Lady Beware (1987)

Let's talk about a great movie that I don't think many people are aware of.

The recipe for it is really quite simple: Take a heaping spoonful of Fatal Attraction (which was actually released a month LATER), a few dollops of The Collector, sprinkles of Mannequin and wrap it up in a nice, cozy layer of "Skinemax". Bake at a million degrees, and you have:

Lady Beware.

I won't bore you with a synopsis. You can always look that up yourself....and, actually, the less you know about it, the better. Lady Beware is a lot of fun and Diane Lane really gets into her role. She's not always great, and at times, she's pretty terrible (her smoking is TOO obvious) but she has some great freak-out moments (the mirror scene) and she reaches a point of defiance that is really quite impressive - why aren't more drag queens inspired by this film?

Visually, everything is perfect - from the atmospheric Pittsburgh locations to the memorable production design. Diane Lane's loft apartment is pretty enviable, so you might just find yourself running out to purchase reams of Christmas lights and dozens of mannequins to decorate your home. I'm sure someone has a Lady Beware-inspired home somewhere in the world...right?

Trivia: It's important to note that Lady Beware was one of the first (if not the first) films of the legendary costume designer, Pat Field, who went on to fame and fortune with Sex and the City...although, it makes me laugh that her next project after this was He's My Girl.

I don't want to ruin anything for first time viewers, but here are a few other things to think about:
  • The moody, "erotic thriller"-style soundtrack. There is actually an official LP available. I have it, so why don't you go ahead and get one, too. They are always available on eBay. Great background music for crying in the bathtub.
  • The stereotypical, secondary gay character. Inspired by Mannequin? I had some problems with that guy.
  • Why does Diane Lane sometimes remind me of a young Kathleen Turner?
  • For Creepshow fans, the guy playing the grouchy curmudgeon who criticizes Diane's window display is famed Pittsburgh actor, Bingo O'Malley -  he played multiple roles in the Stephen King/"Jordy Verrill" segment. I thought that was pretty neat.
  • Come to think of it...a mash-up of Lady Beware and Mannequin would be pretty incredible. Emmy (Kim Cattrall) could have come to life and helped Katya (yes, Diane's character is named KATYA YARNO) during the climactic showdown.
  • I want to know why some sources say that Viveca Lindfors is in this movie? Yes, I care about these kind of things. I wonder who she would have played?
From Leonard Maltin's 2014 Movie Guide

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Flesh (1968) and Trash (1970)

Image
This article on Flesh (1968) and Trash (1970) originally appeared on tcm.com and is reprinted with permission. Between 1968 and 1972 director Paul Morrissey wrote, shot and directed three influential films that were later to become known as the "Flesh" trilogy. The first, Flesh , in 1968 was an early attempt of Morrissey to break away from his previous experimental film work with Andy Warhol during the heyday of the "Factory" years. Though his name is often credited in the titles, such as Andy Warhol's Flesh  or Andy Warhol's Trash , Warhol merely financed the films and had little or no actual creative development with them. Flesh was a film that, compared to the other Warhol films of the time, actually followed some sort of a plot, albeit a very loose one. Prior to the "Flesh" trilogy, the majority of the films being released were experimental, with titles like Sleep (1963) (six hours of footage of a man sleeping) and The Chelse...
Read more

Yeti Hideout's 31 Days of Horror: Week 3

Image
In honor of Halloween, I've been selecting one horror movie a day. Here are the selections for the third week: Alligator , 1980 My favorite monster movie! It features a lot of great humor, stars an absolutely adorable Robert Forster and showcases a truly amazing supporting cast including Henry Silva, Robin Riker, Michael Gazzo, Dean Jagger and Sydney Lassick. My favorite sequence is the attack on the outdoor wedding!  The Lionsgate DVD is currently out of print, but used copies can be found on Amazon . The Unseen , 1980 A creepy chiller I caught on television at a young age. Once seen, you will never forget "Junior"! This is now a favorite due to the fact that it features the largest role ever for my second favorite character actor: Sydney Lassick (Divine being the first...duh!). Sydney is truly the star of this movie and is practically in every frame! Now available on Blu-ray from Scorpion Releasing . Deep Blue Sea , 1999 This sele...
Read more

Unforgettable: Revisited

About five years ago I started profiling different character actors that I was particularly fascinated with. It was a fun project, but I quickly stopped after a few entries. I decided to pick the idea back up again and write some new thoughts about my favorite performers. Glenn Shadix (1952-2010)   I first noticed Glenn (as I'm sure most people did) in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice (1988), where he played Otho, the snotty interior designer. It was a funny and memorable role and he got to deliver some great lines. The famous quote, "Don't mind her. She's still upset because somebody dropped a house on her sister", was his own and he was thrilled that Burton let him use it in the famous "Day-O" dinner scene. Soon after, I began seeing him in more films, like his bits in Heathers (1989), Meet the Applegates (1991), Sleepwalkers (1992) and his second most well-known role, as Associate Bob in Demolition Man (1993). I loved his role...
Read more