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
- 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
In this crime drama, New York journalist Jake Bridges (William Petersen), off on a bender in Atlantic City, gets into a bar confrontation with Lew Collins (Meat Loaf) but is rescued by gregarious Frankie McGregor (Michael Wincott), a member of a gang headed by Irishman Lange (Michael Byrne), a sadist in a wheelchair. After Bridges gets an eyeful of Frankie's girlfriend, nurse Melissa (Diane Lane), he finds excuses to drop by the hospital where she works. Admiring Bridges's credentials as a writer, Frankie cultivates his companionship in order to upgrade his schooling in literature. Jake gives him a reading list, while Frankie draws Jake into the gang. Shown at the 1998 Santa Barbara Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William L. Petersen, Michael Wincott, (more)
In the tradition of My Left Foot (1989), Peter Chelsom directed this emotional drama of outcasts, adapted from the Rodman Philbrick's popular young-adult novel Freak the Mighty. Although burly, slow-paced eight-grader Maxwell Kane (Elden Hensen), who narrates, is learning disabled, he nevertheless has a poetic soul, as evidenced when he meets the bright and brainy Kevin Dillon (Kieran Culkin), crippled by a birth defect. The physically deformed Kevin, who wears leg braces and uses crutches, suffers from Morquio's Syndrome, which causes physical growth to stop after the age of six. Illiterate Max gets Kevin as a reading tutor, and the two misfits soon become friends, sharing a vision of life as a contemporary Camelot. Gena Rowlands and Harry Dean Stanton appear as Max's grandparents and guardians. Max is portrayed by 19-year-old Emerson College filmmaking student Henson, while Sharon Stone has the role of Gwen Dillon, Kevin's mother. Boston-born author Philbrick, who winters in Key West, otherwise resides in Seacoast, New Hampshire (the setting of the book). The movie was filmed at a soundstage in Toronto, the University of Toronto, Cincinnati, and Covington, Kentucky. Exhibited out of competition at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sharon Stone, Elden Henson, (more)
Bob Spiers (director of TV's Absolutely Fabulous) directed this feature-film debut of the five Spice Girls -- Posh Spice, Sporty Spice, Scary Spice, Ginger Spice, and Baby Spice -- as the quintet challenges the London pop scene during five days before their first live performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Photojournalists follow as they travel from press conferences to practice sessions to photo ops, passing London landmarks in the comfort of their cavernous Spicebus and emerging in a musical cascade of color, trendy clothes, and blinding flashbulbs. Shot in 43 days, the film features cameos by everyone from Elton John and Elvis Costello, to Stephen Fry and Bob Hoskins. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Spice Girls, Melanie Brown, (more)
Kevin Hooks (Passenger 57) directed this action drama about an ex-convict tricked into trucking illegal weapons across state lines. Truckdriver Jack Crews (Patrick Swayze) fell asleep at the wheel, resulting in an accident that brought him a conviction of vehicular manslaughter and a two-year prison sentence. Minus a license to drive the big rigs, Jack works for a trucking firm as a mechanic to support his wife (Brenda Strong) and daughter (Erin Broderick). His paycheck doesn't cover his overdue mortgage payments, so Jack reluctantly accepts an offer from his new boss Cutler (Graham Beckel) to make $10,000 "off the books" with a no-questions-asked delivery of toilets from Georgia to New Jersey. Jack has doubts after he goes to Georgia to get his rig; Cutler's associate Red (Meat Loaf) gives Jack a driving partner (Randy Travis) and an armed duo (Gabriel Casseus and Brian Vincent). After the four depart, Red orders others to hijack the cargo. A lengthy chase begins -- with various vehicles from motorcycles to 18-wheelers trying to get Jack off the road. After Jack learns his truck is not flush with toilets but instead is filled with a cargo of AK-47s, he phones Cutler to resign, prompting Cutler to take Jack's wife and child as hostages. Jack then moves from neutral to high gear -- with smash-ups and shootouts just around the next curve. The soundtrack includes Rhett Akins' new interpretation of "Drivin' My Life Away" by Eddie Rabbit (who died at the age of 53 during the week this film was released). ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Swayze, Meat Loaf, (more)
- 1998
- R
