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    SXSW Interactive 2010

    Old-fashioned conversation trumps new technology at South by Southwest Interactive

    Jason McElweenie
    Mar 15, 2010 | 10:03 am
    News_ South by Southwest Interactive_convention floor_March 2010
    Photo by Jason McElweenie

    As South by Southwest Interactive (SXSW) nears the home stretch, the overwhelming consensus from attendees I have met is that although the panels haven't offered a lot of new stuff, there has been a lot to learn from each other. Sure, there has been some great content here, but the true takeaway has been the relationships you walk away with.

    The interactive world is in a bit of a hover pattern when it comes to breakthroughs in technology. Facebook and Twitter seem almost tired by now. Since those platforms took off, there have been significant changes in the way we access the online world but no singular moment that has helped define this generation. Smart phones have made it easier to interact online but they haven’t been as significant at building online communities as the social media tools.

    The aura of Web 2.0 and Social Media has cooled in these parts. What I have noticed more than anything this weekend is that everyone is returning to old fashioned conversations and networking. There hasn’t been much discussion of the panels from the people that I’ve met. Instead they are cutting loose and enjoying themselves.

    In years past there has been a collective interest in new discovery. This year the focus seems to be to have fun while getting whatever you can out of it.

    As the conference grows, with panels spilling out into nearby hotels, the selection of parties has grown as well. There are so many to choose from that I’ve spent every night hopping from one to the next. A couple of bashes stand out.

    On Saturday night, Stubb’s was host to Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht of Diggnation. They delivered for their rabid fans with a live taping of their popular online show before The Walkmen took the stage. Although the show and party lasted about five hours, there was much to do and talk about.

    Southby.tv set up an audition booth at the back of Stubb’s in hopes of finding a new online personality. Partygoers waited in line to tape their own 15 seconds of fame in hopes that Rose and Albrecht would tap them as the next big online thing.

    I’ll admit that I was one of them although I had two partners in crime, Citizen Cohen and Brock Landers. When asked by Southby.tv what our show would be like, I stated that it would be as amazing as a fat unicorn eating a rainbow that farted glitter. I feel pretty safe that this won’t be my big break.

    Sunday evening brought the first of two CultureMap co-sponsored events, the Kirtsy/Alltop party. Held at Allen’s Boots, it was a mix of good food, great music and fantastic people. Houston’s SXSWi contingent was out in full force soaking up the Shiner beer and Rudy’s BBQ. I’m pretty damn proud of what the Kirtsy team have done over the past few years and how it has impacted the Houston community.

    They took a simple concept — a voting news site — and built it into a reliable source for new and relevant information. Laura Mayes, one of Kirtsy’s founders, has been a big influence in the lives of many Houston women over the last few years. Her passion, determination and genuine love for her community has helped give other people around her the confidence to push forward.

    This seems to be the overall theme at this years SXSWi: How can I make a change in myself and my community to help us all get to the next level?

    Yes, there haven't been too many breakthroughs in technology but finally the dust has settled. The social media vultures that were once so visible in recent years have been pushed so far out of the circle that people are free to move forward with the tools that we have instead of waiting until the next big thing happens.

    We haven’t found it yet ,but we aren’t resting on our laurels until we do. If there is one thing we geeks have learned over the past few years is that when the next big thing does happen we will be more wise in how we harness it. Until then, we are going to enjoy ourselves

    Follow Jason McElweenie on Twitter@deneyterrio

    Laurie Smithwick, left, Guy Kawasaki and Laura Mayes

    News_South by Southwest Alliance_March 10
      
    Photo by Jason McElweenie
    Laurie Smithwick, left, Guy Kawasaki and Laura Mayes
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    Movie Review

    Houston native Wes Anderson shows off comedic side in The Phoenician Scheme

    Alex Bentley
    Jun 6, 2025 | 4:00 pm
    Benicio Del Toro, Mia Threapleton, and Michael Cera in The Phoenician Scheme
    Photo courtesy of TPS Productions/Focus Features
    Benicio Del Toro, Mia Threapleton, and Michael Cera in The Phoenician Scheme.

    If you were to do a poll of the best comedy filmmakers of the 21st century, writer/director Wes Anderson is not the obvious choice to come out on top, but there’s an argument to be made for him. His quirky style doesn’t yield the guffaws that more broad comedies do, but the absurd situations he creates in his films are often more consistently funny than anything else.

    Anderson’s inimitable approach is once again on full display in The Phoenician Scheme. At its center is Zsa-Zsa Gorda (Benicio Del Toro), a much-hated businessman who’s looking to complete a number of big projects in the fictional country of Phoenicia. As he seems to be the target of multiple assassination attempts, he appoints his daughter, Liesl (Mia Threapleton), as his heir to try to ensure his legacy.

    Both she and his new assistant, Bjorn (Michael Cera), accompany him around the country as he tries to enact a scheme to have others cover the bulk of the cost for the various projects. Those he attempts to convince include Phoenician Prince Farouk (Riz Ahmed), brothers Leland (Tom Hanks) and Reagan (Bryan Cranston), fellow businessman Marseille Bob (Mathieu Amalric), ship captain Marty (Jeffrey Wright), his Cousin Hilda (Scarlett Johansson), and Uncle Nubar (Benedict Cumberbatch).

    Put in Andersonian terms, the film is a mix between the madcap antics from The Grand Budapest Hotel and the impenetrable storytelling of Asteroid City. If you were to try to understand every detail of what’s going on in the story of The Phoenician Scheme, it might take three or more viewings to do so. But the film is still highly entertaining because Anderson fills its frames with his typical visual delights, great wordplay, and his particular version of slapstick.

    Much of the comedy of the film derives from Anderson inserting moments that initially come as a surprise and then utilizing them as running jokes. The film features more blood than usual for the filmmaker, but each time a character gets wounded (or worse), it gets funnier. The assassination attempts get broader as the film goes along, and the matter-of-fact way in which they’re treated by Gorda and others is also hilarious.

    Of course, Anderson is the cinephile’s comedy director, so the film is also full of high-brow things like allusions to paintings, tributes to other filmmakers, and classical music. Each time Gorda has an attempt on his life, he briefly finds himself in a version of limbo, depicted in black-and-white by Anderson. The cast of characters Gorda finds there - including Bill Murray as God - could come straight out of a 1950s Ingmar Bergman movie.

    Del Toro has delivered some great performances over the years, but this one is near the top for him. This is his second Anderson film (following The French Dispatch) and he nails the deadpan method. Also great is Cera, who uses a ridiculous accent to make a big impression. Threapleton, the daughter of Kate Winslet, makes the most of her first big film role. The list of supporting actors is too deep to properly laud everyone, but they all fit in seamlessly.

    Opinions will differ, but for this critic’s money, Anderson is at his best when he fully leans into the comedy of his films. He does just that in The Phoenician Scheme, to the point that it doesn’t matter that the story is overly complex. The combination of his eye for visual detail, a witty script, and committed performances make it a success.

    ---

    The Phoenician Scheme is now playing in theaters.

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