John Ridley Movies
A prodigious writer, infrequent movie director, and commentator for National Public Radio,
John Ridley has made his mark penning novels, TV shows, screenplays, and Internet series ranging from the neo-noir scheming of
Cold Around the Heart (1997) to the broad, satiric comedy of
Undercover Brother's film and online incarnations.
Raised in suburban Milwaukee,
Ridley exited the Midwest to attend New York University. Though he got his degree in East Asian languages, and spent a year in Japan,
Ridley opted for show business and started doing standup comedy in New York clubs after college. Despite appearing on the late-night talk shows,
Ridley quit standup to become a writer, moving to Los Angeles in 1990.
Ridley landed his first job writing for
Martin Lawrence's sitcom Martin in 1993; he subsequently wrote for The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and The John Laroquette Show. While doing sitcoms,
Ridley took a crack at novels with the entertainingly nasty noir Stray Dogs. When the book initially failed to sell,
Ridley adapted it as a screenplay which caught the attention of
Oliver Stone, who decided to direct it himself. Under the auspices of
Stone's production company,
Ridley made his own directorial debut when he helmed another of his neo-noir screenplays,
Cold Around the Heart (1997). A low-budget crime story starring
David Caruso,
Kelly Lynch, and
Chris Noth,
Cold Around the Heart got a minimal theatrical release after playing film festivals.
Ridley's work attracted more attention that same year, however, when he had a dispute with
Stone over Stray Dogs. Upset that
Ridley's novel would come out several months before his movie,
Stone publicly objected and then changed his film's title to
U-Turn (1997). Regardless of whether the book spoiled the surprise,
U-Turn's noir theatrics with
Sean Penn,
Nick Nolte, and
Jennifer Lopez caused little excitement at the box office.
Ridley's new career as a novelist, however, hummed along without disruption; he published his fourth novel, A Conversation With the Mann, in 2002.
Prolific as ever,
Ridley put the
Stone experience behind him and sold an acerbic screenplay about greed and the Persian Gulf War entitled "Spoils of War." By the time it reached the screen via director (and rewriter)
David O. Russell, the renamed
Three Kings (1999) deviated so much from
Ridley's original version, including the lead African-American character becoming
George Clooney, that
Ridley had only a "story by" credit.
Taking a break from films,
Ridley returned to TV in 1999 as supervising producer of NBC's gritty emergency worker drama
Third Watch. While doing
Third Watch,
Ridley crossed over into yet another medium with
Undercover Brother, an animated series for UrbanEntertainment.com. A sharp satire of racial stereotypes,
Undercover Brother displayed the same mordant wit as
Ridley's occasional newspaper articles about his experiences as a black writer in Hollywood, and became the first Internet series to be adapted as a movie. With
Ridley aboard as co-writer and executive producer,
Undercover Brother (2002) broadly parodied blaxploitation movies with slapstick abandon, yet still managed to land a few savvy jokes about race and politics. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi

- 2013
- R
Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Solomon Northup, the New York State citizen who was kidnapped and made to work on a plantation in New Orleans in the 1800s. Steve McQueen (Hunger) directs from a script he co-wrote with John Ridley, based in part by Northup's memoir. Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Sarah Paulson, and Paul Giamatti co-star. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Chiwetel Ejiofor

- 2013
-
Andre 3000 steps into the role of Jimi Hendrix in this biopic focusing on the iconic rocker's recording of his Are You Experienced album. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
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- 2012
- PG13
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The thrilling true story of the Tuskegee Airmen buzzes to the big screen in this epic war adventure from executive producer George Lucas and first-time feature director Anthony Hemingway. In the fire and chaos of World War II, the U.S. military recruits a fearless group of African-American fighter pilots to help reclaim the skies over Europe. Discriminated against both as citizens and as soldiers, the Tuskegee Airmen take flight in planes distinguished by distinctive red tails, and fight to defeat the tyranny of the Axis powers. As a result of their bravery, the pilots emerge as true heroes, and prove that all men are truly created equal. Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Bryan Cranston star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding, Jr., (more)

