Beastie Boys Video Director Ric Menello Dead At 60

'He was amazing and the kind of insane that we love and the kind of insane that changes the world,' says writer Dan Charnas. By Gil Kaufman Ric Menello Photo: Columbia/Def Jam Though he wasn't a household name, director/screenwriter Ric Menello, 60 was one of the most influential visionaries behind the emergence of commercial hip-hop in the 1980s. The co-director of the Beastie Boys' landmark "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)" video passed away on Friday of a heart attack, leaving behind a fascinating mix of high/low art that his friends and admirers said perfectly summed up his lifelong aesthetic. "He was amazing and the kind of insane that we love and the kind of insane that changes the world," said writer Dan Charnas, who spent hours interviewing Menello for his book "The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop." In addition to his co-directing credits on music videos, Menello wrote the 2008 Joaquin Phoenix/Gwyneth Paltrow film "Two Lovers," which, at the time, was referred to by the actor as his big screen retirement.

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Beastie Boys Video Director Ric Menello Dead At 60

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