I actually worked on this shoot and I am sure it is no surprise to all of you that Lazar is the same in real life. I know what you are thinking, how can that be? How can someone with such little command of the English language be cast in a movie? I still do not know. His charm, much like someones nails across a blackboard, plays on you day after day until Stockholm Syndrome kicks in and he actually becomes a likable yet still incomprehensible guy. This charm and the fact Bonnie was not so hard on the eyes had me give this movie a 4 out of 10 (OK that and the fact I worked on it). But you all have missed the true brilliance of what went into making this picture, and that started with BD Benedikt its director and Hamid the DOP (and ex-film maker for the Shaw of Iran). Without the personal insight of these gentlemen into what the viewing audience wants, Lazar would not have been half the actor he was in this movie. I suggest strongly that if these two gentlemen were ever given money to make another film and you can find a copy, watch it! They were only getting warmed up by the end of this film. And for the record, it was shot in the basement of the Colonial Tavern across from the Eaton Centre on Yonge St. (Not BD's basement, which was an option). It has since been turned into green space.
16 Reviews
Flashes of competency in otherwise dull film
dannorder4 December 2022
Beyond the Seventh Door is a basement budget film with the premise of people trying to escape a dungeon in which every room has a different puzzle or trap. It predates the more famous film Cube, but it certainly was not the first movie with this theme. Writer/director Bozidar D. Benedikt is originally from Yugoslavia, now Croatia, and has a website that calls himself "a grandmaster of literature" who supposedly invented "a brand new literary style" of religious thrillers, or suspense with morals. Right. The film feels like an extended version of a Twilight Zone episode but with fewer production values.
The leading man is someone calling himself Lazar Rockwood. He appears to have chosen his alias like a porn name before realizing that the film was only PG-13. Or, who knows, maybe it originally was going to be X-rated until the actress saw this guy. Lazar is also from Yugoslavia, and we can only speculate about why he was cast as the leading man. He mumbles, he's stumbling into middle age with a '70s hairstyle, and he doesn't seem like he could solve any puzzles. On the other hand, I kind of like that he's a more realistic depiction of low life scum than we normally see in a movie. He's certainly not the typical underwear model-turned actor pretending he can't get any job he wants just by flashing a smile. I can believe that this guy resorts to crime to get by.
The leading woman is Bonnie Beck, and she seems to be the only reason anyone watches this film. She is charismatic, ends up with most of the dialog. And wears a flimsy French maid's costume that starts losing pieces until she is basically just in her underwear. This seems to have been the actress's largest role in a career that otherwise features appearances as Hooker #1 and the victim of the week in episodes of Friday the 13th, the Series... twice! Of course, this is more a reflection of the type of roles available to women at the time, so it's hard to fault her for just doing what most every actress was doing back then.
The end of the movie does much to redeem some of the earlier oddities with the plot by suggesting that they were not mistakes but intentional. It was not so crazy of a plot twist that it felt like cheating, but in many ways it seemed like too little of a pay off for having to sit through everything else. This is one of these films that would have been much better if it were either quite a lot shorter or replaced nonsense content with something far more interesting. They could have added suspense with better traps, side characters that existed to be cannon fodder, more red herrings, or greater focus on the owner of the mysterious castle. Of course, by adding much of any of that it might as well have just been a completely different movie. This is what we ended up with.
The leading man is someone calling himself Lazar Rockwood. He appears to have chosen his alias like a porn name before realizing that the film was only PG-13. Or, who knows, maybe it originally was going to be X-rated until the actress saw this guy. Lazar is also from Yugoslavia, and we can only speculate about why he was cast as the leading man. He mumbles, he's stumbling into middle age with a '70s hairstyle, and he doesn't seem like he could solve any puzzles. On the other hand, I kind of like that he's a more realistic depiction of low life scum than we normally see in a movie. He's certainly not the typical underwear model-turned actor pretending he can't get any job he wants just by flashing a smile. I can believe that this guy resorts to crime to get by.
The leading woman is Bonnie Beck, and she seems to be the only reason anyone watches this film. She is charismatic, ends up with most of the dialog. And wears a flimsy French maid's costume that starts losing pieces until she is basically just in her underwear. This seems to have been the actress's largest role in a career that otherwise features appearances as Hooker #1 and the victim of the week in episodes of Friday the 13th, the Series... twice! Of course, this is more a reflection of the type of roles available to women at the time, so it's hard to fault her for just doing what most every actress was doing back then.
The end of the movie does much to redeem some of the earlier oddities with the plot by suggesting that they were not mistakes but intentional. It was not so crazy of a plot twist that it felt like cheating, but in many ways it seemed like too little of a pay off for having to sit through everything else. This is one of these films that would have been much better if it were either quite a lot shorter or replaced nonsense content with something far more interesting. They could have added suspense with better traps, side characters that existed to be cannon fodder, more red herrings, or greater focus on the owner of the mysterious castle. Of course, by adding much of any of that it might as well have just been a completely different movie. This is what we ended up with.
