Whatever Happened to Mason Reese

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 film wasn't designed for us to like it.. it was designed for a teacher to watch and see if his student learned anything. This is a delightful piece of work, made with someones own two hands. It has everything that a film would ever need: Point of veiw shots, wide shots, pans, medium shots.. the only thing i saw was that he didnt leave enough head room for the models when the stepped out of the limo. For a student film, this is quite a piece of work!

This silly little movie made me laugh so hard, I had tears running down my face! I quoted the little guy so many times that my wife gets furious when I even begin to talk about it...

The movie is silly, but you just have to watch it!

This "film" was produced while I was a student at NYU, a classmate of Ratner's in fact. Ratner was notorious around campus for his unbridled ambition -- and remarkable lack of talent. The final product is indicative not only of Ratner's blatant disregard for aesthetic (ie total ignorance of basic camera moves, set-ups, etc), but proof that he has succeeded (and quite brilliantly so) merely on the basis of a loud mouth, relentless drive, and an uncanny, almost puppy dog like ability to make friends with everyone.

When this film screened in class, Ratner was laughed out of the room... although it's clear who has the last laugh now. Way to go, Brett. You've affirmed all of our fears about Hollywood -- which is why most of us have stayed on the East Coast to make films of SUBSTANCE.

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.