- 2009
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After exploring the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in the HBO documentary When the Levees Broke, veteran director Spike Lee fixes his lens on yet another historic tragedy with this heated period drama set in 1992 and detailing the racially charged chaos that engulfed Los Angeles after four LAPD officers were acquitted by an all-white jury in the brutal beating of African-American motorist Rodney King, despite the fact that the entire event was captured on camera. Brian Grazer produces a script penned by Three Kings scribe John Ridley. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
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- 2006
- R
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Twenty-two people become unwitting participants in a tragic and defining moment of the 1960s in this period drama from actor and director Emilio Estevez. It's early June in 1968, and the California presidential primary elections are occupying the minds of many in the Golden State, with Robert F. Kennedy in a close race against Eugene McCarthy and Hubert Humphrey. The Kennedy campaign staff has set up camp at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, while the staff and guests become observers as the brother of fallen president John F. Kennedy sets out to pick up where his sibling left off. Paul (William H. Macy) is the manager of the Ambassador, and his wife, Miriam (Sharon Stone), is a hairdresser who runs' the hotel's beauty salon. Angela (Heather Graham) is a receptionist working the hotel's switchboard who has been sleeping with Paul behind Miriam's back. Timmons (Christian Slater) is in charge of the hotel's restaurant and catering department, and makes no secret of his dislike of the African-Americans and Latinos under his employ. Miguel (Jacob Vargas) and Jose (Freddy Rodriguez) are two young Chicanos on the kitchen staff who have it in for Timmons, while Robinson (Laurence Fishburne) is an older black man who counsels them on dealing with their rage. Virginia Fallon (Demi Moore) sings in the hotel's cocktail lounge and has a serious problem with alcohol; her husband, Tim (Emilio Estevez), is a Kennedy supporter and also her manager, and he's nearing the end of his rope in dealing with her problem. William (Elijah Wood) is a young man desperate to avoid being drafted and sent to Vietnam; Diane (Lindsay Lohan) is a pretty young woman dating William's brother who agrees to marry him so William can avoid being drafted, though William is clearly infatuated with her, while she considers this a marriage in name only. John Casey (Anthony Hopkins) is one of the owners of the Ambassador, and Nelson (Harry Belafonte) is an old friend who works at the hotel. And Jack (Martin Sheen) is a wealthy Kennedy campaign financier who is married to Samantha (Helen Hunt), an attractive but much younger woman. Bobby also features Joshua Jackson, Nick Cannon, and Shia LaBeouf as young Kennedy campaign volunteers, while Ashton Kutcher, Joy Bryant, Kip Pardue, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead also highlight the supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Harry Belafonte, Joy Bryant, (more)

- 2005
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- 2004
-
In the second episode of Justice League's three-part season-two finale, the Leaguers fall into a trap when attempting to help Hawkgirl's people, the Thangarians, in their war against the Gordanians. Managing to wriggle out of this predicament, the League members reconvene at Stately Wayne Manor, home of Batman's alter ego, Bruce Wayne. Meanwhile, the duplicitous villains who have set this story in motion begin carrying out their plan to destroy the earth. All three episodes of "Starcrossed" were released as a single DVD "movie" in July of 2004. ~ Rovi
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- Starring:
- Victor Rivers, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., (more)

- 2003
-
Created by John Ridley and Sofia Coppola (whose father Francis Ford Coppola was among the producers), the weekly UPN series Platinum could be described as Dynasty for the hip-hop generation. At the center of the intrigue was a black-oriented record company called Sweetback, owned and operated by the Rhames brothers, Jackson (Jason George) and Grady (Sticky Fingaz). Though they had supped full of success, the brothers' label was in dire financial straits, forcing them to take drastic measures (some funny, some violent) to remain players in a cutthroat business. During the first few episodes, the Rhameses' biggest headache was their top artist, a pugnacious white rapper named VersIs (played by real-life rap artist Vishiss), who in addition to making enemies left and right was also romancing Jackson and Grady's kid sister Monica (Davetta Sherwood). On top of everything else, the white-dominated media despised the Rhameses, and were waiting baited breath to see them crash and burn. Others in the cast included Steven Pasquale as the brothers' long-suffering financial adviser, and N'Bushe Wright as a barracuda-like rival producer. Originally titled Empire, Platinum premiered April 14, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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- 2002
- PG13
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Undercover Brother began life as an animated series on the Internet. The satirical cartoon was created by novelist and screenwriter John Ridley (Three Kings) for the website urbanentertainment.com. Ridley wrote the screenplay with Michael McCullers, co-writer of the Austin Powers sequels, and it was directed by Malcolm D. Lee (Spike Lee's cousin, and the writer/director of The Best Man). The film stars Eddie Griffin (of TV's Malcolm and Eddie) as Undercover Brother, he of the gold Cadillac convertible and huge Afro, who uses gadgets and disguises to steal from the rich and give to the poor. His activities are discovered by the B.R.O.T.H.E.R.H.O.O.D., a spy organization devoted to subverting The Man (Robert Trumbull) and his henchman, Mr. Feather (Chris Kattan), who use their power over the media to demean black people and destroy racial unity. The spy organization is run by The Chief (Chi McBride), who is constantly screaming at his subordinates. They include Sistah Girl (Aunjanue Ellis), a beautiful martial artist, Conspiracy Brother (Dave Chappelle), who sees white supremacist plots everywhere, and Smart Brother (Gary Anthony Williams, who provided the voice of Undercover Brother in the cartoon), who supplies the operatives with gadgets and information. When a popular black political figure, General Boutwell (Billy Dee Williams), calls a press conference, presumably to announce his presidential candidacy, and instead announces that he's opening a chain of fried chicken restaurants, the B.R.O.T.H.E.R.H.O.O.D. rightly suspects foul play, and recruits Undercover Brother to look into it. He goes undercover as an uptight buppie to work for The Man, but his cover is soon blown, and the seductive White She Devil (Denise Richards) is sent in to use her feminine wiles to destroy Undercover Brother. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Eddie Griffin, Chris Kattan, (more)

