As anticipation for his latest movie Kick Ass reaches fever pitch, Matthew Vaughn’s 2007 Stardust finds a home on Blu-ray – and what a perfect use of the high definition format it is. The sumptuous visuals are a large part of its magical charm, although its fantastical story and wonderful cast of characters also go some way to explain its huge appeal.
Oscar Wilde’s 1891 novel The Picture of Dorian Gray has long proved a source of inspiration for film-makers across the globe, from the 1945 classic named after the novel to the 2003 actioner The Leaue of Extraordinary Gentlemen, in which the character appeared as a minor player. The original novel’s aesthetic may be pure 19th century gothic, but its themes of desire and mortality remain of universal fascination; so it is that we are presented with the latest in a long line of Gray adaptations.
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