Meat Loaf Movies
Though he is most famous for the supremely theatrical best-selling 1970s album Bat Out of Hell, Meat Loaf has been acting almost as long as he has been singing. Born Marvin Lee Aday in Dallas, accounts regarding his stage name place its origins in either a childhood nickname or a high school football incident. Either way, by the time Meat Loaf moved to Los Angeles at age 20 to pursue music, the moniker had stuck. After the first band he formed broke up, Meat Loaf found work on stage in the road company of the notorious late-'60s rock musical Hair. Landing in New York in the early '70s, Meat Loaf continued to do theater while trying to make it in the music world. After playing the part on stage, Meat Loaf made his movie debut as the ill-fated Eddie in the flop-turned-midnight movie classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). Two years later, Meat Loaf's music took precedence with the release of Bat Out of Hell (1977). Powered by several dramatic singles, Bat Out of Hell became one of the all-time top-selling albums. Various problems, including writer's block, though, turned Meat Loaf's focus back to movies in the late '70s. After appearing in the comedy flop Americathon (1979), Meat Loaf starred in Alan Rudolph's comedy Roadie (1980). While he managed to make several albums in the 1980s, none of them came close to Bat Out of Hell's popularity. Meat Loaf's 1980s movies, including the vehicle Dead Ringer (1982) and the Anthony Michael Hall thriller Out of Bounds (1986) did not fare well, either. Meat Loaf filed for bankruptcy, but his slide towards obscurity began to reverse itself in the early '90s. Meat Loaf's presence in the Steve Martin evangelist comedy-drama Leap of Faith (1992) signaled his arrival as an estimable character actor. His music career also revived by the best-selling Bat Out of Hell II: Back to Hell (1993), Meat Loaf once again turned his attention to singing; his mid-'90s albums suffered the same fate as his 1980s oeuvre. By the late '90s, Meat Loaf, often credited as Meat Loaf Aday, returned to acting in an eclectic mix of films. Along with co-starring as a criminal in the Patrick Swayze actioner Black Dog (1998), Meat Loaf played supporting roles in the Sharon Stone-Kieran Culkin drama The Mighty (1998), the offbeat ensemble piece Outside Ozona (1998), and the Spice Girls romp Spice World (1998). Finding a balance between movies and music, Meat Loaf did a segment of VH1's Storytellers that resulted in a 1999 CD and earned positive notices for his performances as a bigoted sheriff in Crazy in Alabama (1999) and the physically freakish but genuinely sympathetic Robert Paulsen in David Fincher's controversial Fight Club (1999). It was this cultish role that guaranteed him supporting work in both high-octane genre fare (Formula 51, The Salton Sea) as well as uncompromising indies (Focus) for the next decade or so. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
- 2007
Meat Loaf: In Search of Paradise follows the popular singer as he prepares for a tour of Canada 30 years after the release of his smash-hit album Bat Out of Hell. As the stage show gets more and more involved, the singer battles ongoing health concerns. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Meat Loaf
A deviant fur trader in pursuit of the perfect pelt finds that sometimes glamour can come with a deadly price tag in director Dario Argento's adaptation of an original short story by author F. Paul Wilson. When it comes to furs, Jake Feidman (Meat Loaf) is a man whose outstanding reputation for quality precedes him. He knows that good fur doesn't come cheap, and he's willing to do whatever it takes to stay on top in the business. When the workday is done Jake frequently makes his way to the local gentleman's club to pursue a beautiful young dancer. Though she frequently spurns his advances, Jake is convinced that he can win her over if he only could find her the perfect gift. Upon receiving a call from a local trader (John Saxon) who frequently supplies him with pelts, Jake reluctantly journeys into the country to take stock of the latest acquirements. What he finds upon arrival are without question the makings of the most beautiful fur coat Jake could ever imagine. Unfortunately it appears as if the trader and his son have suffered a horrific fate while preparing the fleeces for pickup. Later, after attempting to win the heart of the dancer by presenting her with the pristine coat crafted from the pelts, Jake learns that sublime beauty doesn't come without a deadly price. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Meat Loaf, John Saxon, (more)
