Bat out of Hell

Book excerpt: ‘Bat out of Hell –The Movie’, is the true story of one man’s quest to create an epic feature-length film which he truly believes will be the ‘movie to end all movies’. Based on the best-selling paperback ‘Jupiter’s Travel’s’, by Ted Simon’, which tells the true story of this man’s unbelievable four-year motorcycle journey around the world, Shaun Donovan attempts to recapture the spirit of the now legendary ‘Easy Rider’ movie, by combining all the thrills and spills which Ted encompassed along the way, into one blockbuster production –a movie which will set the hearts of bikers around the world alight, as he rekindles their passions for a life of freedom on the road. Armed with a hand-written manuscript, a home-made movie poster –and a soundtrack that should simply blow Ted away, Shaun flies 6,000 miles to the home of Mr. Simon, where he proudly presents the ‘Sales pitch of his life’. After listening to various tunes, Ted agrees how uncanny it is that the lyrics in the songs from Meat-Loafs now legendary ‘Bat out of Hell’ album could easily portray actual scenes taken from Ted’s storyline –and so the stage was now set. Over the next twelve months Shaun embarked on a quest that would involve numerous meetings with the heads of various film and television companies across the UK, before a twist in the tale occurs, when it is suggested that Shaun retrace Ted’s journey from start to finish, subsequently creating a six-part documentary series for BBC television, entitled ‘Steps of Jupiter -20 years on’. Apart from planning and preparing an 8,000-mile ‘solo’ motorcycle journey from Cardiff to Cape-Town, read how Shaun also drives the length and breadth of California, before crossing borders into Mexico, and also how he circumnavigates the state of Florida in search of a new life for him and his family, as he desperately tries to cling-on to what is left of his failing marriage, before it is too late! ‘Bat out of hell –The Movie’ is a compelling manuscript, taken from diaries written by Shaun during the twenty six months he was out of work –a time when he was completely penniless, and all that he had left to hang on to was a dream –a dream which he was determined to turn into a reality.