narrower, at just over 1.7m across.
The Sportback and Sedan have five seats, while the Cabriolet has four. Leg and headroom in the back row for all body styles is limited. The Sportback will give you the most rear legroom, while the sedan has a few millimetres more space for your knees than the Cabriolet.
At 191cm tall I can sit behind my driving position in the Sportback with a pinkie finger's space, while my knees brush the seatback in the Sedan, and the Cabriolet won't accommodate my long legs back there at all.
Rear headroom in the Sportback isn't bad with enough room for my big head to clear the ceiling thanks to that tall(-ish) flat roofline while the sedan is a tighter fit but I just make it under. The Cabriolet's low fabric roof means only small adults or kids will be able to sit up straight back there – unless the top is down and then you have literally unlimited headroom.
Boot space varies obviously depending on the body style. The Sedan has biggest cargo capacity with 425 litres, the Sportback offers up 340 litres, but fold those rear seats down and you have 1180 litres at your disposal, plus a bigger aperture to fit stuff in. The Cabriolet's folding roof eats into the boot space, but you're still left with 320 litres even when it's down.
The folding roof is automatic and can be raised or lowered at up to 50km/h, but it's slow - I've timed it and it takes about 20 seconds to open or shut.
Storage throughout the cabin is limited, too. There are two cupholders up front in all cars, while the Cabriolet is the only A3 to have two cupholders in the back (they're between the rear seats). If you want cupholders in the rear of the Sedan and Sportback you'll have to option the $450 fold-down armrest which houses them.
All grades above the 1.0 TFSI come with storage nets in the seatback and front passenger footwell, 12-volt sockets in the rear centre console and boot, plus cargo nets back there, too. There's a USB jack in the centre console of all A3s.
The 1 Series' boot has a cargo capacity of 360 litres, which is more than the boot space of the Audi A3 Sportback (340 litres) but less than the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class's 370 litres of luggage room.
What does that mean in real-world terms? It's not a lot of space, and you might struggle to get a pram in, so check that beforehand if you have small ones. That said, there was enough room for two carry-on sized bags, a computer bag and a scooter when my wife and I went on a weekend away with our four year old.
Space in the second row is also limited. Headroom isn't too bad, but at 191cm tall I can't sit behind my driving position without my knees digging into the seatback. I can just fit back there in the A3 and I have even more room for my knees in the A-Class.
Room up front is good with plenty of shoulder, head and elbow room for somebody my size.
Storage could be better: you'll only find cup holders up front (two of them), the centre-console storage bin is small and so are the door pockets in the rear, but all is not lost because the door bottle holders in the front are massive, the glove box is a decent size and there are nets on the backs of the front seats.
It's good to see directional air vents in the second row and a 12V power outlet, but there aren't any USB ports back there – if you want to plug in a device there's only one and it's up front, along with another 12-volt outlet.
The rear doors appear large from the outside but the aperture to get in and out isn't huge – again look at the images to see what I'm on about.
Price and features
The A3 isn't great value for a small car, generally speaking, because while you are getting a high-quality prestige vehicle, it doesn't come with a mountain of equipment that you might find on a more affordable little hatch or sedan.
Look at it this way: take $40 into a fish and chip shop and you'll walk out with your arms full of food, take the same amount into a Michelin-starred restaurant and you'll be lucky to get an entrée. Same with buying a prestige car – and the A3 really is a starter on the Audi menu.
Coming standard on the entry-grade $36,200 1.0 TFSI Sportback are xenon headlights with LED running lights, cloth upholstery, dual-zone climate control, a 7.0-inch touchscreen with sat nav, reversing camera, multimedia system with voice control, eight-speaker stereo, Bluetooth connectivity, CD player, front and rear parking sensors, rear view camera and 16-inch alloy wheels.
Only the Sportback comes in this 1.0 TFSI grade. The rest of the body styles start with the 1.4 TFSI ($40,300 for the Sportback; $41,900 for Sedan; $49,400 for Cabriolet) which comes with the 1.0 TFSI's equipment but swaps the cloth seats for leather upholstery and adds paddles shifters, aluminium-look interior elements and 17-inch alloy wheels.
Stepping up to the 2.0 TFSI Sport ($46,400 for Sportback; $48,000 for Sedan; $55,500 for the Cabriolet) adds leather sports front seats, aluminium door sills, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and 17-inch alloys with a different design.
The 2.0 TFSI quattro S line ($50,000 for the Sportback; $51,600 for Sedan and $59,100 for the Cabriolet) brings in lowered sports suspension, 18-inch alloys and LED headlights.
Each grade also attains more safety equipment, which we'll cover further on.
I've also reviewed Mercedes-Benz's new A200, which is a good model comparison for the A3. At a list price of $48,200 the 1.3-litre four-cylinder A200 is pricier than the 1.4 TFSI, but offers better value than the A3 2.0TFSI with more equipment, including two 10.25-inch display screens.
As for paint colours, only 'Brilliant Black' and 'Ibis White' won't cost you a cent more. Optional colours include 'Cosmos Blue', 'Tango Red' and 'Monsoon Grey'.
So, it's a little BMW, does that mean the price is little? Nope. It's like asking if a little Rolex is cheap. it might be cheap for a Rolex, but not for a watch in general, and it's the same for the 1 Series.
The 1 Series range starts at $39,990 for the petrol 118i, while its 118d diesel twin is $44,990. Both come with the standard Sport Line package, which adds 16-inch light alloy wheels and LED headlights, while in the cabin it brings cloth upholstery, sports seats and a leather sports steering wheel, high-gloss black trim and BMW scuff plates. Other standard features include a 6.5-inch display, with sat nav, reversing camera, six-speaker stereo, a digital radio and air-conditioning.
For another $7000 you can get into the 120i grade, which lists for $46,990 and comes standard with the Urban Line package, which fits 17-inch alloy wheels in the double-spoke style, adds front and rear bumpers with matt finish air intakes, plus dual chrome tail pipes, while the cockpit gets leather upholstery, and gloss-black and pearl-effect trim.
Along with the Urban Line gear, the 120i has all of the 118i's standard features and adds more of its own, including front and rear parking sensors, LED fog lights, dual-zone climate control, the interior lights package, plus smart phone connectivity with voice control.
The 125i is only a tempting $3000 above the 120i at $49,990 and it comes standard with the M Sport Package, which is what our most recent test car was fitted with (see the images of the orange 120i). The M Sport pack adds 18-inch light-alloy wheels and the tough body kit, the M Sport steering wheel and aluminium trim to the interior.
Apart from the M Sport package, also standard is an 8.8-inch screen with a DVD player and, somewhat disappointingly, cloth and Alcantara seats. Sure, they look nice, but how did the 120i get real leather and the 125i didn't?
Still the 125i comes with more impressive performance hardware than the grades below, such as sports suspension, variable steering, M Sport brakes (inner vented rear discs) and blue calipers.
At the top of the 1 Series range is the M140i and while it's getting into pricey territory at $59,990 (don't forget that's not including the on-road costs), you are getting what I'm predicting will be a sought after car in years to come. And possibly even a collector's item.
The M140i isn't a fully fledged M car – it's a diet version from the M Performance section of BMW, which gives cars a bit of a taste of the hardcore world of beasties like the M2 and M3, without costing as much or being quite as brutal to drive.
I'll talk about the high-performance parts more in the sections on driving and engines, but briefly, you might like to know the M140 gets adaptive suspension and a six-cylinder turbo petrol engine – yes in a tiny hatch. Powerful.
The M140i also has the standard features of the 125i and adds its own, such as the 18-inch alloy wheels, black chrome tail pipe, adaptive LED headlights, leather upholstery, keyless entry, power front seats and a Harmon/Kardon 12-speaker stereo.
So, is the 1 Series good value? The price is bang-on compared to rivals such as the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class and Audi A3 (click those to see my reviews of them, too), but the 1 Series gets less in standard features compared to the Benz (such as Apple CarPlay) and about the same level of equipment as the A3.
If you're a fan of black and white, you might be relieved to know these are the only two colours you won't have to pay for. The rest, including Sunset Orange (see the images), Seaside Blue, Melbourne Red, Glacial Silver and Mineral Grey cost $1190.
Engine & trans
Now on to the engines. Yes, I'm doing this in what may seem a strange order, but trust me, it's to guide you safely through the A3 range without anybody getting lost. We don't leave anybody behind here, not on my watch.
The grades indicate the engines in the A3 line-up – the higher the grade, the more powerful the engine. So, the range starts with the 1.0 TFSI which has a 85kW/200Nm 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine, and steps up to the 1.4 TFSI which has a 110kW/250Nm 1.4-litre four-cylinder with cylinder on demand (COD) letting it run on two cylinders when not under load). Both are front-wheel drive (FWD) cars.
Next rung up is the 2.0 TFSI Sport and that has a 2.0-litre four making 140kW/320Nm with drive going to the front wheels. The top of the range is the 2.0 TFSI quattro S line which has the same engine but is all-wheel drive (AWD).
Those are all turbo-petrol engines – yes, no diesels and no manual gearbox option either. All have a seven-speed dual-clutch automatics shifting the gears.
If you're after something more hardcore in the same package, there are two halo 'models' that sit above the A3 range: the S3 with a 213kW/380Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four and the RS3 with its 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo-petrol making 294kW/480Nm.
Given they are almost stand-alone models, the S3 and RS3 aren't included in this review, but you can read about them separately by clicking those links.