Lauren Holly, Lacey Chabert, Billy Zane, Angus Macfadyen, and Meatloaf all star in Cube 2 director Adrzej Sekula's darkly comic tale of interconnecting lives. The setting is the City of Angels, the players: a deranged kidnapper, a ruthless lesbian assassin, a sociopath call-girl, and a demented cult leader. Daphne (Holly) is an empathetic caregiver who has been tending to the needs of sever head-trauma patient Tom (Angelo Spizzirri). Tom's father is the head of a highly-profitable cult-like church. Though the shady religious sect proves highly profitable, it turns out that the greedy guru has been keeping most of the profits to himself while paying Daphne such a meager wage that she isn't even able to afford Tom's medicine. Frustrated after being refused a raise by the mysterious religious fanatic, Daphne eventually resorts to kidnapping Tom's mentally deficient sister (Steffany Huckaby) as a means of raising the funds needed to care for her helpless patient. Meanwhile, after a neurotic college professor (MacFadyen) is abandoned by his wife for another woman, he sets out on the road with a sexy student (Chabert) who's willing to do whatever it takes to maintain her GPA. When cold-blooded killer Marcy (Jill Bennett) is hired to take out Daphne and put an end to the well-intended kidnapping plot, all three stories come crashing together through a series of shocking coincidences. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Angus MacFadyen, Lauren Holly, (more)
When a weary detective on the verge of retirement begins receiving ominous messages from a sadistic serial killer determined to stir up the past, the stage is set for a deadly confrontation in an all-star crime drama featuring Michael Madsen, Gary Busey, Meat Loaf, and Michael Rooker. Years on the job have shown Detective Harrison (Michael Madsen) more horror than most normal folks would experience in two lifetimes. As Detective Harrison prepares to pass the baton on to the up-and-coming rookie poised to take his place in the police force, the murder of numerous underworld heavies leave the befuddled veteran and his younger protégé grasping for clues. When the killer begins taunting Detective Harrison with a variety of stealthy clues and grisly photographs left behind at the crime scenes, an unsolved case from the past threatens to bring the sins of the past out of the shadows and into the light of the present. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen
- 2004
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Shot over the course of two February 2004 shows, this concert film from Sanctuary Records features pop singer Meat Loaf performing before a live audience along with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. The set list includes such favorites as "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad," "Paradise by the Dashboard Light," "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)," "I'll Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)," and "Bat Out of Hell." ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
Eleven of the biggest acts of the classic rock era are brought together in this collection from Intense Media Ltd. Stadium Rock: The Anthology features "Easy Livin'" by Uriah Heep, "Child in Time" by Deep Purple, "Heat of the Moment" by Asia, "Ride Like the Wind" by Saxon, "Nights in White Satin" by The Moody Blues, and much more. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
22 great acts from the classic rock era -- some famous, some beloved of collectors and obscurists -- are represented on this home video collection, which features little-seen performances recorded for European television. Let It Rock includes great songs by the Who ("Pinball Wizard"), Alice Cooper ("Under My Wheels"), Heart ("Barracuda"), Deep Purple ("Highway Star"), Joan Jett and the Blackhearts ("Crimson and Clover"), Bachman-Turner Overdrive ("You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet"), Motörhead ("Ace of Spades"), Steppenwolf ("Born To Be Wild"), and many more. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Professional football player-turned-actor Rick Johnson makes his directorial debut with this small-town drama. Johnson plays -- naturally -- an ex-NFL star named Billy Stagen. Now working as a sheriff in rural Alabama, Stagen is thrown for a loop when a young girl arrives claiming to be his illegitimate child. Winner of the Audience Award at the 2001 Method Fest, Rustin also stars Meat Loaf Aday. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rick Johnson, Ashley Johnson, (more)
- 2001
