LADY BEWARE

US, 1987, 103 minutes, Colour.
Diane Lane, Michael Woods.
Directed by Karen Arthur.

Lady Beware is a violent thriller about a young woman who comes to Pittsburgh with ambitions to become a window designer but becomes the victim of a violent voyeur. The film treats the contemporary theme with frankness -with touches of exploitation However, audiences could well identify with the film dramatising problems in modern cities. Diane Lane is the window designer. The film was Directed by Karen Arthur, and has a fairly strong feminist perspective in its presentation of the thriller aspects.

1. An interesting thriller? Tension? Sex and violence? The voyeur and the victim? Feminist perspective?

2. Pittsburgh settings, the shops, homes, streets? Authentic atmosphere? Musical score?

3. The title and its attitude? Plausibility of the plot? The tactics of the voyeur and the heroine? The solution?

4. Katya'. her arrival in Pittsburgh, pushy, Thayer's office? Her ambitions? 'Midnight Snacks' and people's reactions? The public? Thayer's wife? The staff of the shop, the black assistant? Success, her contract, interviewing Mac? The boat trip? Dating Mac and the return?

5. The focus on Jack: in himself, watching, the X-rays, the window, following Katya, voyeur, phones, the letter, 'Buttercup'? The irony concerning Sylvia and his daughter, phone calls? His fantasies, provocation? Getting inside Katya's apartment and the long fantasy? His being seen but escaping?

6. Katya and the window, the dream, her own fantasies provocation, reactions? The point being made about her deserving; Jack's following her and his attack?

7. Protection, the bars, anxiety, phoning her father? At home, tension?

8. Her changing her attitude, putting the material down, phoning, the bridge and the car, Jack's language? Detecting the X-ray unit? The girls, the doctor, the laboratory, following, his wife and the phone call? Her printing the notices with 'Pervert' on them? Pasting them around?

9. The confrontation, the shop, the window revenge?

10. The character of Mac, relationship with Katya, nice, help?

11. The background of the shop, Thayer and his interest in Katya, interviews, helping her? His wife? Lionel and his assistance? The various members of the company?

12. A contemporary sex drama of obsession and madness, provocation on the part of the woman, voyeurism on the part of the man? The woman having to cope, fantasy and reality? Police and revenge?