[Agency] Eddie Kritzer Productions

[robinsgd]

More on Eddie Kritzer

I sent Mr. Kritzer a brief overview of one of my screenplays. He replied, asked me for $600.

Just a few minutes ago, I had an an informative experience with Eddie Kritzer. I sent him an email query on my novel Death Scourge plus the first five pages. Three minutes later, the phone rang. It was Eddie. "You've got a great idea here. I like it."

Needless to say, I was amazed. A lot of agents don't even reply to an equery or return a form rejection in your SASE, so why was he calling me? Red caution lights flashed.

He wanted $600 up front plus 15% if he put together a deal for it. "I'm not interested in paying $600 up front."

"You want me to work for free? Even Bill Cosby paid me up front."

"Literary agents don't charge fees up front."

"I'm not an agent. I just try to put together deals."

It went on like this for a bit. He dropped more names including Harrison Ford. I thought if he knows Harrison Ford, why's he interested in me.

The last thing he said was to try all the agents like ICM and Maass, then I could call him back.

Yeah, I will--just as soon as I want to throw away 600 bucks.

 

[raiboy]

Same song different script…

I found this website after I looked up Eddie Kritzer. I sent him an e-query and he responded in less then two hours. So far that is the fastest response EVER. Then he called me and said he will send a contract and requested 15% (normal) and $600 in advance (WHAT!). P.S. Did I mention all he’s read was a query… My script and concept are good, but not good enough for anyone to want to work with me without reading it first. Plus, I will not pay for anyone to read my work unless they are proofing.

 

[hwdynamo]

A Bad, Bad Man

I had my Eddie Kritzer experience earlier today. It was awful.

First off, his attitude varied between rude and just plain mean. He did not bother to remember my name, he didn't even introduce himself... I had to guess at who he was by the references he made to his "accomplishments," which I recognized from his website (Don't worry, I'm sure it was him, he responds to "Mr. Kritzer"). He actively insulted me, calling me "nobody" and saying that, without him, I was sure to fail in the film business. He simultaneously berated me for not believing enough in my script (I'm not sure how he reached that conclusion) and assured me that no one would care to read it anyway. When I asked why then he wanted to read it, he said that he didn't, and that he considered reading scripts a waste of time! Why, then, did he call me in the first place? More on that in a minute.

His sales pitch is smoke and mirrors at best. He relies mostly on throwing out impressive-sounding names that mean virtually nothing in regards to what you're trying to sell. I don't care if you know Magic Johnson. I don't care what Tom Cruise and Adam Sandler are doing (two names that he repeated ad nauseum despite the fact that he doesn't even claim to have contact with them... I'm still not sure what effect he wanted that particular name-dropping to have). Especially not with other peoples' scripts! What about my script? Again, a complete lack of concern... He didn't even remember which script query was mine, I had to quote the logline for him twice, and even then he dismissed it out of hand.

As if that were not enough, he demands a $600 advance against a 15% commission to sell my work. Even as a Hollywood neophyte I know enough to recognize shady deals when I see it. I pointed out to him that a cash advance from a writer to an agent is very atypical, and he insisted time and again that he was not an agent, rather that he just sold scripts. Correct me if I'm wrong, but a writer allowing another person to sell a script on their behalf in return for a percentage of the price paid for the script... That sounds like an agent to me. It is my belief that no matter what my script was, good or bad, he was interested only in that $600 and nothing else. For shame.

BEWARE: Eddie Kritzer is a fast-talking bully of a scam artist who tries to hook young and inexperienced writers through intimidation and confusion. Make no mistake, this is a predator of a very bad kind, and no one that you want to be involved with.

On the plus side, it did feel good to put on my no-nonsense face and slap the wrist of a minor Hollywood bad guy. So I guess that's a point in one win column, if not another.

 

[triceretops]

Just wow. Ruthless scumbags. After your heart and your coin.

