[1][2][3] His contributions to music during the era led MTV to call him, "one of the most influential visionaries behind the emergence of commercial hip-hop in the 1980s.
He appeared in productions of Romeo And Juliet, She Stoops to Conquer, Guys And Dolls, The Miracle Worker, Wind In The Willows and Bell, Book & Candle.
He continued to act in many of his music videos and in the feature films Tougher Than Leather and Drop Dead Rock (both of which he co-wrote).
[7] Menello researched the life of the late director Jean-Pierre Melville, that included correspondence with Pierre Lesou, Philippe Labro and Bertrand Tavernier among others.
[2] Writer Dan Charnas, author of "The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop", credited Menello with forming much of Rubin's musical style and aesthetics, "Those guys {Rubin and the Beastie Boys} would hang out at the front desk watching movies with him and as Rick started bands and the label ... Menello was along for the ride ...
"[1] Rubin chose Menello and his former roommate, Adam Dubin, to co-direct the music video for the Beastie Boys' 1987 single, "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!
)"[2][3][8] Menello had already co-written the draft of Tougher Than Leather, which wouldn't be released until 1988, when Rubin approached him about directing the Beastie Boys.
[1] Menello, a cinephile, added references to numerous films to the music video, including Breakfast at Tiffany's and Dawn of the Dead.
and their treatment further developed into a powerful, thought-provoking clip that was voted Best Anti-Racism video during the first MTV Europe Music Awards ceremony in 1994.
The video later spawned a series of commercials and public service announcements by Doro calling for racial tolerance in Germany.
Menello also collaborated with actors, including friend Owen Wilson, to revise and strengthen existing dialogue.
[3] Menello and film director, James Gray,[4] teamed up to co-write the 2008 romantic drama, Two Lovers, starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Joaquin Phoenix.
[3] A mosaic designed by artist Juan Carlos Pinto[18] at the Newkirk Plaza Tunnel in Brooklyn was dedicated to Ric on May 11, 2013.