Bruce David Klein Tagged Articles at Cinematical

What are we going to do? KILL!
What do we always do? KILL!
What do we need to do? KILL!
What do big dogs do? KILL!
...the Pre-Show Chant

Meat Loaf has been performing for decades, putting on intensely performance-heavy shows that not only strain his voice, but also any modicum of energy he has. Yet no matter how drained he might be, he makes it work, belting out long, classic, character-driven tunes and driving audiences wild. Each show begins with the spark created by the chant above. (At least, his most recent ones do.) Unfortunately, I don't think that Bruce David Klein had a rousing chant to help spur him into capturing the world of Meat Loaf for the concert documentary Meat Loaf: In Search of Paradise.

When I was a teenager, my father took me to see Meat Loaf perform at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. We had amazing, front-row seats, and I remember being completely mesmerized for the entire show. Instead of well-choreographed dance moves that really have nothing to do with the song, or stoic, immobile singing, Meat Loaf Aday performed each song as if it was a short play. Even in my youth, I was exhausted just watching all of the heart and energy he put into it. Whether you're a fan of his music or not, this is one of the most dedicated performers that you can find.

All these years later, after wrapping up his tour for Bat Out of Hell 3, the unstoppable performer is the focus of his first concert documentary, Meat Loaf: In Search of Paradise, which was directed by Bruce David Klein and just hit New York theaters late last week. The film follows the last-minute preparations for the tour, and specifically focuses on his troubles with the classic song: "Paradise by the Dashboard Light." Stay tuned for my review, and continue after the jump to read Meat Loaf's thoughts on the project, as well as a few nibbles about his music and film career.