Tri

 

[djoldschool]

eddie kritzer

Just want to say thanks to all of the Re: Eddie Kritzer posts on here. In all honesty, most of them are pretty hilarious. I mean, I'm sorry to those of you who had to go through the awful experience of interacting with this dude, but your stories both made me laugh while convincing me to go ahead and mark him as spam in my inbox.

He seems to me like a guy who had mediocre success in the 80's and has been struggling ever since to make a comeback, but his personal character rests somewhere on the brim of a garbage can so all he can manage is working through scams. I mean, I don't doubt that in his head he believes that me might be able to make something out of one of us lowly writers... if only he could still cash in that Bill Cosby connection that expired, I don't know, like fifteen years ago.

Again thanks to anyone who took the bullet and gave this guy your phone number; you've done the rest of us a great service.

 

[KOREAVET]

MY EXPERENCE WITH EDDIE KRITZER

Hi everyone,

I am a Korea War Veteran and in 1998 I had finished writing my memoirs uo to that date. Having had depression my entire life I decided to write a book on my experience with this dreaded illness to help other people suffering from this. Around 1998 I had written about 230 pages on my life experience in school, the army in combat, my dating years and my marrage while living with this depression monster. The title of my book.

DEPRESSION FROM THE CRADLE TO THE GRAVE
A MEMOIR OF A LIFETIME OF DEPRESSION

A lot of the work came from my 50+ years of writing into my diarys. I had the book copyright. I then sent a copy into Eddie Kritzer. He contacted me and said that it had the making for a TV movie. He said that it could use some work. He recommended EDIT INK. I paid edit ink
and when it came back it was like a 12 year old had worked on it. I was getting the run around from Mr. Kritzer. I then found out about Edit Ink being a phony. I got severely depressed. I wanted to burn the book but my wife stopped me. I continued to bring my book up to date but never tryed again to have it published even though a number of people keep asking me when they can get a copy.

I just turned 80 years old and I am now into writing songs but this book is always on my mind. I truly wanted this book out to show parents what life could be like if their young children had signs of depression and were not taken for help at an early age. I was an engineering manager for a high tech company and invented a lot of things but life to me was a nightmare and I tryed to hide it from my 3 children. Thanks for reading this. A great NEW YEARS TO EVERYONE. MAY OUR COUNTRY BECOME THE GREAT COUNTRY THAT IT WAS VERY SOON.

Sincerely
Irwin M. Dresner
[email protected]

 

[KOREAVET]

E-MAIL SENT TO ME AFTER MY POST ABOUT MY DEPRESSION BOOK SEVERAL DAYS AGO

I saw your post on Writers Beware, and am sorry for your problem..
However im the victim of Idenety theft, where they grabbed my email, and sent recommendations to various companies to make money.

Eddie Kritzer



**************

 

[victoriastrauss]

Wow. I've seen a lot of excuses from fee-charging agents, but that one takes the cake.

- Victoria

 

[KOREAVET]

EDDIE KRITZER NEVER GIVES UP

Hi,
Since New year Eddie Kritzer called my cell phone about 6 times
requesting a $600 up front fee to be sent with some papers he wanted to send to me. I had to tell my wife that I am not here. I then sent him the following E-MAIL

