What is No Place Like the Movies?

We are a website and monthly publication dedicated to film history and appreciation. We seek to investigate the movies we love and the history surrounding them with in-depth research, incisive commentary, and a genuine love for cinema. Even our name is an allusion to one of the great cinematic lines. Our goal is simply to bring readers into discussions not offered by content and click-driven websites. We choose history over hot takes, reflection over ratings, and conversation over clicks. But really, we just want to talk about the movies we love and why we love them.

So is NPLM like other film websites and publications?

We hope not. If we were trying to be like other websites, it’d be a waste of our time and more importantly your time. Our effort is to push back against the tide of hot takes, instant reviews, movie ratings, and top ten lists. While there is nothing inherently wrong with any of those rapid write-ups, they rarely allow for the time and space needed to digest, contemplate, and linger on the movies we consume. To help foster a space where movies can be reflected on over time and appreciated as they evolve and become part of our culture and cinematic language, we place an emphasis on film history and appreciation above everything else.

So what does that mean?

It means that we do not write about recent movies in our articles or newsletters. We do not put out yearly top ten lists or write about movie or industry news. And we certainly do not rate movies using any kind of scale, system, or subjective ranking method. We are less concerned with how many people immediately liked or hated a movie and more concerned with how these movies become a part of our cultural consciousness over time. We hope our writing about these movies reflects precisely that.

Everything has changed – the cinema and the importance it holds in our culture. … We can’t depend on the movie business, such as it is, to take care of cinema.  -Martin Scorsese

But why film history and appreciation?

To split the text in a two columns layout you simply need to wrap it into a div container with class “twocolumn”. Having multiple columns allows for a very versatile ad grid, and, traditionally, newspapers were in the business of selling ads.babies in slings around front.There is a general rule that one line of unjustified text should have around 9-12 words. For justified text these numbers are around 10-15 words. Since some words are longer and some shorter this is not a perfect measurement. Small columns of text are easier to read than large ones. Imagine a newspaper sized line that stretched across an entire page. It would be very easy to skip a line. For justified text these numbers are around 10-15 words. Since some words are longer and some shorter this is not a perfect measuremenYou must ask yourself how to easily achieve these numbers? Don’t worry it is easy, you won’t have to count the characters one by one.

So who writes the articles?

The NPLM editorial and writing teams are made up of movie lovers like you and me. The wonderful people behind the articles and newsletters include everyone from self-proclaimed movie aficionados and college professors to average movie goers and college students looking to do serious writing about film and cinema. We are professional writers, writing teachers, emerging writers, and writers who just do it for fun. We’ll have writer profiles coming soon so you can learn more about us and how we came to love some of our favorite movies, but for now just know that we are working very hard to bring you quality writing and discussion on some of the world’s great films.

Is there a NPLM podcast?

Not yet. We’ve certainly thought about it and have plenty of ideas, but we are not willing to do something that would be of middling quality or substance. We may one day (perhaps even one day soon) expand our venture to include podcasts, YouTube videos, or social media channels as ways to extend and share our discussion of film and film history. For now, we are writing. The rest will take care of itself.

Do you take submissions?

Submission are always welcome!

Feel free to pitch ideas using the contact page on our website. However, before you reach out, please read some of our recent articles and newsletters to become familiar with our style and emphasis. You’ll notice we have a specific style at NPLM. We utilize footnotes, both bibliographic and explanatory, but not parentheticals. We value insight and savvy over snark and summary. Criticism is an art – frankly an increasingly forgotten art – and as such we are willing to prioritize that over any sense of content, success, or profit. So while you are certainly able and encouraged to pitch an article like “The Raw Brilliance of Kevin Bacon in Tremors“, we are definitely not interested in articles dealing with “The Top 10 Deadliest Monsters in Movies”. It’s just not our bag.