A group of strangers are brought together under unexpectedly dangerous circumstances in this offbeat drama. Trucker Odell Parks (Robert Forster) pulls into a diner in Ozona, Texas, for a cup of coffee, where a number of other weary travelers are taking a break. Wit Roy (Kevin Pollak) is an out-of-work clown trying to figure out how to get to Las Vegas on his last few dollars, where a job offer awaits; his girlfriend Earlene (Penelope Ann Miller), a one time stripper, is tagging along and thinks that she knows how to raise some money. Reba Twosalt (Kateri Walker), a Native American, is heading west with her Grandmother; the old woman is dying, and they would like to see the ocean together one last time. And Marcy and Bonnie (Sherilyn Fenn and Beth Ann Styne) are two sisters en route to the funeral of their father. As the customers eat their food and drink their coffee, the radio is playing vintage jazz and blues, a form of protest from the disc jockey, Dix Mayal (Taj Mahal), who is breaking the station's country and western format after being forced to work an extra shift by his boss, station manager Floyd Bibbs (Meat Loaf). However, there's a killer on the highway near Ozona, and very soon all of these people will find themselves crossing his path. In addition to playing the disc jockey, blues great Taj Mahal also contributed several songs to the soundtrack of Outside Ozona. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Forster, Kevin Pollak, (more)
- 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
- 1992
- PG13
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Penelope Ann Miller's delightful performance as the shy, part-time librarian Betty Lou Perkins is the saving grace of this comedy from Touchstone Pictures. Betty Lou is the neglected wife of small-town police detective Alex Perkins (Eric Thal). She soon feels even more neglected when Alex can't make their anniversary dinner because he has to investigate a brutal motel room slaying. Taking her dog for a walk, Betty Lou finds a gun by the river's edge that just happens to be the missing murder weapon in Alex's murder investigation. In order to get some attention, she announces that she was the one who committed the murder. Hauled behind bars, Betty Lou gets some quick assertiveness training from her cell-mate, hard-boiled prostitute Reba Bush (Cathy Moriarty). She also becomes an instant media celebrity, with crowds clamoring around her and television news reporters elevating her to legendary status. But Alex doesn't believe she committed the murder (she tells him the dead man was her lover) and continues investigating the crime. Her husband is not the only one who's suspicious -- the FBI wants to use her to lure crime lord Beaudeen (William Forsythe), who they suspect actually committed the murder, out into the open. It turns out the FBI is right; Beaudeen killed the motel room victim because he planned to blackmail him with an incriminating cassette. Beaudeen is convinced that Betty Lou has the tape and musters his forces to get it from her one way or another. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Penelope Ann Miller, Eric Thal, (more)
Based on the Saturday Night Live sketch of the same name, Wayne's World is a wacky, irreverent pop-culture comedy about the adventures of two amiably aimless metal-head friends, Wayne (Mike Myers) and Garth (Dana Carvey). From Wayne's basement, the pair broadcast a talk-show called "Wayne's World" on local public access television. The show comes to the attention of a sleazy network executive (Rob Lowe) who wants to produce a big-budget version of "Wayne's World"--and he also wants Wayne's girlfriend, a rock singer named Cassandra (Tia Carrere). Wayne and Garth have to battle the executive not only to save their show, but also Cassandra. Director Penelope Spheeris, Myers and Carvey hang a lot of silly, but funny, jokes on this thin plot, and the energy of the cast--as well as the wild pop-culture references--make Wayne's World a cut above the average Saturday Night Live spin-off movie. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, (more)
Steve Martin has one of his best roles in Leap Of Faith as Jonas Nightengale, a high-tech faith healer and revival preacher who takes pride in the money he squeezes out of people, convincing himself that he can't deliver hope, but "I give my people a good show." As the film begins, Nightengale's truck caravan breaks down and his troupe finds itself stranded in the backwater town of Rustwater, Kansas. Nightengale figures that as long as he's there, he might as well set up the rubes and put on a performance. With the aid of his assistant Jane (Debra Winger) (who talks to Nightengale through an earpiece, informing him of the physical problems of certain members of his audience), Nightengale puts on a glorious show and rakes in the money. But the local sheriff Will (Liam Neeson) wants to shut down the show because times are bad in Rustwater and he doesn't think folks should waste their money on a charlatan. Nightengale sends Jane to seduce Will, but the sheriff succeeds in getting Jane to fall in love with him. Nightengale also meets someone, Marva (Lolita Davidovich), a local waitress with a crippled brother. The boy thinks Nightengale can heal him. Nightengale tries to make the child understand that he can't help him, but it turns out that Nightengale knows very little about his own faith powers. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Martin, Debra Winger, (more)