As you step up through the grades the engines become more powerful. The entry-grade 118i has a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol making 100kW of power and 220Nm of torque, while its diesel twin has a 2.0-litre turbo-four making 110kW and much more torque at 320Nm.
The 120i has a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder and an output of 135kW and 270Nm. Then above that is the 125i, which is getting into performance territory with its 2.0-litre turbo four petrol making 165kW and 310Nm.
But all hail the M140i and its beautiful 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol, with 250kW and 500Nm that it wants to share with you.
All cars are rear-wheel drive and all have an eight – hang on, that's important: all cars are rear-wheel drive. Do you know how many other hatchbacks are rear-wheel drive? Try next to none – not the A-Class, not the A3, not the Golf. Rear-wheel drive is favoured for performance cars because it offers better balance and better acceleration thanks to the weight shift to the rear of the car. BMW has long claimed that RWD is one of the keys to its "sheer driving pleasure".
Now let me finish the sentence... all have an eight-speed automatic, and it's a beauty – a little slow, but smoother for driving than a dual clutch, and way more fun than a CVT.
But wait, because there's a manual gearbox, too. It's a no-cost option and you can get it on any variant apart from the 125i.
Fuel usage depends on the engine and body style, with weights varying across the range. The most fuel-efficient engine is the 1.0-litre which is only offered on the Sportback, and Audi says over a combination of urban and open roads you should see it use 4.8L/100km.
The 1.4 TFSI Sportback uses 5.0L/100km, while the Sedan uses 4.9L/100km, but the heavier Cabriolet drinks more at 5.1L/100km.
My most recent A3 test car was a 1.4 TFSI Sportback and the trip computer reported 7.6L/100km over a mix of city and country kays - not bad.
The 2.0 TFSI Sport Sportback uses 5.9L/100km, the Sedan needs 5.8L/100km, the Cabriolet a bit more at 6.0L/100km.
The 2.0 TFSI quattro S Line Sportback uses 6.2L/100km, while the Sedan will go through 6.1L/100km and the Cabriolet again is highest with 6.4L/100km.
That raises the question of how much more does the Cabriolet weigh? About 170kg more than the Sedan and Sportback thanks to the extra reinforcement needed to strengthen the body to compensate for the rigidity it loses by not having a fixed metal roof.
BMW says its most efficient petrol engine in the 1 Series range is the three-cylinder in the 118i, which uses just 5.2L/100km after a combination of urban and open roads.
The diesel unit in the 118d will use 4.2L/100km. Let that sink in for a moment – petrol engines are becoming so fuel efficient that they're rivalling diesels, which have long been lauded for their frugality.
So don't just buy the diesel just because it's more efficient, because you may never recoup the extra money you paid over the 118i.
Thirstier but still super-efficient is the 2.0-litre in the 120i. BMW's claim is 5.9L/100km. During my week with the 120i I put 413km on the clock and used 15.57 litres doing so (measured at the pump), which comes to 7.7L/100km. The car's computer said 7.8L/100km.
That's great fuel economy, even if it is higher than the claimed figures. The 125i's official fuel consumption is also 5.9L/100km.
It's not surprising that the M140i, with its 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, is the least fuel efficient but its official figure of 7.1L/100km is still low.
I've driven all A3 variants from the 1.0 TFSI to the 2.0 TFSI quattro S Line, plus the S3 and RS3, but most recently I tested the 1.4 TFSI Sportback, which I'll focus on here.
Our car was fitted with two optional packages – the 'Style Package' which adds LED headlights, 18-inch alloys and sports suspension, and the 'Technik Package' which brings a virtual instrument cluster, an 8.3-inch display and sports steering wheel.
Those larger 18-inch alloys wearing low profile 225/40 Hankook Ventus S1 Evo2 tyres look great, but like thin-soled shoes you'll feel every imperfection on the road giving a harsher texture to the ride, plus they can be noisy on course-chip bitumen.
I'd stick to the standard 16-inch wheels. Sure, they don't look as racy, but the ride from those, on 55 profile tyres, is a lot more cushioned.
Despite that grittier feel from the tyres the sports suspension is excellent and manages to soften bigger bumps well. Handling is good too, thanks to that suspension keeping the body well controlled.
Good visibility, steering that's light but offers decent feel, and a comfortable seating position make the A4 pleasant to pilot, but not hugely engaging. If you're after more of a driver's car, the S3 and RS3 will deliver – trust me.
Acceleration isn't bad from the 1.4-litre, with 0-100km/h claimed to be 8.2 seconds. That dual-clutch transmission is a quick shifter and smooth even in bumper-to-bumper traffic, but only if you turn off the stop-start engine system (jerky and hard to tolerate).
I'm also not a fan of the way the stop-start system switches the engine off as you coast to a stop at traffic lights and intersections. For me, that borders on a safety issue, particularly when needing to turn on an amber only to find you momentarily lack steering or power.
As mentioned in the engine/transmission section, the 1.4 TFSI Sportback is a FWD car. Put it on a steep hill, as I did on our test incline, and even in dry conditions it'll lose traction under hard acceleration. Traction control reins the slippage in, but AWD 'quattro' cars won't struggle for traction in the same circumstances.
If I could run into a showroom and take whichever 1 Series I wanted it'd be the M140i – and not just because it would give me the best chance of outrunning the police after they discovered the break-in, but because the thing is so much fun to drive.
It's also the most expensive, of course, but it's worth it for that screaming straight six and for its agility.
You'll have fun, though, in every grade of the line-up – they're all engaging to pilot with great driving positions, good pedal feel and that eight-speed auto is smooth in traffic yet will shift hard when you have your race face on.
You might find the 118i, with its three-cylinder, a little under powered, especially with five people and their bags on board. If you're keen on this grade, then consider the diesel, which will give you more torque. Our 120i test car proved to have enough oomph for overtaking and moving quickly when needed.
The 125i is less tame, with its throatier exhaust note, firmer ride and better handling thanks to the M suspension.
If you plan on choosing the M Sport Package for, say, the 120i keep in mind that you'll lose the comfortable ride these cars have on their standard tyres.
Our 120i had the pack and while the body kit looks tough, the 18-inch alloy wheels shod in low-profile rubber (225/40 R18 Bridgestone Potenza 5001s front and 245/35 R18 at the rear) meant the ride was overly jarring on bad roads.
Given that Sydney was my test bed for the 120i and its roads are shocking, the ride was less than comfy. The M-sport suspension will only make the ride less comfortable, but in return you'll have a 120i with better handling.
Run-flat tyres are common on BMWs and you may have heard of a few issues surrounding noise and a harsher ride. While that can be true, it's the price you pay for having a tyre you won't immediately have to change if you get a puncture. Only the 120i and the M140i don't have run-flats as standard.
The A3 has a maximum five-star ANCAP rating from its 2013 crash test, which applies to the Sportback, Sedan and Cabriolet.
While the Sedan and Sportback have seven airbags, the Cabriolet has just five, missing out on the head-level curtain bags.
The amount of advanced safety equipment increases as you step up through the grades, but AEB is standard across the range. Lane keeping assistance, blind spot warning and rear cross traffic alert becomes standard from the 2.0 TFSI Sport upwards, while the lower grades can attain these with the optional $1500 'Assistance Package'.
For child seats there are two ISOFIX mounts and two top tether anchor points across the back seats in the Sedan, Sportback and Cabriolet.
The BMW 1 Series has the maximum five-star ANCAP rating, but this was awarded in 2011 and a lot has changed since then – particularly expected levels of safety.
BMW has updated the advanced technology to keep up with AEB (city) with pedestrian detection and lane-departure warning standard on all grades. It would be good to see more safety tech in the form of blind-spot warning, rear cross traffic alert and lane-keeping assistance.
For child seats you'll find two ISOFIX mounts and three top tether points across the rear row.
A spare tyre is not something you will find – all apart from the 120i and the M140i have run flats, while those two have puncture-repair kits.
The A3 is covered by Audi's three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. Servicing is recommended at 15,000km/12-month intervals. A three-year/45,000km service plan is available and costs $1680.
The 1 Series is covered by BMW's three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. Servicing is condition-based – the car will let you know when it needs a check-up.
BMW offers two service packages, which cover the car for five years/80,000km: the Basic is $1340 and the Plus costs $3550.


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Tuesday, August 4, 2020 | History
5 edition of British hit singles found in the catalog.
British hit singles
Published 2003 by Guinness World Records Ltd. in London .
Popular music -- Great Britain -- Discography.
Statement [editor, David Roberts].
Genre Discography.
LC Classifications ML156.4.P6 R5 2003
The second in this new series, The Virgin Book of Hit Singles is the most-up-to-date and comprehensive record of the music charts available today and a perfect, collectable complement to The Virgin Book of Hit Albums and The Virgin Book of Top 40 improved and fine-tuned, and drawn from the Official Charts Company Data since , The Virgin Book of Hit Singles features the Author: Dave Mcaleer. The second in this new series, The Virgin Book of Hit Singles is the most-up-to-date and comprehensive record of the music charts available today and a perfect, collectable complement to The Virgin Book of Hit Albums and The Virgin Book of Top 75 Charts.