- 1999
-

- 1999
- R
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Three stars team up for this unusual look at America's role in the war against Iraq. In 1991, as the Gulf War winds to a close, three American servicemen find themselves happy to have achieved victory but wondering about the ultimate importance of what they've done (especially since Saddam Hussein is still in power). Major Archie Gates (George Clooney) is a decorated Vietnam veteran and special forces officer with two weeks to go before he retires; Sgt. Troy Barlow (Mark Wahlberg) has a new baby at home; and Chief Elgin (Ice Cube) is probably just going to end up back in Detroit. So when one of them comes across a map that seems to point out where Saddam's forces have stashed a large cache of gold they stole from Kuwait, they decide to follow the trail and take some of the war booty for themselves. However, the deeper they journey into Iraq, the more they see of the consequences of America's policies in the Middle East. Although President George Bush and the American military urged Iraqi citizens to rise up against Saddam Hussein, and pledged their support to a people's movement against the leader, Iraqis found that when they took to the streets against Saddam, the United States did not back them up, and the loss of Iraqi lives was fearsome. When Gates, Barlow and Elgin become aware of what's happening, they're torn between their desire to grab the fortune they came for and the demands of their conscience to help the people they came to liberate. Three Kings was directed by David O. Russell and marked a significant change of direction after his dark-humored relationship comedies, Spanking the Monkey and Flirting with Disaster. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
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- Starring:
- George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, (more)

- 1997
- R
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Oliver Stone directed this John Ridley screenplay adapted from Ridley's novel Stray Dogs. A drifter (Sean Penn) eludes Las Vegas collection agents and arrives in a small town where he decides to linger after his car has a breakdown. Here he gets involved with the locals, including an unhappily married couple -- a businessman (Nick Nolte) and his seductive, femme-fatale wife (Jennifer Lopez). A trailer trash teen (Claire Danes) also approaches him in an effort to get away from her abusive boyfriend (Joaquin Phoenix). Tensions in the town escalate, eventually leading to murder. Stone wanted to change the title from U-Turn back to Stray Dogs but encountered a problem with Akira Kurosawa, who felt it was too similar to his detective classic, Stray Dog (1949) with Toshiro Mifune. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, (more)

- 1997
- R
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This crime film, in the tradition of Bonnie and Clyde, is the directorial debut of writer John Ridley, scripter of Oliver Stone's U Turn. The neo-noir tale begins as Jude (Kelly Lynch) and Ned (David Caruso) attempt a getaway with $250,000 worth of stolen diamonds, leaving three dead back at the jewelry store. Ned is captured, makes an escape, and is in the process of tracking Jude when he makes the mistake of picking up hitchhiker Bec (Stacey Dash). Bec talks on about the sexual abuse she received from her alcoholic father and then pulls a gun on Ned, who manages to disarm her. Other characters, including a grifter known as T (Chris Noth) and a fence named Cokebottles (Pruitt Taylor Vince of Heavy), surface before different double-crosses lead to the final road rendezvous. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
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- Starring:
- David Caruso, Kelly Lynch, (more)

- 1994
-
To prove his worth to Lisa (Nia Long), Will decides to become a celebrity journalist. Though his proposed book "The Stars at Night" goes nowhere, he manages to get an autographed photo of TV talk host Jay Leno sold to a tabloid newspaper. Unfortunately, the photo is doctored to make Leno look like a jerk--and before long, Will is facing an enormous libel suit! In addition to Jay Leno, screenwriter-novelist John Ridley (later the "auteur" of the hit movie Barbershop) also appears as himself. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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- 1994
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Inasmuch as Philip (James Avery) proposed to Vivian (Daphne Maxwell Reid) while both were dancing on TV's Soul Train, the couple decides to stage a sentimental reunion on the same show. Alas, though Vivian gets right back into the groove, poor Philip simply can't keep up with the pace. Elsewhere, Will (Will Smith) competes against Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro) in a hectic dance contest. Soul Train's ageless emcee Don Cornelius (who must have a portrait of Dick Clark in his attic!) appears as himself. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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