Whatever Happened to Mason Reese

This film should have been called "Citizen Reese" because Welles has nothing on Ratner. Anyone who doesn't like this film should ask himself, "Have any of my movies ever been financed by Steven Spielberg?" And if the answer is yes, he should ask himself, "Why didn't I instead spend the money on a sense of humor?" . I was going to name my first son Seventy-and-sunny Anderson, but will instead be naming him Mason Reese Brett Ratner Anderson. My second son will still be named Daytime-outdoor-drinking Anderson, though.

I thought this was a great little short film. It was included on the Rush Hour DVD as an example of director Brett Ratner's work. Steven Spielberg paid him $1500 for it! Sure, he even admits that it's bad, and it is, but it's cute. Anthony Michael Hall as the voice of Mason Reese was a great decision; I'm sure Mason of the 1990s has a grown up voice and it just wouldn't be the same if he had used his own. I think the best song in the whole flick is Randy Newman's "Short People," which although derogatory (hey, I'm 5'10 but I know some short people myself) pretty much sums it up for short people, except the telling of lies :)

In summary, a good piece to put on the Rush Hour DVD, which is a GREAT movie in its own right.

This is the sort of short film that leaves a creepy emptiness in you after you have seen it, and worryingly it isn't meant to. It follows Mason Reese (an odd child TV advert star in the 70's) as an adult, it is supposed to be funny, showing him (in a terrible condition of health and greatly overweight) with a bunch of models in a Limo, the main plot as such takes place in a sushi bar when an equally runty gentlemen (dancing dwarf from twin peaks) has been waiting all his life to meet Mason in person. But Mason isnt the person he seems and then an utterly dire twist ends the short which is then followed by a real snippet of a show with mason in his youth, which is just about the most depressing minute of footage I have ever seen. We see a child mason bursting into tears of emotion and being comforted by the presenter with the words "I love you Mason" when the horrible child recites an equally depressing poem....arrrghh this film recieved funding from Spielbergs office and I cannot express how badly it was executed. Perhaps if I wasnt afraid of Dwarves I could find some light in it :P...or maybe not.

Being a film student, watching other bigtime director's student films is VERY insightful. Granted, he aint no spielberg, but he's making the big benjamins! It shows where they first started out - and i gotta admit, VERY encouraging! Sure, it wasnt the best film - not even the best student film! BUT, good buddha! if he can do it! so can i! --so all u filmmakers in the making! check it out ~

I saw Rush Hour Directors, Bret Ratners student film as a special feature on the Rush Hour DVD. It was a good movie, sort of.. He had very good camera angles, and pulled a lot of strings for a low budget student film. The movie had a little heart, it was kinda sad at the end, and also kinda funny. You really just have to see it, its not that bad, but not that good either.