The Virgin Book of British Hit Singles is a charts reference book published in October [1] It replaces the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums, after the Guinness company withdrew interest in chart reference books at the same time their contract was due to last edition was published in covering all chart hits between British Hit Singles by Rice, Tim; Rice, Jo; Gambaccini, Paul and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at
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Singles Book, so that is why the 'Hit Albums' Book is much better - with far more Chart Trivia, Facts & Feats, All Time Sales Lists, Lists of No.1's, & so on. The Virgin Book of British Hit Albums In the meantime, there should be a up-date of the 'Hit Singles' Book - and Virgin will ensure that it is similar to the Album Book/5(77).
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This site is like a library, Use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Guinness Book of British Hit Singles 7th Edition book. Read reviews from world's largest community for readers/5. Guinness Book of British Hit Singles 8th Edition book. Read reviews from world's largest community for readers/5(11).
British Hit Singles & Albums (originally known as The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles and The Guinness Book of British Hit Albums) was a music reference book originally published in the United Kingdom by the publishing arm of the Guinness breweries, Guinness Superlatives.
Later editions were published by Guinness World Records and HiT Entertainment. British Hit Singles and Albums. Guinness, - Popular music. 0 Reviews.
From inside the book. What people are saying - Write a review. We haven't found any reviews in the usual places. Contents. Sep 93 BLACK LODGE Elektra EKR CD ANT1NOWHERE LEAGUE UK male vocal. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles by Mike Read, Tim Rice, Paul Gambaccini and Jo Rice (, Paperback) at the best online prices at eBay.
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Guinness British Hit Singles and Albums Series by Jo Rice. The Virgin Book of British Hit Singles is a charts reference book published in October It replaces the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums, after the The first edition of the book lists every act to have a chart hit in the UK top 75 singles chart Current.
Album Downloads Albums Streaming Audio Streaming/ The 'Hit Singles' Book has added in everyone's downloads, & ABBA are on 10, UK Singles Sales - aboutDownloads added since the February List. The Top 40 'All Time Singles Acts' List in the latest 'Hit Singles' Book includes Sales to the W/E 10th April - so a few Months of Sales have been added in.
An A-Z of obscure British Hit Singles not on Spotify according to the British Book of Hit Singles. This reference guide to both singles and albums in the UK pop charts lists titles, artists, labels, catalogue numbers, highest positions attained, number of weeks on chart and US no.1 information, as well as selected biographies and pop news.
The ultimate guide to hits from the UK Top 40 from the s to the present day with a sophisticated searchable database, and amazing facts and figures. As a singles collector this book has always been a bit of a bible to me.
For those who don't know the Guinness book of British Hit Singles is a reference book. It lists all the Singles ever to reach the top 75 in the UK, with highest chart positions, weeks on the chart, year of release etc.
As managing editor and editor of Britain's best-selling Guinness Book of British Hit Singles, the author knows exactly how to compile this clever 70's pop quiz is sure to challenge any pop know-all.
The 1, questions, many with multiple choice answers, enable all the family and friends to have a go. Category: Kazaaam Splat Ploof. The Guinness British Hit Singles and Albums book series by multiple authors includes books Guinness Book of British Hit Singles 11th Edition:Guinness Book of British Hit Albums 7th Edition:The Guinness Book of British Hit Albums, and several more.
When Virgin took over publication from Guinness they planned to publish the British hit singles reference book every two years, so the third edition is due to be published in. British hit singles. Publication date Topics Popular music -- Great Britain -- Discography, Popular music, Great Britain Publisher Enfield: Guinness Collection Borrow this book to access EPUB and PDF files.
IN COLLECTIONS. Books to Pages: Rev. ed. of: The Guinness book of British hit singles Distributor from label on t.p. verso Notes. Some text are cut-off due to tight binding and margin.
Access-restricted-item true Addeddate Associated-names Rice, Jo; Smith, Steve, Boxid IA Camera Pages: Donald Trump admits there will be 'more deaths' as states start to reopen and US fatalitiesbelieves coronavirus 'will pass with or without a vaccine' and predicts the economy will be.
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Energy networks comment on Chancellor's economic statement
Joshua Atkins
Head of Public Affairs
Energy Networks Association
joshua.atkins@energynetworks.org
In his speech to the Chamber today, the Chancellor of the Exchequer set-out his "Plan For Jobs" with a goal of protecting and creating jobs across the country
"Energy efficiency is the critical first step in decarbonising homes and heating. The Chancellor's £2bn commitment takes a significant step towards a nation heated by decarbonised sources and we look forward to working with the Treasury on how to take the next steps in fully building the green infrastructure our net zero future needs.
"We have spoken before about the need for a green-collar workforce of the future and welcome both the Kickstart Scheme and new funding for apprenticeships in expanding the opportunities to do so. This new funding will grow the 1,200 apprentices that the energy networks already support across the country, directly supporting the training and reskilling of the staff needed to build-out the Prime Minister's 'New Deal'"


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Buffalo Bills and the Double Trap Block
Buffalo Bills NFL Defense
Coaches often create small wrinkles or play designs to take advantage of opponents' weaknesses. In 2015 the Buffalo Bills used the double trap block to thwart the Miami Dolphins in week 9. Ryan Dukarm explains the concept and how we should expect to see it again in 2016.
A trap block leaves a defender unblocked at the line of scrimmage, and then brings a pulling blocker around to hit the defender from the side as they move upfield to take them out of the play. In 2015 the Buffalo Bills used two trap blocks on one play at times, most notably against the Miami Dolphins in Week 9, pulling both guards to the play side of the formation, allowing other lineman to get to the second level immediately. The blocks created large lanes in the middle of the field for runners while also causing confusion within the second level of the defense.
The Bills first used this scheme with 2:55 remaining in the first quarter while leading 9-0. Buffalo has 21 personnel on the field, quarterback Tyrod Taylor (#5) is in the shotgun with fullback Jerome Felton (#42) to his right and running back LeSean McCoy (#25) to his left. Tight end Charles Clay (#85) is aligned to the right of the formation. Miami is in a base 4-3 set, with Ndamukong Suh (#93) aligned as the defensive left 3-technique and Derrick Shelby (#79) is aligned as a 6-technique head up on Clay. Both Suh and Shelby are the targets of the Bills trap blocks on this play:
Both guards are called on to pull to the right of the formation, with left guard Richie Incognito (#64) trapping Suh and right guard John Miller (#76) trapping Shelby. At the snap, both right tackle Seantrel Henderson (#66) and Clay move immediately to the second level to block the closest two linebackers. Incognito and Miller come through and trap both defenders, moving them to the right of the play and opening a lane up the middle for McCoy, who runs for a 7 yard gain.
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Later in the game, the Bills again went to the double trap block to run against the Dolphins. With 9:25 remaining in the fourth quarter and facing 2nd and 24, the Bills align in the same formation as they did earlier in the game. They again pull both guards to the right of the formation, once more trapping Suh and Shelby to create a lane up the middle. This time Karlos Williams takes the handoff and runs for a gain of 12, setting up a key third down late in the game.
The Bills used the the double trap block as a way to take advantage of aggressive players along opponents' defensive lines throughout the 2015 season. When defenders were left unblocked they would get into the defensive backfield, allowing the offensive guards on the Bills to trap the defenders behind the line of scrimmage and create running lanes for the Buffalo running backs. I would expect to see more of this in 2016, as the Bills look to build upon their successful year of power running under offensive coordinator Greg Roman.
Follow Ryan on Twitter @DBRyan_Dukarm.
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All film courtesy of NFL Game Pass.
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Tags: Buffalo Bills, Charles Clay, Derrick Shelby, Jerome Felton, John Miller, Karlos Williams, LeSean McCoy, Miami Dolphins, Ndamukong Suh, Richie Incognito, Seantrel Henderson, Tyrod Taylor
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Double Blast (1994)
Double Blast (1994)-* * *
Directed by: Tim Spring
Starring: Dale "Apollo" Cook, Linda Blair, Joe Estevez, Ron Hall, Ned Hourani, John Barrett, Crystal Summer, Stephen Brouse, Lorne Berfield, and Robert Z'Dar
Greg (Cook) is a professional kickboxer who has a son, Jimmy (Berfield), and a daughter, Lisa (Summer), who take after their father and also are proficient in Martial Arts. When a gang of no-goodniks led by Nadir (Estevez) and his number one goon Mongoose (Z'Dar) kidnap archaeologist Claudia (Blair) because she can translate an ancient stone tablet said to lead to the whereabouts of great riches, the kidnapping is witnessed by Lisa and Jimmy. They follow the baddies into the jungle, and are soon followed by their dad. So now everyone, good guys and bad guys alike, are trekking through jungles and caves to try and find the treasure. Who will end up with it?
Ah, to be a kid in the 90's. You could go to your local video store, rent Double Blast and maybe a Genesis game, then go home and watch Wild and Crazy Kids while eating your Fruit By The Foot. It's a nice scenario, and surely one that the filmmakers at Davian International (the people behind most of Dale "Apollo" Cook's movies) were aiming for. Double Blast is nothing if not an attempt to crack the market of younger kids seeking action thrills, and in the attempt making a sort of cross between Home Alone (1990), The Goonies (1985) and Three Ninjas (1992) (one of Berfield's only credits is a "thank you" on Three Ninjas - was he a young consultant, a stunt-kid, or was he in the running to be one of the Ninjas? We may never know...) Seeing as how the Martial Arts fights aren't all that different from Cook's other movies, if such a designation exists, this movie would surely be a hard PG.
