Review of The Picture of Dorian Gray

Within the first 5 minutes of watching this version of "The Picture of Dorian Gray," I knew it had to be by the same people who had done "Dark Shadows" (DS)! I'm going on 49, and my "Younger-Slice-of-the-Baby-Boom" credentials are solid regarding having been addicted to DS. I laughed out loud when confirmation of the DS connection arose from hearing "Angelique's Theme," and another DS melody I recognized–used as music being performed at gatherings of London's elite. All such DS touches amused but also distracted me, I must say. Another distraction was the use of several key story changes used in the 1945 MGM version. Noting these changes–along with the feeling that the bits of dialogue preserved from Wilde's novel (i.e., Lord Henry's clever sayings) were those that were in the MGM version, made me wonder if the writer had read the original work at all or had just worked from the MGM screenplay! Finally, in the 2 weeks prior to viewing this, I'd watched a 1976 BBC adaption (w/ Sir John Gielgud marvelous as Lord Henry), the MGM film & read the novel for the 1st time. One thing I'll give this one, I appreciated its versions of the changes in Dorian's eponymous "Picture" the most.