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
This black comedy offers a rather twisted version of the classic road movie, as it tells the story of a ten-year-old boy who is determined to win the "Motorama" road game, a promotional effort by a major gas station that promises winners 500 million dollars. In order to win, one simply has to collect enough game cards from Chimera gas stations all over the country to spell out the word "Motorama." Since his parents are not interested in the contest, the lad feels he has no other choice than to steal a bright red classic Mustang and set off across several fictional states to do it by himself. Along the way, he has assorted adventures, and many of them are not at all pleasant, but most of them are very strange. The film features cameos from several notable cult favorites, including Jack Nance, Drew Barrymore, Dick Miller, and even the pop singer Meat Loaf. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jordan Christopher Michael, John Diehl, (more)
- 1987
- PG13
In this comedy, artistic con man Harry (Michael Keaton) teams up with lady detective Rachel Dobs (Rae Dawn Chong) to trick a corrupt TV lottery-show host into revealing how he has been rigging the contest to benefit the Mob. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Keaton, Rae Dawn Chong, (more)
- 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
- R
This teen thriller by Richard Tuggle involves an innocent young man being mistaken for a drug dealer and thief by both the good and the bad guys. Daryl Cage (Anthony Michael Hall) sets off to visit his brother and sister-in-law in L.A. but picks up the wrong bag at the airport baggage claim -- one loaded with 10 kilos of heroin. Before Daryl has a chance to find out what's inside, murder and mayhem are unleashed and even the police take potshots at him. So he teams up with Dizz (Jenny Wright), a fellow passenger on his flight, and disguises himself as a street-wise but slick operator. Cage then dodges death at the hands of the sadistic Roy Gaddis (Jeff Kober) and tries to convince the police of his innocence. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Michael Hall, Jenny Wright, (more)
- 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
- 1986
- R
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In this comedy, Julie Walters and Ian Charleson play a married couple, Jacqueline and Gerald, who somehow endure a fractious relationship that would have sent others running to divorce court in a second. One point of contention is Gerald's new Jaguar, a car he would take over Jacqueline any day. When she is trapped inside the new car with an amorous salesman in a compromising clinch, the police have to cut up the Jag in order to get them out. From that point onward, Gerald has murderous designs on his wife, and the comedy thins out even more. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julie Walters, Ian Charleson, (more)
- 1982
Meat Loaf, the singer is followed around by a fan named Marvin (also played by Meat Loaf) but through concert after concert and song after song, the performer manages to stay one step ahead of his admiring pursuer. The singer's entourage and an out-of-touch television reporter provide some comic relief, in-between the musical numbers. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Meat Loaf, Josh Mostel, (more)
- 1981
Roadie is a showbiz saga about the working slobs who make live pop-music performances happen. Texas good ol' boy Travis W. Redfish (pop singer Meat Loaf) drives a Shiner beer truck on his appointed rounds, but he becomes smitten with rock groupie Lola Bouillabase (Kaki Hunter), a "roadie" whose sole ambition in life is to bed her idol, Alice Cooper (playing himself). Travis' grizzled pappy, Corpus C. Redfish (Art Carney), feels disgusted by his son's lifestyle. After hearing that Cooper and his band are on tour, Lola sets out to catch up to them and offer her services, with Travis in pursuit. Along the way, they meet a number of pop-music stars -- Blondie, Asleep at the Wheel, Hank Williams Jr., Roy Orbison, and Ramblin' Jack Elliott -- who are all working on their own tours. Travis signs on, himself, as a groupie for a rock band, and is quickly dubbed "greatest roadie of all time," but he soon realizes that he must return to Texas for the wedding of his sister and his best friend. ~ Tom Wiener, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Meat Loaf, Kaki Hunter, (more)
