In This Corner…

Doesn’t matter if you’re shipping up to Boston or dropping by the Overlook Hotel for a cozy winter getaway, the films in this week’s Reel Rumbles are sure to leave you blown away. For director Martin Scorsese, it was the film that finally earned him the respect of his peers. Uniting a stellar cast of hot new stars and old favorites, the auteur breathed his own style into the modern Asian classic Infernal Affairs (2002) with a tale of isolation and deception that struck chords with critics and delivered a shocking and graphic finale for audiences. But it has some stiff competition in the form of an unforgettable horror masterpiece from one of cinema’s most influential directors, Stanley Kubrick. Sharing one star and a common theme on the dangers of isolation, Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s novel emblazoned horrifying imagery into popular culture and stands as perhaps his lead’s finest hour. Believe your eyes. Watch your back. And beware of Jack Nicholson. It’s time for The Departed vs. The Shining.

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