Cook carries over his time-honored sweatpants-and-fannypack look into this movie. Why an acknowledged action star of the time insisted on dressing like a tourist in every one of his films remains a mystery. Lorne Berfield, the kid who played Jimmy, was very good and seemed to have a promising career ahead of him. Sadly it never materialized. Linda Blair is along for the silly ride, and Joe Estevez chews scenery as the main baddie. Robert Z'Dar holds up his end of the wackiness on show, and this is the only credited performance of Crystal Summer, who's not a porn star as far as we know. There are some other names in the cast fans will know, such as Ron Hall, who flips around and fights in a full suit, John Barrett, who's Cook's fight trainer, and Ned Hourani, who plays one of the baddies who is constantly getting beat up by children.
Director Tim Spring was certainly on a tear in the mid-90's, having directed Reason to Die (1990), Double Blast, and Raw Target (1995) all in a row. The golden age of the video store brought out the best in people, and gave us more choices than ever before. What's good about Double Blast is that it's at least upbeat, and there's no annoying kid, which there easily could have been. There are zany "BOING!" sound effects while the children are beating up the grown-ups, and characters read newspapers with grammatical errors in them. Lisa has a boyfriend (Lisa has a boyfriend!) named Charlie (Stephen Brause, in his only role) who looks exactly like TV's Zack Morris. Maybe that's why Brause never went on to anything else. The world already had a Zack.
But perhaps the most interesting thing, from today's standpoint, about Double Blast is how characters call each other "retard" as an insult. You CANNOT do that today. Or maybe you could, but your movie would be rated R, and you'd be accused of bullying and defamation and sued within an inch of your life. It's all done without malice, it truly was a more innocent time back then, people didn't know what they were saying. In the end, we watched Double Blast because of the very impressive cast, but the movie is certainly geared for younger viewers. Not unlike Little Ninjas (1990). It's pretty dumb, but the cast basically keeps it afloat. If you have occasion to watch something of this kind, you could probably do worse than Double Blast.
Comeuppance Review by: Brett and Ty
Posted by Ty at 29.4.13
Labels: 1994, Dale Apollo Cook, Double Blast, Joe Estevez, John Barrett, Linda Blair, Ned Hourani, Robert Z'Dar, Ron Hall, Stephen Brause, VHS, Vidmark
Zipperface (1992)
Zipperface (1992)-* * *
Directed by: Mansour Pourmond
Starring: Dona Adams, David Clover, Trisha Melynkov, Tim Lechner, and Jonathan Mandell
Palm City, California is being terrorized by a mysterious guy in a gimp mask. The young and inexperienced cop Lisa Ryder (Dona Adams in sadly her only credited movie role) has teamed up with the older veteran law enforcement officer Harry Shine (Clover) to try and crack the case. Mayor Harris (Melynkov) views the killings as a PR disaster, so she hires the vivacious Devon McClain (Lechner) to try and spin the situation in her favor. Meanwhile, Lisa gets involved with a strange photographer named Michael (Mandell) which may sink her chances of showing the police force what she can really do. Who is Zipperface? Will he finally be unmasked? Will the killings come to an end? Will more prostitutes zip their last face? Find out today!
Zipperface is a low budget mystery/police procedural with some horror elements. It certainly has a lot of the pitfalls of this type of movie, such as horrendously flat acting and shots where the boom mic is visible, but thankfully there is a lot of unintentional humor that ultimately makes this movie worth seeing.
The police chief who loves nothing more than a tall, frosty glass of milk. The super-intense game of rock-paper-scissors. The fact that Zipperface's mask has metal studs for hair, including little metal eyebrows built in to the mask. And so many more things - we don't want to spoil them for you. But little details that can only become visible during a fairly amateurish production like this come to the fore, and thank goodness.
Acting honors go to Dona Ryder as Lisa, who seems to have come from another planet where they've never heard of movies, much less acting, and the powerhouse performance of one Richard Vidan as Willie Scalia, a fellow cop with a bad attitude. Runner up: Timothy Lechner as the pink-turtlenecked Devon. Come to think of it, this movie is populated with a lot of weird people. We didn't even mention acting student Alvin or the long-haired Reverend. And the apartment decor...some of the most eyesore-inducing interior design is on display as well. It's really all such a blur.
The movie as a whole could have used more Zipperface, as there are some pretty long stretches when "The Zip" (as his friends call him) is not seen. We know this movie was a mainstay on the pay-cable circuit of the day, having played on such channels as Cinemax and The Movie Channel. Judging by the look of the movie, it seems to have been made in the 80's, but really is from 1992. Looking at it from today's perspective, it seems inevitable that AIP would put it out on VHS. It seems right up their alley.
For a ridiculous good time, don't be afraid to zip up your face and sit down and watch this tonight.
Comeuppance Review by: Ty and Brett
Labels: 1992, AIP, David Clover, Dona Adams, Jonathan Mandell, Tim Lechner, Trisha Melynkov, Zipperface
Miami Horror (1985)
Miami Horror (1985)-* * *
AKA Miami Golem
Directed by: Alberto De Martino
Starring: David Warbeck, Laura Trotter, and John Ireland
Craig Milford (Warbeck) is a Miami-based TV reporter who thinks he's seen it all. That is, until he gets involved in a complex plot that involves DNA from an alien race, the businessmen that want it to control the world, the malevolent extraterrestrial fetus that holds the powers, and a telepathic lady, Joanna Fitzgerald (Trotter) who can help him communicate with the forces from the universe that are commanding him to get the vital information away from Anderson (Ireland) and his goons. At first, Milford is skeptical, but as he goes on his journey of discovery, it does turn out that space aliens have chosen this lowly local TV reporter to be the one that will save all life in the universe. Will Craig Milford be up to his immense task?
Miami Horror, also known as Miami Golem, was an Italian production directed by Alberto De Martino (using the pseudonym Martin Herbert) and picked up for release by AIP. The tape contains no AIP trailers. But whoever designed the logo used for the movie was clearly "inspired" by the then-hot Miami Vice TV show. Such was the power of Crockett and Tubbs, it even filtered down to bizarre sci-fi/horror/action hybrids such as this, which really have no connection to the show whatsoever. Even the music by Detto Mariano is decidedly Jan Hammer-esque. Miami Horror is a nutty movie, notable in its own right for its weird touches and strange effects, not to mention its grab-bag of a plot that's quirkily entertaining one minute, and oddly slow the next.
The great David Warbeck is always charismatic, and he basically carries the movie. This time around he's being shuffled between intergalactic commanders and being chased by rednecks with shotguns as he escapes on a fan-boat. One thing you can say about Miami Horror, it's never predictable. When he's not talking on his awesome car phone, he's shooting with a handgun at a helicopter that is chasing him in a sequence seemingly inspired by North By Northwest (1959). But does the heli explode? You'll just have to track down the movie to find out. It's really hard to describe Miami Horror - its off-kilter, off the wall, and off beat vibe is...off the beaten track and fans of Italian productions from the 80's should appreciate what's going on here.
Some people say Italian productions "ripped off" other, more popular movies and shows in order to exploit their current popularity. But as is evidenced here, that may be a starting point, but - just like the musical score - the final product is something strangely original. No one can deny that when all is said and done, there is no other movie like Miami Horror. Add to that some classic dubbing, some scientist goons fistfighting, and American Commandos (1986)-style repeated footage (not to mention all the other wacky ideas being floated around) and there you have it.
While it might not be to everyone's taste, Miami Horror is still around for people out there that have seen all the other Italian productions of the 80's and are still seeking out what's left.
Also check out a review by our buddy, Cool Target!
Comeuppance Review by: Brett
Labels: 1985, AIP, David Warbeck, John Ireland, Laura Trotter, Miami Golem, Miami Horror, VHS
Taxi Dancers (1993)
Taxi Dancers (1993)-* *1\2
Directed by: Norman Thaddeus Vane
Starring: Robert Miano, Brittany McCrena, Tina Fite, Randall Lee Irwin, Michele Hess, Josie Boyd, Russ Landery, and Sonny Landham
Taxi Dancers is the tale of the Shark Club and the lives of the girls who work there as "Taxi Dancers". Centered around Billie (McCrena), it also delves into the exploits of her co-workers. When Billie arrives in L.A., club owner Miguelito (Miano) gives her a job, and co-dancer Star (Fite) allows her to move in with her. Mulleted, strange-looking men come to the Shark Club and "clock out" the women in order to spend time with them, either dancing, playing pool or just drinking.
If more happens, presumably that's up to the girls. Billie ends up in a love triangle with longhaired pizza delivery boy Bobby (Irwin) and more successful Texas magnate Diamond Jim (Landham). Meanwhile, Candy (Hess) has legal troubles, Sparkle (Josie Boyd) is a drug addict and owes money to a gang called the Yellow Dragons who then menace the club, etc...but the girls will all have to make hard decisions and face their futures after it all comes to a head on one fateful night...what will they do?
Sure, Taxi Dancers isn't really an action movie, but AIP did more with their brand than just action. Here, director Norman Thaddeus Vane (who is known for his horror/exploitation work and is profiled in the excellent book Nightmare USA by Stephen Thrower, which everyone should own) delivers a work similar in theme and tone to his earlier Club Life (1986).
