Lady Beware (1987)
9/10
Lady Beware, Stalkers Are Now Out There!
9 January 2005
Warning: Spoilers
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".
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