Giving Back

SXSWCares launches a multi-day, citywide event to support Red River victims

The SXSWCares Big Benefit will take place April 12- 20 at participating venues around Austin.

Courtesy of Austin Music People

The greater Austin community rallied together quickly after the tragic Red River accident that took place during SXSW 2014. The SXSWCares Fund was created on March 13 (just hours after the incident), to raise funds for those affected by the tragedy. Now, less than a month after its inception, SXSWCares is launching a multi-day, mega-event to further the cause.

Organized by Transmission Events, the Red River Cultural District, Austin Music People and SXSW, the SXSWCares Big Benefit will take place April 12 - 20. The nine-day initiative will feature day and evening events and an online auction to continue fundraising efforts (approximately $180,000 has already been raised).

Participants — more than 20 venues and 30 area businesses so far — will host events (or promotions) in an effort to raise additional funds that will be directed to SXSWCares at the Austin Community Foundation. Austin Music People Executive Director Jennifer Houlihan reiterated to CultureMap that this is not a festival — no street closures, no wristbands, no free drinks. Instead, individual events will take place under the larger umbrella of the Big Benefit name.

Venues include ACL Live, Cheer Up Charlie's, Mohawk, Holy Mountain, Red 7, Stubbs, The White Horse and more.

With a multi-day event at controlled locations, organizers hope to maximize fundraising efforts by offering businesses and individuals multiple chances to participate. It's also the hope that by participating in the recovery efforts, the community will gain closure. Interested businesses can join in on the community-wide fundraising effort by contacting Austin Music People.

And for those who want to participate by attending one — or multiple — scheduled events, a comprehensive list of mini-fundraisers is available via Do512. The list will be updated as more venues and businesses enlist to support SXSWCares.

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Movie Review

Moody DC Comics film Supergirl loses momentum from Superman

Photo courtesy of DC Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures

Milly Alcock in Supergirl.

The new Superman in 2025 brought with it a renewed sense of optimism for, if not the concept of the comic book movie, then at least the DC Comics universe. After more than a decade of DC films that felt mostly creatively bankrupt, the leadership of James Gunn gave the story a sense of fun. That included the brief introduction of Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, who’s now getting her own showcase in, naturally, Supergirl.

When we first met her in Superman, Supergirl was in rough shape, arriving at the Fortress of Solitude visibly inebriated. Nothing has changed at the beginning of this film, save for her aimlessly traveling around the universe with her rambunctious dog, Krypto. One of her random stops puts her in the same bar as Ruthye (Eve Ridley), who is looking for help tracking down Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts) and a group known as the Brigands after they brutally murdered her family.

Kara is initially loath to offer aid, but when Krem shoots a poison dart into Krypto while escaping, her motivation goes way up, especially since Krem holds the antidote. Kara, with Ruthye doggedly following her, uses every means available to her to find Krem, a journey that is hampered by galaxies having different colored suns than the one that gives her powers, the yellow sun.

Directed by Craig Gillespie and written by Ana Nogueira, the film is a big step back in the fun category, not least because Supergirl is deep in her feelings for much of the film. Her personal trauma, which is detailed in occasional flashbacks, gives a reason for her depression, but fails to land fully. The story seems to want everyone to be sad, as it includes a child trafficking ring and multiple instances of families being murdered.

Milly Alcock and Krypto in Supergirl.Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

To try to counteract that downer material, the filmmakers give Supergirl many opportunities to show off her fighting skills. While still CGI-heavy, the action scenes contain enough of a semblance of reality that they feel exciting. Unfortunately, this is undercut by the inclusion of several slow-motion sequences, giving the impression that the filmmakers didn’t trust the actors to deliver the goods on a consistent basis.

Superman (David Corenswet) makes a handful of appearances in the film, and while his presence is welcome given how well the character came across in the previous movie, it also doesn’t allow Supergirl to become her own person. Almost everything she does is colored by either her cousin or her parents, and since her powers are identical to those of Superman, there is very little that makes her story unique aside from how she’s dealing with the fallout.

Alcock (House of the Dragon, Sirens) gives an appealing performance despite her character being drunk and/or moody most of the time. She definitely sells what Supergirl is going through, so if given a better story in a future film, she’s proven her capability. Schoenaerts makes for a pretty good villain, although he’s aided by a look that includes a face full of studs. Jason Momoa has a memorable supporting role as the bounty hunter Lobo, even if his character doesn’t add much to the story.

While not a full-on disaster, Supergirl does not continue the momentum that Superman started. With a story that’s more concerned with showing audiences death scenes than a hero saving people, the film doesn’t seem to understand the appeal of a character like Supergirl or how to make her someone audiences will return to over and over again.

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Supergirl is now playing in theaters.

movies film jason momoa james gunn david corenswet milly alcock movie review