Vane seemed to be trying to distance himself from the typical "erotic thriller" of the day and churn out a drama with more grit. It does have a more realistic feel than the glitzier Club Life, and most of the main cast carries things along. Miano and Landham are true professionals, while a newcomer like McCrena is likable as the main girl. For many of the other cast members, this was their only film, and while it gives an overall feel of being more down-and-dirty, inevitably, the performances of inexperienced actors can be a bit wonky.
Especially surprising in that regard is one Russ Landery, who played the bodyguard Jo Jo. He was really good, and this is his only credited film role to date. But let's not forget fan favorite Robert Miano, who plays the club owner who is ex-LAPD, an ex-con, and a Vietnam vet. Performance-wise, the movie belongs to him.
As for the music, there's an R&B slow jam duet in the vein of "Loving On Borrowed Time" which plays over and over and over again. We believe it's called "Another Close Call" by Harvey Scales. Of course there's also the time-honored sax on the soundtrack as well.
In the dialogue department, there are several great usages of the word "homeboy", and naturally there's the token catfight that the girls get into. But all of this analysis might be moot for many people, who just want to check out the sex and nudity quotient. Director Vane keeps it all toned down, especially for a movie like this, because it appears he wanted to concentrate on the drama of it all, not make a cheap flick for men to leer at. He must have reasoned there are plenty of those out there already. His aim seems to be to concentrate on the lives of the girls. Maybe that's why nobody but us and Stephen Thrower have seen the film.
In the end, Taxi Dancers is an "erotic thriller" with a difference. It's worth seeing if you can find it, but don't go too far out of your way.
Labels: 1993, AIP, Brittany McCrena, Harvey Scales, Josie Boyd, Michele Hess, Norman Thaddeus Vane, Randall Lee Irwin, Robert Miano, Russ Landery, Sonny Landham, Taxi Dancers, Tina Fite, VHS
Speak Of The Devil (1991)
Speak Of The Devil (1991)-*1\2
Directed by: Raphael Nussbaum
Starring: Robert Elarton and Jean Carol
Jonah Johnson (Elarton) and his wife Isabelle (Carol) are Southern televangelists. They are also con artists, and when their game is discovered, they high-tail it out of the south in a hurry. They travel to L.A. and set up shop in an old dilapidated house, which they then proceed to renovate into their new church/home. Going whichever way the wind blows, they sense the tenor of the times and open a church of Satan called the "Church of Latter-Day Sins". The church becomes successful, and while Isabelle wants to bilk people for all their worth, Jonah, who after all is still actually a devoted Christian, has second thoughts. But still he dons a ridiculous black leotard and slaughters goats in their basement. While the place is swarmed by terrified plumbers, squatting "punkers", an IRS agent, and a Rabbi who warn of the evil within, will the Johnsons continue on, or will they pack up and move like they did before?
You may have noticed that this is not an action movie. But in our quest to become the ultimate AIP site, we have to include items like this. We thought it was ACTION International Pictures, but perhaps here they were trying to expand their base and include a comedy. There's certainly nothing wrong with that, but the problem with many horror comedies, this one included, is that it's neither funny nor scary. It's hard to tell the intended audience the filmmakers were going for here. While in theory we would enjoy an anti-PC movie such as this - it takes shots at Christians, Jews, Mexicans, Southerners, trendy L.A.-dwellers, the aforementioned Punkers and just about everyone else in between, but somehow none of the jokes really hit, they lack bite or edge. But what's interesting about Speak of the Devil is that it is a satire of not just the televangelism trend of the 80's, but also the Satanism trend of the 80's. It kills two birds with one stone, and that seems to be the strength of the film.
It does have something of a behind-the-scenes exploitation pedigree, as co-writer/co-producer/director Nussbaum and co-producer Henning Schellerup (with 'Script Contributions' by Scott Spiegel) have noted careers for B-movie fans, but even with some exploitation elements, the result is surprisingly mediocre. The project could have had potential if they went all-horror or all-comedy, but this mix is middling. Plus at 100 minutes it's too long. You really feel every minute. So while spoofing Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, as well as Anton LaVey, was certainly the film's main focus, the most interesting jab came when some characters on screen make fun of Cannon Films. Calling it "Uzi Films", it mocks their head honchos by re-naming them "Golem and Bogus". Though surely it was meant only for hardcore fans like us, we thought that was the most worthwhile moment in the movie. We wish they did more jokes like that, rather than some stupidity about a clogged toilet.
While we've seen much worse, in all honesty you could probably skip Speak of the Devil.
Labels: AIP, Henning Schellerup, Jean Carol, Robert Elarton, Scott Spiegel, Speak Of The Devil, VHS
The House On Tombstone Hill (1989)
The House on Tombstone Hill (1989)-* * *
AKA: Dead Dudes In The House
Directed by: James Riffel
Starring: Mark Zobian and Sarah Newhouse
When a group of constantly-squabbling young adults drive out to a creepy old house for an attempted renovation job, they don't realize they are in for a night of horror. It turns out the house was owned by the Leatherby family, the matriarch of which was a cold-blooded murderess back in the 40's. When one of the moronic kids breaks her tombstone which lies on the property, the malevolent old lady comes back to life and begins not just killing the kids, but turning them into some sort of zombie that will do her diabolical bidding. And, they're trapped in the house. Will any of these one-dimensional house-flippers make it out alive? Dare to find out...
The House On Tombstone hill is a nice low-budget regional effort that's a little bit better than you probably think it is. It was released around the time when AIP had some sort of deal going with Troma. So the tape under this title was a joint release from the two companies. Later, when it was wholly owned by Troma, they changed the name to Dead Dudes In the House and found a picture of unrelated homies to put on the front cover. Just why they thought misleading people into thinking there are homies involved in this movie when there clearly aren't any remains a mystery. Where are the promised homeboys today? Were any viewers disappointed when said homies never materialized? Why did they think that (of all approaches) was superior to the movie as it was? All unanswered questions. But back to the movie at hand...
So despite being an AIP/Troma co-release, the whole venture feels very CITY LIGHTS, and anyone who has seen their horror output such as Epitaph (1987) or Hollow Gate (1988) would likely agree. One of the main highlights of THOTH are the makeup and gore effects. They were created by Ed French and his team, well-known in the practical effects world. And they are indeed effective. Without these high-quality gore effects, the movie as a whole would greatly suffer. So while the whole "Old Dark House" theme is certainly well-worn ground, French spices up the proceedings sufficiently enough. Director Riffel does pull off some intense moments, but the pace overall is slow, and there are way too many scenes of characters banging on doors and windows attempting to get out of the house.
The fact that the entire movie was shot at one location - the house - does provide some claustrophobic moments, but it also leads to unneeded repetition. A couple other settings would have been welcomed. As for the cast, they get absolutely no character development or backstory whatsoever. For those keeping track, Bob is the jerk who smokes and drinks and isn't likable, Mark is the blonde nerd, Steve is the redhead nerd, Jamie is the dark-haired girl, Linda is the blonde girl, Ron is the "normal guy", and Joey goes out on a beer run. That's literally it as far as character development goes. If we knew these people just a bit better, we might care about their plight more than we do. But the moments of horror are what THOTH is all about, and they are duly delivered.
The House on Tombstone Hill is not a bad little horror movie and worth picking up if you can find it cheap. But where are the missing homies...?
Labels: 1989, AIP, Dead Dudes In The House, Mark Zobian, Sarah Newhouse, The House On Tombstone Hill, Troma, VHS
The Deadly Secret (1994)
The Deadly Secret (1994)-1\2*
Directed by: Jason Hammond and Erik Hansen
Starring: Joe Estevez, Tracy Spaulding, and Reggie "Roggie" Cale
Apparently Joe Estevez plays the head of a brokerage firm and in his past lies a "deadly secret". Various killings occur in order to secretively keep this deadly secret secretive. There's a woman who gets naked a lot named Reyna Vaught (Spaulding). That's it.
Oh me oh my. It pains us on at least two levels to have to tell you about The Deadly Secret. Firstly, it was painful to sit through, and we will explain why shortly. Secondly, we don't enjoy giving bad reviews. We don't want our readers to think we're those typical internet guttersnipes who hate everything. Our readers know we don't fit that description, and that we love celebrating great movies. However, that doesn't mean bad movies don't exist, and when they're bad, it's our duty, however painful, to tell the world.
Now that that preamble is out of the way, man is The Deadly Secret awful. It truly gives bad movies a bad name. This isn't even fun bad, it's just bad bad. If there's one word that sums it all up, it's INCOHERENT. But it's also insufferable, inane, incompetent and inconceivably irritating.
The thing is, this is not a movie. Just because you have a camera and some lighting equipment, and you get some human beings to appear in front of these technical items, does not automatically mean you have a finished film on your hands. The Deadly Secret fails to do even the most simplistic basics when it comes to filmmaking and storytelling, never mind entertaining.
This "movie" is just a jumble of footage: some headache-inducing, blurry "flashbacks", followed by a guy sticking his hand in a dead fish (why?????), over and over again, then some sub-Skinemax soft porn, then some cutaways to the artwork on the walls of the room in which people are talking, then a party scene where people are imploring you to "Rhumba!" and it looks like they handed the camera to a drunk five-year-old. Then more footage showing us that Joe Estevez owns a scuba suit and a fishtank, then some statues, a few people get shot, then more Estevez sex. Yes, ESTEVEZ SEX. This movie contains all the Estevez sex you could possibly ever have hoped to not ever exist.
