Lady Beware (1987) Reviews

• Strong vehicle for the weakly-used Diane Lane

  moonspinner552002-03-31

  Diane Lane finally gets a solid part in a pretty good picture; so often, Lane is stuck in unsuitable parts in rather lousy movies ("The Cotton Club", "Streets Of Fire"), so much so that her career nearly evaporated after a promising start. She's first-rate here playing big-city career girl dressing windows for a department store, intriguing a married man who becomes obsessed with her. Surprisingly subtle B-movie overcomes the minimal budget with smart writing and direction, good performances by all in the cast. Lane's converted warehouse digs uncomfortably reminds one of "Flashdance", but the revenge-angle in the second-half is clever and well-done; nicely attuned climax too, making its point without going over-the-top. **1/2 from ****

• Bad movie seekers beware, you won't find one in this lost gem.

  Spectre-general2009-09-03

  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.

• More a dream than a drama

  dinky-42002-09-05

  While it isn't an especially good movie, and while it has no obvious significance, "Lady Beware" has a way of lingering in the memory. Perhaps it's because of its gray, subdued, dream-like quality -- like one of those visions you can only half-remember when you wake up but which you find yourself thinking back on during the course of the day. Because of this dreamy, sleep-walking quality, the movie's lapses in logic and plausibility don't really count. In fact, they only add to the effect. The plot seems to deal with a somewhat-repressed young woman named Katya who acts out her sexual fantasies through designing window displays at a department store. These displays attract the attention of a pervert named Jack who thinks he finds in Katya a kindred spirit. The script, however, never clarifies this connection so those looking for a sensible, no-loose-ends story will probable not be satisfied. However, the script's refusal to resort to a typical "slasher movie" ending is a definite plus. Yes, Diane Lane has a notable topless scene, but leading men Michael Woods and Cotter Smith bare their nipples as well. Their torsos conform to Hollywood's usual notion that masculinity is dangerous. Woods, the "bad guy," has a chest covered with virile, black hair whereas Smith, "the good guy," has a smooth, hairless chest which has a boyish, almost feminine look. Woods, (sometimes confused with the Michael J. Woods who is brother to actor James Woods), seemed to be on the verge here of a major career which, curiously, never developed. He seems too much like a handsome movie-star to be the pervert he portrays but, once again, this fits into the movie's dream-fantasy motif. In his best-remembered scene, he dances around Diane Lane's empty apartment wearing only a bath towel which threatens to gape open, and while one can almost sense the actor's embarrassment at having to do this scene, (his movements are laughably amateurish), one can't deny his sexual appeal.

• Keeping Abreast Of Diane Lane

  ccthemovieman-12006-07-15

  This movie definitely has a Grade B feel to it. Diane Lane is only "star" actor in here and she wasn't that big a name in '87 anyway. The story is sleazy one about a window dresser (Lane) who displays almost-pornographic displays with her window mannequins. These semi-erotic dressing attract a stalker to Lane and that's where the suspense come in....good suspense, to be fair. Lane is great to ogle and is not modest in showing herself to us. Actually, this film seems to be only a vehicle or an excuse for the pretty actress to show off her breasts. Otherwise, it's standard "B" fare, because the story sure isn't much.

• Only Diane Lane

  Dano-452000-02-28

  The only reason to watch this movie is to see Diane Lane naked. There are 4 or 5 scenes where you, along with the stalker and her lover, get to see Diane's breasts and beautiful body. Basically the movie sucks! Diane's character is a sexually frustrated working woman who gets stalked by an admirer who is very disturbed. She has an erotic dreams about her work and bathes in her studio apt. with no shades. She gets bothered by the stalking and can't really have sex with anyone she's seeing. She almost does after stripping down for her lover, but can't quite do it. Oh, well. You still got to see this outstanding actress shed her clothes. That's the only reason to watch this one.