In this made-for-cable action-drama, Oliver Sloan (Parker Stevenson) is the son of a Las Vegas resort magnate whose showplace hotel has just been given its grand re-opening. However, Sloan's board of directors is not happy with the hotel's profitability, and he knows he's about to be replaced. One evening, a fire breaks out on the 20th floor of the hotel; it soon becomes evident that the sprinkler systems in the hotel are not working, and Sloan begins to suspect that the fire did not happen by accident. Meanwhile, a number of guests are trapped as the fire rages out of control, including Jim (Meat Loaf), an engineer working for the hotel who tries to figure out a route to safety for himself and the guests, and Evans (William McNamara), a TV reporter who begins broadcasting live from the burning building. Trapped also features Callum Keith Rennie and Suki Kaiser. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Parker Stevenson, Meat Loaf, (more)
No other series of films has achieved greater commercial success, or captured the attention of as many viewers, as Star Wars, its two sequels, and the continuing series of prequels. Filmmaker Tariq Jalil had long been fascinated by the passionate following the films inspired, and when the publicity machine began rolling for the release of Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace in 1999, he assembled a camera crew to document the fans who waited in line (some for as long as a month and a half) in order to be among the first to see the long-awaited film on its first day of release. Along the way, Jalil also interviewed a number of other passionate Star Wars devotees, and the documentary A Galaxy Far, Far Away examines the cultural phenomenon of Star Wars fandom, from celebrities who stop by to see the film on opening weekend (including Samuel L. Jackson, Joe Pesci, Meat Loaf, and Roger Corman) to Star Wars-inspired rapper Jam Master Jedi and a number of rabid toy collectors who nearly riot while trying to get their hands on Episode I action figures. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Vogler, Roger Corman, (more)
- 2001
Three guys from New Jersey decide they need some male bonding with their fathers -- whether their fathers like it or not -- in this independent comedy. When his grandfather dies, Richie Gallo (Scott Baio) finds himself thinking about his relationship with his family, and realizes that he barely knows his aging father Jimmy (Dean Stockwell). Richie discusses his emotionally distant relationship with his dad with his pals Al (Carlo Imperato) and Philly (Thomas Calabro), and they confess they aren't much closer to their own fathers -- and their fractured family lives have had an impact on their less-than-stable relationships with women. Richie decides they should get closer to their dads before it's too late, so Richie, Al, and Philly fast-talk their fathers Jimmy, Charlie (Joe Viterelli), and Phil (Alex Rocco) into joining them for a long weekend getaway of family bonding, though the older men are hardly enthusiastic about the idea. Star Scott Baio co-wrote the screenplay for Face to Face, which was based on a story he wrote with Adam Ferrara and fellow cast member Carlo Imperato. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dean Stockwell, Alex Rocco, (more)
- 2000
Dallas-born Marvin Lee Aday, considerably overweight even as a young boy and nicknamed Meat Loaf (played by look-alike W. Earl Brown), overcomes the negative admonishments of his alcoholic father and his obesity to become one of the best-selling rock singers of the late '70s and early '90s. His first roles as an actor lead to meeting songwriter Jim Steinman (Zachary Throne), who has the wild idea that the Top 40 radio market needs an oversized operatic tenor to sing gothic love songs. It turns out Steinman is right, and the album Bat out of Hell yields three Top Ten hits, catapulting them both into arena rock stardom. Physical and emotional difficulties take their toll on Meat, and he loses everything except his loyal wife, Leslie (Dedee Pfeiffer). Meat and Steinman gradually dig themselves out of their hole and return to glory with Bat out of Hell II: Back Into Hell, which sells five million copies, but only after Meat reconciles with his aging father. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
A man throws himself into a maelstrom of danger as he tries to rescue his girlfriend in this tense thriller. Jack (Meat Loaf Aday), an emotionally unstable truck driver, snaps and kidnaps Sylvia (Kristin Davis), the girlfriend of stand-up comic David (Lochlyn Munro). As David sets out to find the woman he loves, he discovers the trucker has cleverly left a series of clues so that David will be able to find him -- and become caught in a dangerous trap. Blacktop also stars Vicky Pratt and C. Ernst Harth. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lochlyn Munro, Meat Loaf, (more)