And it goes on like that for a patience-testing 90 minutes. This thing (like we said, not really a movie in the loosest definition of that word) literally dares you to turn it off the whole time you have it on. Because we run a movie review site, we felt we had to watch it all.
But in all honesty, this should be shown on a loop to Guantanamo Bay detainees. They'd spill all their secrets and terrorism would end forever. This hour-and-a-half long pain in the eyes is amazingly junky and quality-less, so it's unfortunate and sad that AIP released it. We have to be the ultimate AIP site, which is why we watched it in the first place. We never could have imagined that that goal would involve sacrifice of any kind. Don't watch this movie. Run and hide from it. It makes Laser Moon (1993) seem watchable by comparison.
You know something desperate is going on when there's nudity during the opening credits. Speaking of which, we believe we've found one of our favorite things, a mistake in the credits. A man named Reggie Cale plays a character named Jake. Yet he's credited as Roggie Cale. Yes, Roggie. ROGGIE! We hope his name is really Roggie, and Reggie is the typo. But we're not sure. Another portent of The Deadly Secret's sloppiness, it's almost like the people behind the scenes weren't taking anything seriously and this is all a big joke at our expense. Shockingly, it took TWO people to direct this unmitigated slop. Actually, you can really tell. Mismatched footage abounds. Godfrey Ho can make disparate footage work into an entertaining spectacle. Jason Hammond and Erik Hansen cannot.
The Deadly Secret is not only not a movie, it breaks the unspoken social contract between movie maker and movie viewer. It fails on every conceivable level, and the half-star rating is merely for the presence and performance of Joe Estevez. Avoid like the Ebola virus.
Labels: 1994, AIP, Joe Estevez, Reggie 'Roggie' Cale, The Deadly Secret, Tracy Spaulding, VHS
Double Threat (1993)
Double Threat (1993)-* * *
Directed by: David A. Prior
Starring: Andrew Stevens, Sally Kirkland, Richard Lynch, Anthony Franciosa, Chick Vennera, and Sherrie Rose
Monica Martel (Kirkland) was once hot property in Hollywood, but now her career is on the downslide because, unfortunately, she is aging. But she's working on a movie that should revive her fortunes. The producer, a man blessed with the name Crocker Scott (Franciosa) tells the director, Ross (Vennera) to spice up the film and make it "sexier". The only problem is, Monica proudly proclaims she has never done nudity in her career and isn't going to budge now. So the filmmakers call in a body double, Lisa Shane (Rose), and you'd think that would solve the problem. But that's just the beginning, as Monica's younger boy-toy Eric Cline (Stevens) lusts after the super-hot Lisa in a big way. But Monica is very controlling and Eric can't really escape her clutches. But once a murder plot erupts, and cars start exploding and people start being shot at, Detective Fenich (Lynch) is on the case, and he's highly suspicious of Eric and his motives. But does he have good reason? After many twists and turns, the fiendish plot is revealed. Just how many threats will there be? Find out today?
The "Erotic Thriller", as it came to be known (or "Sizzlers", as a local video store chain, Tommy K's, called them) were one of the last "video store genres". While others such as the DieHardInA, the El Presidente slog, the Ninja Boom movie, the teen sex romp, among others, had been around in video stores for years, it seemed it took until the mid-90's for the Erotic Thriller to truly find its own space on local store shelves. They became so prevalent on pay-cable, Cinemax became known as "Skinemax" and even the movies themselves got the adopted title of "Skinemax Movies". Here, David A. Prior, Mr. AIP himself, tries his hand at one. While the obvious influence is Body Double (1984), Prior isn't quite the virtuosic filmmaker De Palma was in his prime. But maybe he's not trying to be. Maybe his aim was to make a humble, low-budget, noir-ish thriller for a more undemanding video market. If that was the case, he definitely succeeded.
Andrew Stevens' mullet and sleeveless denim shirt star in the movie, and when he puts on his Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses, he becomes the ultimate coolguy. He seems to be some sort of cross between Patrick Swayze and David Hasselhoff, so it's plain to see why he starred in so many of these "Sizzlers". Connecticut's own Sherrie Rose has never looked better. Maybe when she does roles that require Martial Arts, she feels the need to be less feminine. The linchpin of the movie is her sex appeal, so unfortunately no Martial Arts is on hand. But her car's license plate is "MUVIES". In the fictional world of Double Threat, was "MOVIES", spelled properly, taken? Is her phone's ringtone the song from the old Starz channel commercial (set to Beethoven's 9th Symphony 4th Movement AKA Ode To Joy): "movies-movies-movies-movies-movies-movies-moooo-ooooovies"? She also wears a Seinfeld-style puffy shirt for a decent chunk of Double Threat's running time. Ted Prior makes a brief appearance as "Thug #1", a Van Halen-loving street tough who gets in a quick fight with Stevens. Even though there wasn't really room for him after this one scene, the movie still could have used more Prior.
We always like to point out when there is a disco scene, and there is a good one here, with a generic C + C Music Factory knockoff for a song with a Freedom Williams soundalike commanding us to "Dance" over and over again. Yes, that is what we're here to do, sir. Thank you. As for the tape itself, it looks quite good, with bright colors. It has no AIP trailers, but we suspect that is because it was released by West Side Studios Home Video, and it was not an entirely in-house AIP release. Regardless, it's of good quality. But the important thing to know is that there is a longer unrated version. Should you want to add Double Threat to your collection, make sure you track down the unrated edition.
Double Threat has some familiar faces and isn't a bad way to spend the time. Fans of the Erotic Thriller genre will probably get the most enjoyment out of the movie, but DTV fans in general should like it too.
Labels: 1993, AIP, Andrew Stevens, Anthony Franciosa, Chick Vennera, David A. Prior, Double Threat, Erotic Thriller, Richard Lynch, Sally Kirkland, Sherrie Rose, Ted Prior, VHS
Ragin' Cajun (1991)
Ragin' Cajun (1991)-* *1\2
Directed by: William Byron Hillman
Starring: David Heavener, Charlene Tilton, Allan Rich, Sam Bottoms, Samantha Eggar, Jesse Borja, and Benny "The Jet" Urquidez
Cage Damante (Heavener) is a Vietnam vet who became a kickboxer. He signed a contract with the evil gangster Regetti (Rich), but fled from New York City to California to escape him and start a new life. His dream is to be a singer/songwriter on the country music circuit. With the help of girlfriend Ali Webster (Tilton), the troubled Cage may have a future. He also has a strong bond with Legs (Bottoms), a fellow vet and agoraphobic who refuses to leave the VA hospital. Both Cage and Legs are seeing psychiatrist Dr. May (Eggar) for further psychological help. Cage suffers from debilitating flashbacks. Just when things are looking better, Regetti insists that Cage "fulfill his contract" and engage in a "fight to the death" with none other than a dude named Dr. Death (Borja). Regetti even sends his goons after both Cage and Ali in order to force him to fight. Will Cage succumb to Regetti's demands? Or does he have some tricks up his sleeve?
Even though this movie wasn't written or directed by David Heavener, as many of his later projects were, it seems he's in the driver's seat here as the main star and singer of the many songs this movie has to offer. Heavener seems to have plenty of heart here, and Ragin' Cajun, despite the tagline of "More Blood Than Bloodsport! More Kick Than Kickboxer!" is primarily a drama. Yes, there is some fighting and a smidgen of action, but this could firmly fit in the "Drama" section of your local video store, as opposed to the "Action" section. But Van Damme was huge at the time, so, even though Heavener couldn't be more different, the marketing people saw an opening during the action boom of the day.
Benny "The Jet" Urquidez is on board in a small role as a fighter that takes on "The Cajun", but interestingly he is billed as "Introducing" Benny The Jet, even though he had been in a bunch of movies before this. Charlene Tilton seems to be giving her all as the devoted girlfriend/singer/guitar player that refuses to give up on Cage. Didn't she play a similar role in Deadly Bet (1992)? Samantha Eggar is a quality actress and it's surely a coup that she agreed to be in this. But it truly is a cavalcade of music stars - Tommy Roe, Cristy Lane, Rex Allen Jr., Billy Vera and a few others perform songs, as do Tilton and Heavener, making this almost a quasi-musical. Of course, it's always funny when Heavener is sitting on a park bench with an acoustic guitar, and begins singin' and playin', and mic'd vocals and guitar with effects come strumming out.
But truly the star of the musical show is one Atanas Ilitch, using the stage name "Atanas". His "Let's Live Together" destroys the competition. Why an 80's-disco synthpop song is even in the same universe as all the country pickin' has yet to be determined. But like fellow Heavener vehicle Outlaw Force (1988), before the movie begins, there is an advertisement for the soundtrack. This commercial is a movie highlight. (yes, we know that doesn't make logical sense, but you know what we mean). Not available in stores! 12 original songs from the original artists! ONLY available on stereo cassette! Call now! I wonder if operators are still standing by...
Seeing as how visions of exploding huts dance in his head, there are plenty of chances for odd editing. But the choppiness in the editing room comes out in other, more unexpected places as well. We see what Heavener and writer/director Hillman were trying to do, but this drama/love story/almost-Punchfighter/action/gangster/musical comes out as you might expect - something like a not entirely digested meal. Not that this movie is BAD, but it's a bit on the haphazard side, and some of the fat could have been trimmed from it as well.
Once again, AIP delivers to video stores what others only can dream of. And once again, we applaud them for it. But this Heavener outing is a mixed bag at best.
