Svetlana Sterlin
Bio
Svetlana Sterlin is based in Brisbane, Australia, where she writes prose, poetry, and screenplays. The founding editor of swim meet lit mag, she also edits with Voiceworks.
More from Svetlana: https://linktr.ee/svetlanasterlin
Stories (134/0)
The Kissing Booth 2: 5 Things The Sequel Did Better Than The First Movie (& 5 That Were Worse)
The Kissing Booth 2 is the sequel to its 2018 predecessor, The Kissing Booth. The rom-com is based on Beth Reekles’ Wattpad story-turned-book of the same name. Neither of the films has been praised much by critics, but their popularity on Netflix has earned them top spots in the streamer’s viewership rankings.
By Svetlana Sterlin5 months ago in Geeks
Licorice Pizza & 6 Other Nostalgic Coming of Age Movies to Watch This Summer
[Originally written for Our Culture Magazine in 2022.] Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza is a nostalgic trip to the summer of 1973 in the San Fernando Valley. The film follows Gary Valentine and Alana Kane (Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim in their film debuts) as they meet, become friends, and start a business selling waterbeds. Gary is a fifteen-year-old actor, while Alana is a photographer’s assistant in her twenties. Though Alana initially rebuffs him, Gary tries to pursue her romantically despite their age difference. Their rapport is easy and charming to watch, thanks to the screenplay’s excellent dialogue.
By Svetlana Sterlin8 months ago in Geeks
8 Movies To Watch About Fictional Musicians If You Like Biopics
[This article was written in July 2022 and originally appeared in Our Culture Magazine.] The recent premiere of Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic marks another addition to the recent onslaught of films and series based on true stories, especially about musicians. Pistol, the FX miniseries about English punk rock band the Sex Pistols, is another new release in this genre, joining the likes of Netflix’s Selena, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and recent films Judy, Rocketman, Respect, and Bohemian Rhapsody. Most of these biopics follow a very similar, almost formulaic structure, which can get tedious when so many similar projects are premiering in quick succession. Based on the careers of real musicians, these stories can only take so many liberties before straying too far from the truth.
By Svetlana Sterlin8 months ago in Geeks
5 Empowering Moments From Netflix’s Sex Education
Netflix’s Sex Education is a British dramedy that follows Otis Milburn, a sixteen-year-old virgin, as he sets up a sex therapy clinic at school with Maeve Wiley, a very smart, well-read social pariah who needs money to pay rent. The series has just premiered its final installment, but without giving away any recent spoilers, here are five empowering moments from the first two seasons.
By Svetlana Sterlin9 months ago in Geeks
10 of the Most Authentic Coming of Age Films of the 21st Century
The coming-of-age genre is saturated with a plethora of films, each with its own unique tone. From vibrant, shimmering, epic stories of adventure and first love, to more grounded, quiet dramas teeming with internal tension. The teenage experience is unique in its transience, yet also something that many humans go through. Many teen movies take place in a high school setting, where the hallways and classrooms offer plenty of opportunities for conflict and self-discovery. Other YA films focus on family dynamics and home situations, and these are often the stories that hit closest to home.
By Svetlana Sterlin10 months ago in Geeks
Wheels Spin Black Holes (poem)
Wheels Spin Black Holes on the highway to Wild Horse Mountain*. at the bottom is a forest. trees arranged in neat rows, trimmed to congruence. except for a discordant clearing with a couch in the middle^. we hike up the mountain to get a better look at the highway†. then drive home. talking over Dad’s podcast‡ the whole way. until we end up jammed in traffic even though it’s a Sunday. cars lined up on the exit ramp, indicators glistering like fireflies♥. the podcast ends and i plug my earphones.
By Svetlana Sterlin11 months ago in Poets
Candles
Earlier We have many candles in our house. I know this, but I never can find anything else that my mother would like at these Mothers Day stalls. I pocket a lavender-scented one, pretend to keep browsing, then leave the hall with a smile at the supervisors.
By Svetlana Sterlin11 months ago in Fiction