Marvin Lee Aday, better known to the world as Meat Loaf, discusses the ups and downs of his inarguably remarkable career and sings a few of the songs he made famous along the way (while telling the tales behind them) in this installment of the VH1 series Storytellers. Songs include Two Out of Three Ain't Bad, Paradise By The Dashboard Light, Bat Out Of Hell, I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That, and six others. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Several noted American actors dot this autobiographical feature from Hungarian filmmaker Gabe Von Dettre (also know as Gabor Dettre) about the difficulty of getting a break in the movie industry. Brad Dourif plays a filmmaker who often talks to the audience about the main question on his mind -- why can't he get a project financed when so many people with less talent and fewer credentials are working steadily? This film (which was many years in production, as evidenced by the presence of several actors who are no longer living) was shown as part of the 1999 Hungarian Film Week Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brad Dourif, Kathleen Gati, (more)
- 1999
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In 1977, a little-known singer and actor with the unlikely name of Meat Loaf released a record called Bat out of Hell, and against all odds it became one of the biggest-selling albums of all time, elevating the former Marvin Lee Aday to rock superstardom. This documentary, produced for the VH1 "Classic Albums" series, incorporated interviews and performance footage to show how Meat Loaf and his collaborators -- including songwriter Jim Steinman, producer Todd Rundgren, and vocalists Ellen Foley and Karla DeVito -- helped to craft a 30-million selling blockbuster. Songs include "Two out of Three Ain't Bad," "Paradise by the Dashboard Light," and "Bat out of Hell." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Dennis Quaid made his directorial debut with this TV movie, a contemporary western filmed in Livingston, Montana with Quaid also down as executive producer. Tough, unemotional ranchowner Jim Clay (Quaid) and his faithful wife Kyle (Mare Winningham) have a teenage son Nathan (Ryan Merriman) who hopes to enter the rodeo big leagues, just like his dad. Instead, an auto accident leaves Nathan a paraplegic. Jim is devastated, since he was the cause of the accident. The situation brings father and son closer as the family attempts to deal with the tragedy. Premiered July 12, 1998 on TNT. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis Quaid, Mare Winningham, (more)
- 1993
Meat Loaf stars in this family-comedy about a Yeti (also known as "Bigfoot" or "Sasquatch") who finds himself lost in an American suburb. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Meat Loaf, Chantellese Kent, (more)
- 1992
Recorded live in opera legend Luciano Pavarotti's own home, this benefit concert for the war children of Bosnia includes performances from Pavarotti, Bono and The Edge, Brian Eno, Zucchero, Jovanotti, Simon Le Bon, Dolores O'Riordan, Meatloaf, Michael Bolton, The Chieftans, and Nenad Bach.
~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
With his hyper-dramatic over-the-top vocal style and grandiose songs about a life lived as a teenage opera, Meat Loaf was a one-of-a-kind rock & roll performer if there ever was one. This home video collects eight performances from his three-album tenure with Epic Records: four songs from his worldwide smash Bat out of Hell, and two each from Dead Ringer and Midnight at the Lost and Found. Meat Loaf: Hits out of Hell includes "Bat out of Hell," "Paradise By the Dashboard Light," "Two out of Three Ain't Bad," "I'm Gonna Love Her for the Both of Us," "Razor's Edge," and more. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1987
George Michael, Elton John, and Bob Geldof are among the musical luminaries performing at a live concert in 1987 for the benefit of AIDS victims. The concert was held at Wembley Arena in London to raise money and awareness about the disease, which has killed millions of people worldwide. Among the songs included in the program are "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues," "Everything She Wants," and "Stand By Me." ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
- 1986
A televised music show could be the opportunity that a female mechanic needs to break into the music world. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
