Author Archive: Eric San Juan
Eric San Juan
November 25, 2009
Okay, I’ve got to link to this week’s episode of the Year of Hitchcock podcast, if only because I cracked myself up while editing it. The faux German shtick in the first few minutes of the Lifeboat episode were a bit of unexpected stupidity that had me howling when I listened to it a few weeks after recording. I had completely forgotten I did that. Moments like this are the reason why we do the podcast. Because it’s fun, and hopefully entertaining. We enjoyed writing the book of the same name and think it holds up quite nicely as a worthwhile addition to any film aficionado’s library, but the podcast is something different entirely. Stuff like this is why. Schnell un blitzenberg!
Eric San Juan
November 20, 2009
In a previous blog post I pointed out that authors do not make a lot of money. And that’s true. They don’t. The reality is that you DON’T simply write a book and watch the money start coming in. Not unless you hit a one-in-a-million publisher feeding frenzy for your book or accidentally write the next Harry Potter. Instead, you write a book that will eventually provide you with a modest amount of money — and “modest” may very well mean, “enough to finally get that tune-up you’ve been putting off” — then you do another, and another, and another, because if you don’t you’ll have to get a day job. Which is something most authors have, anyway. Literary agent Rachelle Gardner recently did a…
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Eric San Juan
November 18, 2009
The Kindle, the Nook, the this, the that. The makers of eBook readers are pushing pretty hard to make them the next iPod, only with words instead of tunes. Word of mouth tends to be very positive, too. Me, I just can’t jump on board yet. The price of entry is still too high — over $250 for the low-cost model — and the price of books on it is, in my opinion, absurd. You’re generally paying $9.99 for a new release, which is fine if you’re a person who needs to have a book right now, but is still several dollars more expensive than a paperback edition. That’s right. The virtual copy can cost more than a real, physical copy. As far as I’m…
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Eric San Juan
November 16, 2009
After watching Pixar’s Up last evening, I’m beginning to wonder if Pixar is capable of making a bad film. Theirs is a track record nearly perfect beyond expectation; even their “worst” pictures are quality entertainment by any measure. You all know Pixar. They’re the folks who brought us Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and other delights. From the very start their films were charming and entertaining. Only a soulless creature does not enjoy Toy Story. The thrills of The Incredibles are matched only by the warmth of the Parr family dynamic. Monsters, Inc. showed those other animation studios that crazy fun need not be stupid fun. But even beyond the whimsical adventure, we’re starting to see that Pixar are masters of cinema in a…
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Eric San Juan
November 13, 2009
I’ll never claim to not be shameless when I need to be. So I will now be shameless. Behold! My book, co-authored with Jim McDevitt, was released in April. If you have yet to get a copy, do take a look. If you have yet to tell a friend about it, please do so. If you have a film lover in your family or circle of friends, please consider it as a Christmas present. You can get it through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other fine retailers. Your support is appreciated. While you’re at it, please look at our podcast of the same name. If you have not subscribed (it’s free), please do so. If you have not told your friends about it, please do…
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