Over & Overs: Sugar & Spice (2001)

By Spencer Coile 

Growing up, there was no place more sacred than my local Blockbuster. I remember scouring the walls on a Friday night, searching the aisles to find the right movie to take home that weekend. At times, I knew exactly what I wanted, but there were other times when I walked in clueless and would let the cover art persuade me. I would always rent just one and consume it multiple times throughout the weekend - especially if it was a movie I loved. 

2001 was when, as a 9 year-old, I started taking film seriously. I would rent the “classics” and learn about foreign cinema. However, one night, I noticed a peculiar looking DVD cover in the new movie section - one that featured a collection of high school cheerleaders with hideous doll masks robbing a bank. It looked like careless fun, and I was instantly compelled to rent it. It was then my love for Sugar & Spice was born....

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Blueprints: "American Beauty"

Last month we dove into one of the most iconic shower scenes in cinema for April Showers. For May Flowers, Jorge takes a look into one of the most famous thematic uses of a flower in film.

American Beauty was at one point supposed to be titled American Rose. This is neither a coincidence nor an appropriate alternative. The film, a satire about American suburbia and the layers of darkness that society hides underneath their pretty but rotting exteriors, heavily uses the recurring image of rose throughout. Not just in the now iconic nude sequence with Mena Suvari. 

Roses appear through the script in many key parts, usually in places where a character is putting up a façade for the world, or when they are completely submitting to their darkest impulses. Or when those two collide. Let’s take a look at where the flowers ominously represent both the attachment and the repulsion against society’s “pretty” standards...

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Silverstone and Suvari

Kieran, here. It was recently announced that Alicia Silverstone and Mena Suvari will headline TV Land’s new comedy pilot “American Women”. The project, produced by John Wells (“Shameless”) is set in the 1970s against the tumultuous and backdrop of the sexual revolution.  Silverstone and Suvari will play best friends navigating marriage, divorce and motherhood.

Alicia Silverstone and Mena Suvari’s careers have sort of mirrored each other’s, which makes the almost the perfect pair of actresses to headline a vehicle. Both came out of the 90s, with charismatic turns in a high profile role that put them on the map (Clueless and American Beauty, respectively). Sadly, neither actress was able to find a film to match the attention and success of their star-making vehicles, though both have continued to work since their breakthroughs (Suvari more so). 

Suvari, billed as the true lead of “American Women” especially could do a lot to change the perception of her and truly give her a front-and-center showcase for her talents. Though mileage varies for everyone where all things American Beauty are concerned (who’s MVP? how poorly or not does the film age?) Suvari absolutely nailed her BAFTA-nominated role (seriously. Look it up) as the flinty, deeply insecure suburban teenager, Angela.

And what of TV Land? It’s true that the network hardly conjures thoughts of quality and prestige television.  However, the same could have been said just two short years ago about Lifetime before “UnReal”. Word is TV Land has been looking for a project for some time that will change the face of their network in a similar fashion. In this early stage where we know very little, “American Women” seems promising enough. Plus, it’d be great to see these two actresses get an interesting second act to their careers.

Are you excited for “American Women”?