Obviously we are first and foremost focused on film history and appreciation. That means any article about recent films (think anything in the last 1-5 years to be safe) is not something we are interested in. We certainly hope you see these movies, talk about them, and find a place to publish any articles – but there are better places than a website dedicated to film history. And while we cannot guarantee that we will move forward with your article, there are certainly a few bugaboos that will make us say “no thanks” right off the bat:

• Traditional film reviews. We’re focused on film history, so reviews about movies 5, 10, 20, and 50 years ago just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
• Hit pieces. Few movies are perfect, and it can be a worthy exercise to explore flaws within a film. But entire pieces dedicated to “taking down” a movie, actor, or filmmaker just aren’t for us. Film appreciation is the name of the game here at NPLM.
• News items. Industry news, movie announcements, and celebrity gossip are a few more things that don’t fall under our focus on film history. Thanks, but no thanks.
• Festival coverage. See above. Coverage of festivals, new movies, and on-the-ground reporting don’t serve our mission. If the stories around these festivals and films is still talked about years later, then they just might find their way into an article, but it needs to be something that lasts the test of time and digs its way into our cultural and cinematic consciousness, not just a trending topic for one week on social media.
• Summary. We are website dedicated to film and film history. It is safe to assume readers are at least casually familiar with the films we are writing about, if not extremely familiar. Why else would they be clicking on an article about Bette Davis or the legacy and range of William Goldman or The Big Chill? Do not summarize the entire film, large chunks of a movie, or entire scenes unless absolutely necessary for the article being written. Summary sinks ships as if it were the Titanic – don’t be that writer, be James Cameron and give us action, dialogue, and commentary that keeps viewers engaged.
• Excessive snark, vulgarity, eye-rolling, or informality – while we encourage our writers to be personal, readers don’t need an autobiography, an overly sarcastic tone, or to know every detail of your viewing circumstances or personal history.
• Fiction, screenplays, poetry. We haven’t the time, connections, or money to publish them. Best of luck elsewhere.

As always, the best way to see if your particular piece or pitch might be a good fit for NPLM is to read our articles and newsletters. Though we would love to be able to provide individualized feedback for all pitches and submissions, we simply don’t have the time or staff to give every writer the attention they deserve. And if you receive a rejection email or notification from us, please don’t take it personally. All of us here at NPLM have been rejected countless times, and sometimes it just simply isn’t the right time or place to publish something. We encourage you to submit a different piece again in the future.

What should I include with my submission?

Don’t overthink it and don’t try to be too clever. Just send us your submission or pitch with a brief introduction. We want a sense of whose voice we would be publishing and what insights you might have on a particular film, actor, or filmmaker. Brevity is always appreciated. Imagine that you were meeting us face to face when you submit your article—we want to know who you are and why you’re worth publishing, but too much of an over-the-top introduction or blatant snake oil salesmanship might quickly turn us off.

What if I like NPLM but can’t afford to subscribe or donate?

We totally get it. We don’t like subscribing to too many things or being asked for money either. If we had bookoo bucks, we wouldn’t be asking you to donate anyway. So if you’re not in a place to donate, you can still help us by subscribing to our free newsletter here and reading the free items that appear on the “Articles” section of the website. That being said, we always appreciate those who have been willing to help us continue to produce quality writing about film and cinema. We know those dollars could be spent elsewhere, so the fact that many of you decide to send them our way means a lot.

What do I get when I sign up for the newsletter?

Signing up for our Silver Screen Newsletter gets you weekly recommendations delivered directly to your inbox. Additionally, you’ll get access to the free articles and items that appear on our website. That includes everything from movie deep dives and character explorations to scene breakdowns and fascinating stories from film history.

What does the future hold for NPLM?

That’s a great question. We certainly have plenty of ideas, but for now we are focused on bringing you quality writing and the best recommendations we can offer. We may one day expand and explore other content channels but only if it serves the mission of NPLM and its readers. For now, we are writing.

If there is something you would like to see from NPLM – a podcast, social media engagement, a YouTube channel, different kinds of articles and analysis, commentary on a specific film – be sure to let us know. We can be contacted here on the website, by email, and on Twitter for those who wish to follow us.

And that’s a wrap! We’ll be here, watching and writing about our favorite films. We hope you’ll join us and share with us some of the movies that have captured you and why they’ve played an important role in your life.