Roadie

Actor/rock star Meat Loaf stars in this oddball 1980 rock 'n' roll comedy as Travis W. Redfish, a wunderkind Texas boy who falls in love at first sight with Lola Bouilliabase (Kaki Hunter), a giddy 16-year-old groupie obsessed with Alice Cooper, and becomes a roadie legend in order to win her heart. Cooper is just one of the musical guest stars here. Meat Loaf singlehandedly saves concerts by Hank Williams Jr. and Roy Orbison (who duet on “Eyes of Texas”), as well as Blondie (who crank up “Ring of Fire”). Directed by Alan Rudolph, this high-energy cinematic jam is a raucous, disjointed goof-off with varying mileage. The cast (which also features Art Carney, Joe Spano, and Soul Train impresario Don Cornelius) seems to be having a good time and the musical numbers are marvelous, but the knockabout comedy is shrill and clumsy, so the only real draw here is the music. Making its Blu-ray debut, extras include an audio commentary featuring screenwriter James Big Boy Medlin (the “real” Travis Redfish). An optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)