Line Publications LLC
10537 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 250
Los Angeles, CA 90025
310.234.9501
http://www.movieline.com
After moving the scenery around for the last several months, Movieline's Hollywood Life is finally ready for its close-up. The monthly publication, previously called Movieline,
relaunches this month as a glossy, with a new look, new features and edgier stories to capture all the grit and glitter of Hollywood. The publication, with a 275,000-circulation,
appeals to celebrity junkies in the same way that People and US Weekly hooks readers. But it is also able to distinguish itself by digging deeper into what animates life in
Hollywood and, by extension, Los Angeles. It skews younger and slightly toward women ("Friend" Lisa Kudrow graces the May/June cover, space generally reserved for female
celebrities). The publication still carries all of those shots of J.Lo, Julia, Nicole, Ben, et. al. But the magazine now includes more detailed celebrity profiles, expanded
coverage of DVDs and film features, and more fashion spreads.
Content/Contacts/Deadlines
The magazine has reshuffled the content considerably. The "Premieres" section, which had run in the front of the book, is now in the back of the book as part of the "Movies
& More" department, including previews of soon-to-be released films, DVD and TV reviews and "Home Theater," a look at the stars' dwellings. (The back page features "The
X&Y Files," inspired by the "Separated at Birth" page that ran in the late Spy magazine). The front of the book is neatly packaged with the "Party" and "Hype" sections, as
well as the "Image" department, with short pieces on what's hot in Hollywood couture and the over-the-top fashion sense in the upcoming "Matrix" sequel. There's enhanced fashion
coverage throughout the book, as well as new photography essays on L.A.'s nooks and crannies.
The most significant change, however, is in the refreshing set of stories running in the feature well. For example, the relaunch issue has a profile on Gretchen Mole, the one-
time "it" girl who didn't quite become the major success that was expected of her following a Vanity Fair cover story a few years ago; a first-person piece on what it's like "To
Live and Date in L.A."; a history of the famed Chateau Marmont -- where "Howard Hughes spied on sun-bathing starlets through binoculars from his penthouse," Jean Harlow and Clark
Gable trysted and John Belushi overdosed -- as well as the cover story on actress Lisa Kudrow, with an extended Q/A.
Main contact for the magazine is Lonny Pugh, senior editor, at [email protected]. He prefers e-mail pitches but doesn't mind
telephone calls. Still, "it's easier for me to see the pitch on the screen or on paper." Call anytime. If you haven't heard back from Pugh within a week, follow-up with a
telephone call. With a monthly frequency, pitches need long lead times, around three months at least. "It's impossible for us to be an US Weekly," Pugh says
In The Pipeline
With the relaunch pitches must be specifically geared toward elements of Hollywood life and what makes Hollywood so unique to America's cultural landscape. Of course, salty
stories about celebrities -- who you can't find in People or US Weekly - are a slam dunk. But as the essay on dating in L.A. and the fashion shoots suggest, the magazine goes
beyond celebrity shtick. The publication is gradually broadening the edit, so expect more tweaks in the months ahead. September features a "Style" issue, but Pugh stresses that
things are still evolving.