Dear Mr. Kritzer
I KNOW THAT YOU WERE TRYING TO CONTACT ME BUT LET ME SAY THE FOLLOWING .
1) I DO NOT HAVE A COPY OF MY BOOK WITH ME IN FLORIDA.
2) I WILL NEVER PAY ANY UPFRONT MONEY FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS.
When I sent you, a copy of my book around 1997 you told me that it needed some work and you recommended that I send my manuscript to Edit Ink. I then received a letter from Edit Ink telling me about their service. I was impressed with then after I read their brochure. I figured that you would not recommend them to me unless they were honest and good.
I sent my manuscript in to them. They told me that it would cost $1250 to completely do my book. It was a lot of money but I figured that you knew them and they were honest. I sent my book and a check for the $1250. About a month later, I received my book back. I went over the book and I was getting more depressed as I looked at the changes that were made to my manuscript. It was like some young schoolchildren Made these changes. It did not sound like the book that I had written. At this time, I read about other writers that had been sent letter from Edit Ink and were screwed.
I got hold of the Attorney General and filled a complaint. A case was started however; I never received any money back.
I had some friends who read my original book, read my re-edited book.
They agreed that it was changed but it was nowhere as good as the one that I had originally written. In fact, it was bad.
This made me so depressed that I wanted to burn my book. My wife stopped me. I placed my book on a shelf where it sat from 1997 until a year ago when I started to work on my original manuscript. The changes from Edit Ink were terrible.
Not only were they bad but it hurts me every time I think about the $1250 that I spent for this mess and the years that my book sat gathering dust. I want to finish my book to help people but I will not throw away hard earned money as I had in the past.
I been in the newspapers a number of times including the front page. I invented the car remote starter in 1957 even though I never applied for a pattern. I have newspapers to prove it. I was the engineering manager at a high tech laser company. I had several songs copyrighted and I am working on some new ones including one that I think will be a winner.
I was in the Navy, the Army and a civilian radar instructor for the Air Force.
Wishing you a great year.
Sincerely
Irwin Dresner
[email protected]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TODAY I RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING E-MAIL FROM HIM

Dear Irwin, ( I WAS NOT TRYING TO GET IN CONTACT WITH YOU)

Over 10 years ago, I may have recommended you to edit Ink; when I found out they were not reputable, I never contacted them again. They swindled everybody.
Let me educate you about the current state of The Publishing Business.
Simon & Schuster, The Nelson Company,Thomas Nelson, and just about every Publisher is laying people off.
The chances of you getting your book published are small, there are two reasons for this, the first one I just told you. The second reason is nobody knows you, you cant get on TV, in The Newspapers, etc,
In order to sell your book, you need to have visibility, and you don’t have it.
I also have to tell you the truth, I don’t wont to do business with you, if you had what I thought was the greatest manuscript in the world I wouldn’t work with you.
All you do is post whatever confidential material I (or I presume anybody) sends you put it on the Internet.
By the way, Irwin, what is your track record; I presume it nothing; you just have horrible things to say about people who you want to work on your book. IM NOT INTERESTES IN WORKING WITH YOU, it has nothing to do with money, I take on many books with out an advance.
By the way I don’t believe you invented the remote car starter or anything else, your just a chronic complainer.
I wish you a Happy New Year
eddiekritzer.com someone with real credits, and I have two new shows going on the air this year, and just sold another book

AFTER READING THIS I REPLIED WITH THE FOLLOWING E-MAILMY E-MAIL BACK TO HIM
FIRST I HAVE A GREAT TRACK RECORD. I can send to you at least a dozen newspaper pages on me including my car being started from several miles away.
I can send you newspaper articles on me including the whole front page.
I can send to you copies of at least 12 letters that were sent to me from high Government officials on the work that I did to help our energy problem
I can send to you articles on the work I did to help invent the Laser with Gordon Guild
I can send to you awards I got in the military
I can send to you a full page magazine article on the minature Television Transmitter that I invented.
I can send to you files of cases of companies against companies that I went against using the Attorney General. GOOGLE ME (IRWIN DRESNER)
I could go on and on. I am famous. Where do you stand today. I have no dought in my mind that you got part of the money that the crook EDIT INK STOLE FROM ME THAT YOU RECEIVED A CUT FROM. I got a great track record. I CAN AT LEAST PROVE MINE. I pased around copies of my original book and people wanted to purchase it on the spot. My new songs are great. In fact I have a great mind. I was told this by a number of experts. You cannot say the same about yourself. I have about a dozen new invention in my mind and I will get them down on paper.
WHAT CAN YOU DO? NOT TOO MUCH IN MY OPINION. The last thing I would send you is my ha rd earned money. Like I said GOOGLE ME AND THAN GOOGLE YOURSELF AND SEE THE RESULTS.
Sincerely
IRWIN M. DRESNER
IRWINHAM@VERIZON.NET


I HOPE THAT EVERYONE HAD A GREAT NEW YEAR. If anyone would like copies of my newspaper articles (there is 12 articles) I would be happy to send them copies. Just let me know where to mail them. You can comment on them.