Labels: 1991, Allan Rich, Benny The Jet Urquidez, Charlene Tilton, David Heavener, Exploding Huts, Jesse Borja, Punchfighting, Ragin' Cajun, Sam Bottoms, Samantha Eggar, VHS
The Revenger (1989)
The Revenger (1989)-* * *
Directed by: Cedric Sundstrom
Starring: Frank Zagarino, Oliver Reed, Jeff Celentaro, Nancy Mulford, and Arnold Vosloo
Mike Keller (Zagarino) lives to play smooth jazz on his sax. Interrupting his quest to achieve ultimate smoothitude, his buddy Mackie (Vosloo) shows up at one of his gigs one night and forces him at gunpoint to drive him and his supposed snuff/porno films and cash to criminal kingpin Jack Fisher (Reed). Though innocent, Keller serves jail time in the aftermath of this escapade. Once out of the slammer, he just wants to put back the broken pieces of his life with his loving wife Lisa (Mulford). But Fisher and his goons believe Keller still has the missing money, $500,000 to be exact. So Fisher kidnaps Lisa. Keller then calls upon his old Vietnam compatriot Harry (Celentano) to help him rescue her. Then they go on the run in the country for a while. Throwing caution to the wind, Keller blatantly disregards the fact that "Revenger" is not a real word, and summons all his best revengering skills for his revengering mission. Will he succeed?
The first thing you will see when you pop The Revenger into your VCR (or now DVD player) is a shirtless Frank Zagarino doing his workout routine. The intellectual levels of this film do not rise from here on out. This movie happens to be the second best Zags movie we've seen to date, the best being Striker (1987). Both are AIP releases. Could this be a coincidence? The Zagster never should have zigged from AIP. He clearly did his best work there, and the quality of his releases only went downhill from here. But this was released in the magic year of 1989, possibly the best and most fruitful year for video stores in the VHS era. So everyone was winning back then, and Zags and his comrades got swept along for the ride.
Arnold Vosloo is on hand, but for an unfortunately short amount of time. He barely warrants a credit, only appearing at the end of the end-credits listing. His 80's coolguy sport coat with the rolled-up sleeves at least should have warranted a higher placing in the cast. Zagarino's eyepatchioed war buddy strongly resembled Timothy Bottoms, and he even has a poster for the movie Zachariah (1971) on his wall. Of course there's the obligatory Zags shower scene (ugh), and naturally, Keller is an "ex-Marine". But now his buddies call him "The Saxman". But we don't care what anybody says: we love Oliver Reed, even in his "down on his luck" career phase. He provides more entertainment value when he's just phoning it in than most actors do when they're trying their best. And isn't that what it's all about? Sporting a ridiculous (fake?) walrus mustache that makes him look like Mario, Reed steals the movie from Zags, but that's not saying much, anyone could steal a movie from a tree.
We don't want to be hard on Reed - as we said, we love him, and it's not his fault this movie is so dumb. It's not annoying, it's just very, very stupid. Keep in mind the director is Cedric Sundstrom, the director of American Ninja 3: Blood Hunt (1989) and American Ninja 4: The Annihilation (1990), two of that series' worst entries. Meathead John Pasternak is also in American Ninja 4, as well as American Ninja 2: The Confrontation (1987), so those bases are covered. He also has a great acid washed jean jacket.
AIP stalwart Steve McClintock turns in another exemplary song, "It's Still Only Love", and this song is by far one of the best aspects of this movie. This isn't the first time one of McClintock's songs has stolen a movie. When is a CD of all his soundtrack songs going to come out? Anyway, The Revenger is almost audience-insultingly stupid at times, but it's not BAD, if that makes any sense. The only people who won't like it are people too offended to get their hands dirty with dumb movies, and we presume those people don't read this site. So if you're not offended by a little out-and-out stupidity, don't be afraid of The Revenger.
Posted by Ty at 8.4.13
Labels: 1989, AIP, Arnold Vosloo, Frank Zagarino, It's Still Only Love, Jeff Celentaro, John Pasternak, meathead, Nancy Mulford, Oliver Reed, Steve McClintock, The Revenger, VHS
The Second Victory (1987)
The Second Victory (1987)-* *
Directed by: Gerald Thomas
Starring: Max Von Sydow and Anthony Andrews
For today's plot synopsis, we're going to quote the back of the AIP VHS box. It reads (in part): "Just after the end of WWII in the winter of 1945, the fighting has ended, but the brutality of murder and the pain continue. Army Major Mark Hanlon (Andrews) has been appointed Occupation Officer and, although he retains an idealistic vision of harmony, he finds that his vision turns to bitter revenge when his good friend is senselessly murdered. Hanlon must discover the hidden mystery behind the death and finds that sometimes the Second Victory is more difficult to achieve than the first."
The Second Victory is a dour and dry drama, with virtually no action, but a whole lot of talking. This AIP pick-up was seemingly added to their catalog to try to appeal to older viewers, or more mainstream viewers. Perhaps feeling cornered into the "shirtless meathead with a machine gun" market, the higher-ups at AIP decided to diversify. But diversify on a budget. So they settled with this tepid, play-like drama, perfect for undiscerning senior citizens for Sunday afternoon viewing. Presumably Grandma and Grandpa weren't watching Maximum Breakout (1991) or Killzone (1985), so AIP decided to tap into the sweet, sweet "old person" market.
There's nothing wrong with AIP attempting a bid for "respectability", but it seems they didn't stick with it and were soon going back to what they knew with fare like Triple Impact (1992) and Elves (1989). We say it's better that way. Go with what you know. As far as The Second Victory, or T2V as all the kids are calling it, it has some nice Austrian locations, and Max Von Sydow improves things when he's on screen (which is far too little - he's under-used here), but the problem is, this movie has a slow pace and is a standard, boring, no-frills drama that desperately needs some pep. A few skiing scenes aren't going to solve their problems.
So it's more serious, adult fare than what AIP fans are used to, which is fine, but this movie is just so "square". Seeing as most of the AIP catalog is weird, wild and wacky, this one just stands out like a sore thumb. It's hard to imagine even WWII buffs getting into this one.
So it's a weird sidestep (not necessarily a misstep) for AIP - not representative of their catalog at large. Not that it was bad, but we just can't really find any outstanding reason to recommend this one.
Labels: 1987, Action International Pictures, AIP, Anthony Andrews, Max Von Sydow, Nelson VHS, The Second Victory
Savage Instinct (1991)
Savage Instinct (1991)-* * *
AKA: They Call Me Macho Woman
Directed by: Patrick G. Donahue
Starring: Debra Sweaney, Brian Oldfield, Lory-Michael Ringuette, J. Brown, Mike Donahue, Jerry Johnson, and Sean Donahue
Susan Morris (Sweaney) is a mild-mannered woman whose husband was recently killed in a car accident. Seeking to fulfill their dream of having a nice house out in the country, she attempts to move to rural Loma County, California. But while driving out to the property, Susan and real estate agent Cecil (Ringuette) run afoul of a sinister gang of drug dealers. Led by the hulking brute Mongo (Brian Oldfield in what is criminally his only screen role to date), the gang of baddies seek to make one last big score before disbanding their criminal enterprise. But since Susan has stumbled upon it, they must kill her. So they chase her all over the woods, but Susan decides she's had enough of her Mongo-based ordeal and decides to fight back. It's now time for revenge, Susan Morris style! What follows you must see!
Ridiculous. Silly. Funny. Enjoyable. There are some words for you. But all these words - and so many more I'm leaving out - perfectly describe the wonderful Savage Instinct. You will have a smile on your face for most of this movie's running time (provided you have an inkling of a sense of humor - some people out there don't, it seems). Everything from the clothing choices of the goons, to the acting, to the effects, to the plot points and pretty much everything else is totally winning, and the icing on the cake are some priceless bits of dialogue, none of which we'll spoil for you here. This movie is just a great take on the revenge movie, showing it can be done in a less-than-serious fashion. Take Mongo and his illegal barn of drugs. He looks like a cross between Richard Moll and Jesse Ventura. And when he really gets mad, he has some special headgear that will inspire some major fear.
Troma released this movie as They Call Me Macho Woman, and then AIP re-released it as Savage Instinct. Judging by the box art and typeface font, they certainly weren't trying to capitalize on Basic Instinct (1992). No sirree. But we'll take this movie any day of the week. Debra Sweaney deserves the fame Sharon Stone has. Life's not fair I tell ya. (It should be noted that the woman on the box is not Sweaney, but a cover model that has nothing whatsoever to do with the movie). But Savage Instinct is just further proof that writer/producer/director Patrick Donahue is an underrated genius. His first movie, Kill Squad (1982) is a Comeuppance Reviews favorite and is totally great. Savage Instinct is his second movie - although there was a nine year gap in between them. These two titles as your first two movies is impressive, but it seems his output after that is hard to get ahold of. We just want to tell the world we're fans of his work, at least his first two films. His son Sean has been involved in his father's work from the beginning, as well as many other productions (including Omega Cop, 1990) - but here, as Terk, the guy with the open-necked ballerina-like shirt and the classic Rachel Bolan-style earring-connected-to-nose-ring-by-a-chain, he really shines.
Savage Instinct represents the goofier end of the action/revenge movie. We recommend it.
Also check out a review by our buddy, The Unknown Movies!
