Young and good looking Katya, a window dresser for a big department store in Pittsburgh, begins a love story with a journalist, Mac Odell. She is however stalked by Jack, a married man who has a fixation with her.
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Reviews
The greatest movie ever made..!
One of my all time favorites.
The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.
This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows
I just watched this film for the first time because I'm a fan of B-grade schlock that never so much as made a blip on the radar, and this film seemed to fit right into that category what with the straight to video release and the fact that no DVD has been made to date. Boy was I happily surprised instead to find a genuinely thrilling film with some acting that could put a ton of more successful (and higher budget) films to shame.This is a stalker tale, starring Katya, a headstrong young woman (Diane Lane was 22 at the time and we've no reason to believe she's any older in the film) who's just moved away from her country home to the city to find work as a window-dresser. Her assertiveness gets her the job, and she somehow has the funds to afford as an apartment a single floor of a warehouse, which provides a unusual and somewhat dark setting for the film, and helps it's creepy nighttime atmosphere. Katya excels at her window dressing job by creating provocative and somewhat risqué displays which attract tons of attention for her store. As it turns out not all attention is positive as she also quickly gains a stalker in Jack (Michael Woods) and an admirer in Mac (Cotter Smith) a reporter who interviews her and writes an article on her work. Katya is far too empowered and independent to concern herself with the obscene phone calls she receives from a mysterious stranger (Jack) until he proves to be a legit stalker complete with all the sinister wiles necessary to successfully entrap her, both in mind and ever more threateningly, body. Jack spins his nefarious web, as the two characters whose worlds have been submerged in chaos vie for control in a dangerous sortie.Though this is no novel concept, indeed it's a rather common one, the acting in this film, and the subtleties within make it far more striking and memorable than any like film I've ever seen. I'll also mention that this film though being in a specific sub-genre that has a reputation for being formulaic deliciously breaks from that formula, which is a reason to watch it in and of itself. The actor's abilities to express things subtly really makes the film more "real" if you will, and both Diane Lane and Michael Woods excel in their respective roles. Much like her window displays, Lane simply oozes eroticism just by being on camera, and Woods portrays hands-down the creepiest yet still believable stalker I've ever seen in a movie, which is erotic too in it's own perverse way. It's a shame this film didn't have more exposure or Woods might've been able to land roles more accrediting than Red Shoe Diaries though this film does showcase his forte for that type of role. Another thing I can vouch for; after seeing this film I am a Diane Lane fan for life. An actor's job is to make sure you don't know they're acting, and either Diane Lane IS Katya, or she's one of the best actresses I've ever had the pleasure of being fooled by. In either event she was amazing in this movie, completely perfect for the role, and I truly hope Diane Lane is proud of her performance. I dare say it might be the best I've seen from her, and I can only hope some contemporaries at the time saw it and thought as I did which may have helped her toward the greater fame she now possesses and deserves. Although, the straight to video release and somewhat seedy premise make it more likely that this film truly is just a hidden treasure still waiting to be discovered. Lady Beware was probably the best surprise I've had all year, and if you so much as have the gumption to even find and read this review, this is a must-see film for you, I doubt you'll regret it.
Katya is window dresser for a big department store in Pittsburgh, her sensually erotic displays unintentionally attracts the curiosity of Jack; a handsome married serial stalker, who quickly develops an obsession and believes she is seducing him with her windows displays. Her resistance only seem to excite him more, as he becomes bolder and bolder watching her every move to the point of driving the poor woman to a nervous breakdown. But take heart Katya is not the victim for long, and sets out to even the score, the ending culminates with an exciting story climax. Be sure to watch this enthralling story it will make you think twist about who is watching you. I highly recommend it, as a guilty pleasure. Diane Lane performance is sumptuous,the characters are well define, and the story plot and dialogues are expertly written.
I found this film disturbing, but extremely watchable. I've always admired Diane Lane and it's great that her career is back on track. LADY BEWARE is a bit ahead of its time, just before the crime of stalking became, sadly, an all too common offense. What I really enjoyed about the movie is how Lane's character Katya turns the tables on her sicko stalker Jack (the very creepy Michael Woods) in the climax, letting him know how it feels to be trapped. And there are some funny moments with her department store coworker Lionel (who is obviously gay) and Froggie, the teeth happy Doberman. Katya's life and home becomes a prison of fear because her privacy and life has been so invaded by this psycho. Her boyfriend Mac (Cotter Smith) disappears from the scene as her life spins more and more out of control (what happened to him?). One of the attitudes prevalent in cases such as these is, "Did she invite this person into her life? Did she ask for it?" Because of Katya's window-dressing, provocative and unique, it seems that many of the viewers at the time and the other characters may have thought so, there was absolutely nothing that she did to make her a victim. It seems that the victims of this crime are the ones that are punished, and Katya is no exception. She has to bar her windows, change her telephone number, stay inside all the time for fear of something happening to her, give up family and friends, and most of all, her sense of security. This is the sad and harsh reality of what stalking victims face. But the turning of the tables is what makes this movie. I recommend this to people who want a different view of stalking and feminism. I love the feminist slant!!! Worthwhile viewing, but don't watch it at night or alone, and be glad there are now anti-stalking laws, because at the time the film was shot, there wasn't. Don't pass up "LADY BEWARE".
Diane Lane is a window dresser whose life is turned upside down by an obsessed stalker. The suspense in this dark tale rises to a fever pitch over a series of increasingly threatening incidents. The cinematography is stark and, though in color, has the feel of earlier film noir suspense.