Meat Loaf: To Hell and Back

This is an enjoyable film for Meat Loaf fans. Song clips, in some cases entire songs are included from both Bat Out of Hell I & II as well as a film clip from Rocky Horror.

I was really surprised how accurate this movie is. Most biographical movies are time-warped (people and places out of place & time) but this one sticks to the truth in almost all cases.

If you enjoy Meat Loaf music, I recommend this movie. It will give you some interesting insights into some of the songs Jim Steinman wrote for him. If you want to know more about the man, I don't think you will find a more accurate portrayal anywhere. I also recommend you see the VH1 "Behind the Music" biography on Meat Loaf -- it lets his wife, children, Jim Steinman and others get their side in too.

This docudrama starts with MeatLoaf (W. Earl Brown) as a kid growing up in Dallas 1958. He's a fat kid with a sick mother and a drunken abusive father. He's bullied by the school kids. He played high school football, and got into drama. He strikes out for Hollywood after the death of his mother eventually connecting with composer Jim Steinman (Zachary Throne) and future wife Leslie Edmonds (Dedee Pfeiffer). But old demons continue to haunt him.

I wouldn't say this is good drama. There are highlights, and the movie is checking off one highlight after another. There is even a 'The Voice' moment as Jim Steinman turns around and shockingly finds the chubby man with the Wagner voice. Brown does a great job impersonating MeatLoaf. I'm sure he got the job for his striking resemblance but they got a great actor to boot. He's the only one saving this from being a hopelessly bland docudrama.

I am a massive Meat Loaf fan (all his records and movies) , and I think the documentary was OK. But there we're quite a few glitchs ; Meat Loaf did not go to acting college in 1968 , he went to be an accountant in 1966 (Meat Loaf was singing in local bands in LA in 68'!) , Meat Loaf didn't meet Jim Steinman until 1973 , and during "Hair" Meat Loaf wasn't going out with any girl named Aaron (however , he did meet Stoney in the play , and record a record with her). And to top that off , Meat Loaf didn't cut his hair short until late 96'/97' , the film shows Meat Loaf in 1994 with short hair . But the acting was top notch , all of the live performances and background songs we're Meat Loaf's vocals (except the "More Than You Deserve" tryout , and in the record company office) the show was OK and depicts what Meat Loaf went through in his career.

PS. did I mention that Meat Loaf was actually married in 1979' ? and Meat Loaf didn't begin the big American bar tour until 1987 ?

where do i start? i love meat loaf, i love his music, i love his acting career. but vh1 has let me as well as SEVERAL meat loaf fans down with this flop. first off, there are more albums then bat out of hell 1 and 2, which the movie seemed to have forgotten. and when an attempt was made to mention his dead ringer album in the studio, they got the lyrics wrong for peel out. their time line was way off, why was objects in the rearview mirror playing 13 years chronologically before it was actually released? vh1 took TOO many liberties in creating this movie and any redeemable moments were few and far between. i think that the actor playing meat loaf was a good actor, but come on, let's not slap a long haired wig on a big guy and call him meat loaf. meat loaf himself and his production company had nothing to do with this there are several inaccuracies and i dont think the creators of this c**p should have even touched the mother issue let alone interpret it the way they did. if you are a fleeting fan, go ahead, watch this movie. if you are a real fan then you will weep inconsolably.

I just watched the movie on VH1, and toward the very end of the movie, I thought I saw Meatloaf himself in the audience at the Cancer benefit. Were my eyes deceiving me, or did he have a brief cameo in the movie? All in all, I thought it was a good show. Granted, I did notice the mountains in the background in "Dallas County", and wondered at certain lines in the movie (re: Rocky Horror- "Nobody will watch this, they'll only throw things at the screen"), but since I've been a meatloaf fan since "BOH" #1 came out, the minor flaws and the little extras were just that, minor, and didn't distract from the main story enough to ruin the movie.