After getting mad from his E-MAILS I decided to complete my book. I believe that it will help people. Let me know what you think of Kritzers e-mails to me. Thanks
IRWIN DRESNER [email protected]

 

[M.R.J. Le Blanc]

Here's what I think of Kritzer's emails

HILARIOUS.

This guy's an obvious joke. If you're going to be a professional, you have to reflect that in EVERY facet. Especially your communications. I found a few spelling mistakes just off the bat, and I didn't even finish reading the email. He can't deny the evidence that's out there, he can't deny that he knows squat about publishing, and he can't deny that he's got a horrible track record, if any. He's swindled a lot of folks, not just you.

I'm glad you decided not to give up on your book. Get all the help you can from here, and I hope it finds an outlet. And best part is it won't cost you a dime

 

[Extreme21]

Eddie Kritzer

I, too have recently been contacted by Mr. Kritzer. I responded to an add on Craigslist and he called me back within an hour. He asked for the $600 in advance and he told me that he does that just to see if the person is serious or not.

After he called me 2 or 3 times the next day, I knew that he had too much time on his hands to be a "big time" publisher or the likes there of. I prayed about the situation, and I asked God to reveal to me if this guy was legit or not. I prayed about it about 2 days ago and didnt answer his calls (but this wasnt unusual because i rarely answer my phone anyway). Oh, did I mention that he called from an UNKNOWN NUMBER. He emailed me a contract that I forward to my lawyer and all my lawyer said was 15% is a lot.

This is what Mr. Kritzer said in his email:
Please FedEx the executed agreement, the hard copy of your material, the Six Hundred Dollar advance and send it to the address at the bottom of the agreement.
Please email me the FedEx tracking number so I will know what time to pick it up.
FedEx is open today, s o you can ship it today

I cant wait to read .....

Kindest regards,

Eddie Kritzer
eddiekritzer.com my details please also call me 310-702-5356
Entertainment Representative Agreement
He use the email [email protected] and the address at the bottom of the contract is:

Eddie Kritzer
1112 Montana Ave
Suite 449
Santa Monica, CA 90403

Thank God that I prayed about it and that I didnt have $600 to send him. I thank God for this message board. Something is not right about Mr. Kritzer, if that's his name. He was too anxious for me. Especailly when he said that Fedex is open today. He also tried to act like he was helping me with my title the first time I talked to him. All I can say is God is awesome!

 

[rjdeac]

I must be special. He only wants $200 from me now. Plus he's willing to rewrite his entire contract for me including getting him to drop any expenses from it.

 

[mbagrad]

Eddie Kritzer

I received a voicemail from Kritzer which immediately stated how he helped both Bill Cosby and Art Linkletter sell their books. He also went into how the title of my book had to be changed and that he could help me sell it before he even read it.
After reading every post (with the exception of one) on this website from others who had an encounter with this con artist, I also found a website (http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/Editink.html) regarding this Edit Ink that Ktitzer was associated with and how he and others like him would receive kickbacks from this company after sending aspiring writers to them for editing services that weren't performed properly.
Also, regarding why Kritzer requests peoples' books to be sent FedEx instead of regular mail, this is because the US postal service has its own police (Postal Inspectors) to investigate fraudulent activity while FedEx, UPS and others like them would have to call in outside sources like the FBI to investigate these activities.

 

[EgyptianGoddess]

........Also, regarding why Kritzer requests peoples' books to be sent FedEx instead of regular mail, this is because the US postal service has its own police (Postal Inspectors) to investigate fraudulent activity while FedEx, UPS and others like them would have to call in outside sources like the FBI to investigate these activities.

Having been married to a Postal Inspector, I have news for you.....they also cross over, meaning if it's Fed Ex it can still involve them. They're Federal Law Enforcement Officers. Yes, they usually deal with the US Postal Mail, but I assure you, federal agencies are involved with alternate forms of mail. So if they think that helps things, they're delusional. I suspect it's just to give it a sense of urgency for the poor writer they've sucked in, and to get their hands on their work that much faster.

