8 BECCA WATERLOO ae@technewsiit.com And the Oscar goes to... TechNews I Tuesday, February 1, 2011 .1165?" {£31. play' i St? I" -‘ ,I I_] II' I ||’ |lrlll L‘r Li" I'll” .' .' _I 4 -"' By Rebecca Waterloo A&E EDITOR As you may or may not know, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars) announced in 2009 they were doubling the amount of ‘Best Picture of the Year’ choices, from five to ten. This happened after The Dark Knight was not in the list of nominees for Best Picture that year. Both Dark Knight and Wall-E were highly acclaimed cinema blockbusters, but neither made the list. They’ve “returned to a practice it used more than a half-century ago, when the number of films released was much larger.” (nytimes.com) You’ve probably had your heart pumped by multiple movies in 2010. Now it’s time to turn in the votes. The list is good, and the race will be more exciting now that there are ten choices. Who do you think will win? Black Swan A ballet dancer wins the lead in Swan Lake and is perfect for the role of the delicate White Swan - Princess Odette - but slowly loses her mind as she becomes more and more like Odile the Black Swan, daughter of an evil ma- gician. (Natalie Portman, Vincent Cas- sel, Mila Kunis) The Fighter A look at the early years of boxer “Irish” Micky Ward and his brother who helped train him before going pro in the mid-1980s. (Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams) Inception In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, a highly skilled thief is given a final chance at re- demption which involves executing his tough- est job to date: inception. (Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page) The Kids Are All Right Two children conceived by artificial insem- ination bring their birth father into their fam- ily life. (Annette Bening, Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo) The King’s Speech The story of King George VI of Britain, his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it. (Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter) " l 127 Hours A mountain climber becomes trapped under a boulder while canyoneering alone near Moab, Utah and resorts to desperate mea- sures in order to survive. (James Franco, Amber Tamblyn) The Social Network A chronicle of the founding of Face- book, the social-networking Web site. (Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake) Toy Story 3 The toys are mistakenly delivered to a day-care center instead of the attic right before Andy leaves for college, and it’s up to Woody to convince the other toys that they weren’t abandoned and to return home. (Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack) True Grit A tough U.S. Marshal helps a stub- born young woman track down her father’s murderer. (Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Hailee Steinfeld) Winter’s Bone An unflinching Ozark Mountain girl hacks through dangerous social terrain as she hunts down her drug-dealing father while try- ing to keep her family intact. (Jennifer Law- rence, John Hawkes and Garret Dillahunt) Go to http://oscar.go.com/ for a larger list of this years nominees. (All descriptions from imdb.com) Kuma's Corner: heavy By Karl Rybaltowski EDITOR—IN—CHIEF The Mastodon! (Photo courtesy Andrew Huff/flickr) iPod‘? QflZAM PE]: | Wonder If Heaven’s GotA Ghetto - 2 Pac | Can Change - John Legend ft. Snoop Dogg The Show Goes On - Lupe Fiasco | Need Love — LL Cool J The World Is Yours — Nas Black or White — Michael Jackson Diary — Wale ft. Marsha Ambrosius The Storm Is Over Now — R. Kelly Ballad OfThe Black Gold — Reflection Eternal _:’li< II >FI =6= What’s playing on your playlist? Email ae@technewsiit.com! The exterior of Kuma’s Corner is a bit mis- leading. The unassuming pub-like facade of the building conceals one of the most unique dining experiences in the city. Kuma’s Corner is multiple things, but chief among them, two make it shine: it’s a heavy metal bar and a gour- met hamburger restaurant, serving up some of the most inventive burgers in the city while blasting the music of metal groups such as Nile or Sleep. Kuma’s has been around on the Chicago scene for almost six years now, and since its inception, the buzz has been steadily build- ing. This crossed the tipping point not too long ago when the restaurant was featured on the WTTW show Check, Please! and received a great deal of praise. Since that time, waiting times for a table at Kuma’s Corner can hit two to three hours around the dinner hours - get- ting there around opening or after 10 pm. might be the easiest way to ensure you’ll get a table within a reasonable time. The policy for seating people can be somewhat unforgiving, too - no reservations, and no one’s seated un- til your entire party arrives. If you’re bumped down the waiting list because a friend is late... well, tough break. Visitors can grab a drink and experience the ambiance while they wait, examining art- work ranging from ferocious bears to leather- clad dominatrices to fantasy themes, all while heavy metal plays in the background (during peak hours, the music tends to be more main- stream, but as the evening goes on, the music gets heavier and heavier). And a final rule: no minors are allowed in after 10 pm. on any given night. To metal fans, this may sound fantastic. To those of you who aren’t quite convinced by the above, Kuma’s Corner is worth a trip for the food alone, a flurry of gourmet concepts in gut-busting portions. Appetizers include waf- fle fries (topped with scallions, melted cheese, metal, brutal burgers and BBQ pulled pork) and jalapeno poppers (stuffed with cheese and chorizo, and served with a jalapeno raspberry jam), and could make for a full course in an of themselves. The main draw of the menu, of course, are the burgers, and these are a sight to behold. The burgers all start as 10-ounce burger patties on pretzel buns, but the different types available are as varied as they are inventive - and all are named after the proprietors’ favor- ite metal bands. From the Neurosis (topped with cheddar and swiss cheeses, horseradish mayonnaise, sauteed mushrooms and cara- melized onions) to the Slayer (a mountain of waffle fries, hamburger meat, chili, andouille sausage, onions, cheese, peppers and, as the menu states, “anger”), the burgers incorporate as much care in their design as they do sheer ridiculousness, with delicious results. Personal favorites include the High on Fire (with prosciutto, sriracha sauce, a roasted red pepper, sweet chili paste, and pineapple) and the Lair of the Minotaur (dressed with pan- cetta, caramelized onions, a slice of brie, and bourbon-soaked pears). For those not inclined toward beef, every burger item can be made with chicken breast, chicken tenders, or a gar- den burger instead. It may not be the most veg- an-friendly establishment, but Kuma’s does try to accommodate. Prices are steeper than what one might be accustomed to for a hamburger, but well worth it - burgers go for $10 - $13, not including monthly specials. For a truly unique (and delicious) ham- burger experience, Kuma’s is a must-try. Just make sure you plan it out, or you might find yourself caught in a long line. Kuma’s Corner is located at2900 WBelmont Ave in Chicago, a short bus ride (or long walk) from the BelmontBlue Line. Open 11:30 am. - 2 am. Monday - Friday, 11:30 am. - 3 am. Sat- urday, and 12 pm. - 12 am. Sunday.