Labels: 1991, AIP, Brian Oldfield, Debra Sweaney, J. Brown, Jerry Johnson, Lory-Michael Ringuette, Mike Donahue, Savage Instinct, Sean Donahue, They Call Me Macho Woman, VHS
Striker (1987)
Striker (1987)-* * *1\2
Directed by: Enzo G. Castellari
Starring: Frank Zagarino, John Phillip Law, John Steiner, and Melonee Rodgers
When journalist Frank Morris (JPL) is jailed by the Sandinistas in Nicaragua, the one and only John "Striker" Slade (Zags) is sent in to rescue him because he's the "best in extraction from hostile territories". While in country posing as a Canadian photographer, he teams up with a local woman, Marta (Rodgers), who acts as his guide and confidante. Soon enough, the Strikester proceeds to decimate the population of Managua. But the true baddie behind it all is Kariasin (Steiner). His name even sounds evil (i.e. "carry a sin".) With the odds stacked against him, will Striker be able to complete the mission and make it out alive? Find out today!
Striker is very fun, classically 80's action and one of the better Rambo knockoffs we've seen to date. Marrying that with another popular DTV genre of the day, the El Presidente movie (don't forget Nicaragua was a hot subject at the time and in the news a lot), and tied together in that wonderfully Italian way by co-writer Umberto Lenzi and the great director Enzo Castellari, there's plenty to enjoy here.
One Frank Anthony Zagarino, or Frankie Zags as we like to call him, has one of the better (?) super-wooden monotones committed to film. His speaking voice is the equivalent to a hospital life-support flatline. He makes Don "The Dragon" Wilson sound like Crazy Eddie. His elocution aside, he has some radically awesome sunglasses that say to the world "the ultimate badass has arrived". Plus he has a wide variety of ways to kill his enemies. Some movies contain just constant shooting and that can get boring after awhile. The makers of Striker had the good sense to realize that variety is the murderous spice of life. Famously, he even has a killer slingshot, making him look like Dennis the Menace in a fit of 'Roid Rage.
Striker is, for all intents and purposes, what we normally call a Jungle Slog, but thankfully there's really not much slog. There's too much highly implausible and funny action on display. The movie basically succeeds in spite of the performance of Zags. For as little energy and screen presence as he brings to his dialogue scenes, that is counterbalanced by John Phillip Law (or JPL as we call him) - he really is at his absolute best in this movie. Plus Striker has one of the better exploding helicopters we've seen in a while, and naturally it has the prerequisite torture scene.
Not to be confused with any of the many other action heroes named Striker in the 80's, this one has enough entertainment value to raise it above the level of many of its contemporaries. Chalk up another winner to AIP. Plus Jeff Moldovan is credited as a "Special Action Supervisor", and Daniel Greene is on board in an uncredited role as a trucker. So you really can't lose.
Labels: 1987, 3 and a half stars, AIP, Daniel Greene, Enzo G. Castellari, Exploding Helicopter, Frank Zagarino, Jeff Moldovan, John Phillip Law, John Steiner, Melonee Rodgers, Striker, VHS
We Got Company!


The term "data driven" is penetrating the lexicon ever more deeply these days. Data Driven was the title of my latest book, and recent academic work shows that companies that regard themselves as "data driven," are measurably more profitable than those that aren't. So becoming data-driven is clearly a worthwhile endeavor. Yet for all the attention, I've yet to see any clear criteria by which leaders can benchmark themselves and their organizations to figure out what they need to do better.
Pushing decision-making down frees up senior time for the most important decisions. And, just as importantly, lower-level people spend more time and take greater care when a decision falls to them. It builds the right kinds of organizational capability and, quite frankly, appears to create a work environment that is more fun.
Third, the data-driven place high demands on their data and data sources. They know that their decisions are no better than the data on which they are based, so they invest in quality data and cultivate data sources they can trust. As a result, when a time-sensitive issue comes up they are prepared. High-quality data makes it easier to understand variation and reduces uncertainty. Success is measured in execution, and high-quality data makes it easier for others to follow the decision-makers logic and align to the decision.
Further, as one executes, one acquires more data. So the data-driven are constantly re-evaluating, refining their decisions along the way. They are quicker than others to pull to plug as when the evidence suggests that a decision is wrong. To be clear, it doesn't appear that the data-driven "turn on a dime"; they know that is not sustainable. Rather, they learn as they go.
Now take that hard look in the mirror. Look at the list above and give yourself a point for every trait you follow regularly and half a point for those you follow most — but not all — of the time. Be hard on yourself. If you can only cite an instance or two, don't give yourself any credit.
Unless you're one of the rare few that truly score seven or more, you need to improve. While each person and organization is different, I'd first recommend starting by pushing decision-making down the organization. I've already noted the benefits. It may be tough and counterintuitive, especially for managers that want to feel in control, but it's worth the effort.
Second, invest in quality data. Frankly, you simply cannot be data-driven (or do anything consistently well for that matter) without high-level of trust in your data and data sources. You're reduced to your intuition alone, the antithesis of the goal here. Quality data is a necessity.
Now, take one more step. You've taken a hard look at yourself. Engage your management team in doing exactly the same thing for your organization.
I want to thank Reltio for putting this blog front and center again. When I first wrote Data Driven, I had no idea how popular the phrase would become. By the time this post appeared, about eighteen months ago now, the phrase was gaining popularity. I hope the hype has peaked. For with hype, important concepts can be watered down. While I don't wish to call anyone out, I see data-driven this, that, and the other all over, as if attaching the label would make it so.
So let me amplify: At its heart, "becoming data-driven" is a strategy for distinguishing one's company from the competition. It means everyone, individually and in groups, strives to bring more data to the table and so make better decisions. Data-driven is a journey, not a destination. The aim is not to be perfect—just a bit better today than yesterday. And a bit better tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. Forever. The data-driven recognize that all important decisions are made in the face of uncertainty and so aim to combine their intuitions with the data in powerful ways. Finally, the data-driven learn, from both their good decisions and bad.
For almost all, becoming data-driven represents a deep cultural change. I suspect it will be the most difficult data strategy to implement and I further suspect that it will be the most powerful. It goes without saying that the data-driven benefit from solid "infrastructures," such that they can find the data they need, trust that it is correct, understand what it means, and combine data from disparate sources together. There is much hard work to do. And great opportunity. Just think how great your company would be if today it lived up to a fraction of that contemplated above!


text:
Next Article in Personal Computers
Sony Recalls Half a Million Too-Hot-to-Handle Notebooks
By Erika Morphy
June 30, 2010 11:41 AM PT
Sony has issued a voluntary global recall of 535,000 Vaio notebook computers after reports of a defect in the devices' temperature control software was brought to its attention. The flaw can cause the notebook to overheat, sometimes to an extreme degree.
The recalled products are from the VPCF11 Series and VPCCW2 Series notebook computers, slightly less than half of which are in the U.S.
Sony has also offered a firmware patch for the defect, Stacey Palosky, spokesperson for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, told TechNewsWorld.
Battery Burn
Sony received 30 reports of units overheating to the point where the keyboards and casing became deformed, she noted, pointing to the report offered by CPSC on the recall. No injuries have been reported, but the defect has the potential to cause the notebook to overheat so much it could cause skin burns, she said.
The models, which were manufactured in the U.S. and China, have been sold at stores including Best Buy, Costco, Fry's, Amazon.com and Sony Style retail stores, as well as the SonyStyle.com Web site, between January 2010 and April 2010. They retailed for between US$800 and $1,500.
Consumers can either download the fix or arrange for Sony to pick up the device have it installed for them.
Other Recalls
Sony is one of many other electronic device manufacturers that has had to recall products because of overheating or even possible fire safety issues. In 2008, the company recalled 400,000 notebook computers — again from its Vaio line — because they were overheating. It had similar problems in 2006 with lithium batteries that were overheating and even exploding. That particular episode affected more than just Sony, however — other PC vendors that used the defective batteries included Dell, HP and Apple, leading to their own recalls as well.
The problems are not limited to notebook or laptop computers. Cellphone devices have experienced similar problems — perhaps a more worrisome development as they are more likely to be close to a person's body than a notebook.
One of the more tragic incidents was a case three years ago in which a man's cellphone reportedly caught on fire when it was in his pocket, causing significant injury. There have also been accounts of fires on airplanes due to lithium batteries.
Supply Chain Problems
Although this is apparently a software problem, and thus presumably better under Sony's control, in general, global device manufacturers can expect to have to deal with more recalls as supply chains become more convoluted.
A number of high-profile recalls have occurred this year that are not directly tied to the core product but rather to packaging or to components or ingredients, Mike Rozembajgier, vice president of recalls for ExpertRECALL, told TechNewsWorld. "This further highlights the need for manufacturers to have confidence in their supply chain partners," something that "becomes increasingly difficult as the supply chain becomes more complex," he said.
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>I have it on good authority that my good friend's daughter, Hailey, checks this blog for updates on Miss Maci. So, I thought I would take a minute and give the people what they want. LOL! Miss Maci has grown A LOT!!! You can't see it here so you'll just have to take my word for it. She's also calmed down a bit so I can actually take photos of her. Oh, and she knows her name so she'll look at me when I call her.
And then there's times that she won't look at me. Maybe the teenagers are rubbing off on her. (Note to self: limit Maci's contact with the teenagers).
But, sometimes she's sweet and angelic. And that's when I really do like her. Oh, okay, I like her most of the time. Most of the time.


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