 

[Spitfiremkv]

I just got the same crazy phone call as everyone else. Thank God for this website, and the chance to read everyones stories. It was one of the most bizarre phone calls I ever had. And not two hours after I submitted a query. Thank to everyone for the information.

 

[Rmerager]

Eddie Kritzer

I am aspiring writer and i have dealings with Eddie Kritzer. I have paid the commission money and he now is representing me with some of my work. All I can say at this point is I have no complaints about his abilities and attention to the project.

As with all new writers and others that seek representation, it is very difficult to get a rep in the first place and for a rep to outline his business with non standard applications is fine with me as long as the represented material gets to the intended parties.

With regards to my projects, he has done just that. The work he is representing got to all the intended people within two days and if the material is quality, it will speak for itself, then there will most likely be a sale.

Randy Merager

 

[victoriastrauss]

Randy, please check back in six months or so and let us know your feelings then.

- Victoria

 

[M.R.J. Le Blanc]

Randy, I'm sure you're excited about the prospect of your book selling. That's completely natural. But by paying Kritzer upfront, you've taken away the incentive to sell your work. No legitimate agent ever asks for money up front. Ever. They get paid when you get paid, and so work their butts off to sell the work they represent. What incentive is there for Kritzer to really work for you if you're paying him?

Your material may be great, but Kritzer's reputation is awful. Legitimate publishers tend not to deal with agents with bad reputations. And he has no record of any legitimate sales, which is really bad considering how long he's been open. Is this really someone you want to trust with your work?

 

[EgyptianGoddess]

Randy, please check back in six months or so and let us know your feelings then.

- Victoria

Uh huh

 

[scriptlady]

Eddie Kritzer

Hi Everyone,

My wife just wrote a book and had it copywrited. Now she is in search of an agent, and someone named Eddi Kritzer asked for her manuscript on an exclusive basis.

First does anyone know anything about this person, and second, what is exclusive basis, is this normal?

Thanks for your herlp!

Stay away from Kritzer. He's right up there with the Nigerian Bank Transfer con artist. Wants $600 up front. No legit agent asks for $ to represent you.

 

[scriptlady]

What surprises me most is that my co-author and I got his agency's name from the 2009 Screenwriter's Market. He called within one week of our query. I instantly told my friend to thank him, but "no thanks". Since then, I decided to check him out. It's hard to find anything positive about him or his agency. Thanks to everyone on this site, I am now more aware and can pass this on to others in the field.

 

[M.R.J. Le Blanc]

What surprises me most is that my co-author and I got his agency's name from the 2009 Screenwriter's Market. He called within one week of our query. I instantly told my friend to thank him, but "no thanks". Since then, I decided to check him out. It's hard to find anything positive about him or his agency. Thanks to everyone on this site, I am now more aware and can pass this on to others in the field.

The problem with things like the Writer's Market and probably the Screenwriter's Market is that there is no real screening process. Research research research is the key.

 

[HapiSofi]

New technology has made it easier to produce books and shoot footage, which means there are hundreds (maybe even thousands) of flaky little start-ups and barely-theres claiming to be part of their industries. It's impossible to keep track of their exact degree of legitimacy, so the writers' market references don't even try any more.

 

[Skyhawk]

Eddie Kritzer

Folks....Listen carefully. Not only am a writer but I am a detective. Eddie Kritzer will take your money and run. He may at one time have been somebody here in Hollywood, where I live but today he's nobody. DO YOUR HOMEWORK! It's all over the internet and if you are dumb enough to give him anything w/o first checking, you deserve it. You've worked hard on your project. Don't throw it away that easily. Say away from him. He tried to scam the wrong person...ME!

 

[frandavea]

The problem with things like the Writer's Market and probably the Screenwriter's Market is that there is no real screening process. Research research research is the key.

One reason I quit buying them every year.