The film version of The Crystal Maze
Leofwine_draca28 June 2016
This Canadian thriller has to be seen to be believed. It's an ultra-cheap production, made by Marvan Films (a production company never heard of again), and featuring in its main actor the unmistakable Lazar Rockwood, a distinctive-looking Serbian actor better known for playing bad guy henchmen in the rest of his movie parts.
Rockwood's non-acting style takes some beating, it has to be said, and he ever makes the token female, Bonnie Beck, look good by comparison. The weirdest thing about this movie is the plot: Rockwood plays a burglar who becomes trapped in an underground complex of booby-trapped chambers and must use his brain to escape.
It feels very much like an early version of a CUBE-style storyline, or perhaps a fictionalised CRYSTAL MAZE. And it's fair to say that this is an inept film throughout, with direction that's even worse than the acting. It comes as little surprise that Beck is forced to divest her clothing as the running time progresses, leaving her parading around in her skimpy underwear. Otherwise, I'm not really sure what I just watched!
Rockwood's non-acting style takes some beating, it has to be said, and he ever makes the token female, Bonnie Beck, look good by comparison. The weirdest thing about this movie is the plot: Rockwood plays a burglar who becomes trapped in an underground complex of booby-trapped chambers and must use his brain to escape.
It feels very much like an early version of a CUBE-style storyline, or perhaps a fictionalised CRYSTAL MAZE. And it's fair to say that this is an inept film throughout, with direction that's even worse than the acting. It comes as little surprise that Beck is forced to divest her clothing as the running time progresses, leaving her parading around in her skimpy underwear. Otherwise, I'm not really sure what I just watched!
W: "Face It Boris, You're Not Even A Good Thief!" B: "I'm Getting Better!"...
azathothpwiggins5 June 2021
In BEYOND THE SEVENTH DOOR, ex-con Boris (Lazar Rockwood) joins his girlfriend, Wendy (Bonnie Beck) for "one more job", involving the burglary of her boss' mansion.
So, the pair enter the fortress-like estate, unaware that it is specifically set up to thwart their criminal venture. The rest is a nightmare trip through a labyrinth, where the title comes into play.
Unfortunately, there are several things that hamstring this production. The infinitesimally tiny budget is an obvious problem. In spite of this, the "sets" (aka: a big basement) manage to be adequate. Indeed, more money could have made a substantial difference.
Then, there are the "actors". While Ms. Beck appears to, at least, be human, Mr. Rockwood couldn't have a better last name, since he seems to be some sort of mullet-donning, animated boulder / tree hybrid. Calling his movements and delivery "stiff" is like calling Antarctica "chilly".
Still, this movie does have merit in that it predates films with similar elements / themes, like CUBE, SAW, THE COLLECTOR, CRUSH THE SKULL, THE TRAP, etc., by many years. One can only imagine what BT7D could have been, if only it had a real cast, money, and a director...
So, the pair enter the fortress-like estate, unaware that it is specifically set up to thwart their criminal venture. The rest is a nightmare trip through a labyrinth, where the title comes into play.
Unfortunately, there are several things that hamstring this production. The infinitesimally tiny budget is an obvious problem. In spite of this, the "sets" (aka: a big basement) manage to be adequate. Indeed, more money could have made a substantial difference.
Then, there are the "actors". While Ms. Beck appears to, at least, be human, Mr. Rockwood couldn't have a better last name, since he seems to be some sort of mullet-donning, animated boulder / tree hybrid. Calling his movements and delivery "stiff" is like calling Antarctica "chilly".
Still, this movie does have merit in that it predates films with similar elements / themes, like CUBE, SAW, THE COLLECTOR, CRUSH THE SKULL, THE TRAP, etc., by many years. One can only imagine what BT7D could have been, if only it had a real cast, money, and a director...
It doesn't work on so many levels
deheor1 February 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Today I got to experience 7th door on the Canadian channel drive in and I have got to say that even considering that it was a zero budget, shot in someones basement, crap-fest, the mindbogglingly bad performance by Lazar Rockwood has managed to set a standard by which all pathetic acting (and yes I am familiar with the painfully awful performances of Jessica Alba) will be forever judged against.
I know the dialog was terrible, but is that any excuse for the way he would trip over his tongue before every line. I read another user comment that mentioned that his co-star seemed to throw up in her mouth during the love scene but I will admit that I missed that (I think my eyes were bleeding at the time or my mind just blocked it out).
But truly the most disturbing fact is that Rockwood managed to get work after this film. His credit list is distressingly large.
The plot for this film is very simple, a recently released criminal (played by Rockwood) convinces his ex-girlfriend to help him rip off her boss. Unfortunately what he does not realize is that the guy that he targeted enjoys setting traps for the thieves who try for his treasure. Most of the films run time involves our hapless heroes trying to solve some basic puzzles while inching closer to the big prize.
Don't let the tongue in cheek reviews fool you. This is a truly awful movie that people should watch once simply to have a basis for comparison the next time someone complains about a bad film. No matter what movie is bothering them you can step up and say "you don't know what crap is until you endure beyond the 7th door". My only regret with watching this film was not getting a tape in the vcr quick enough so I could force others to watch it. Sometimes sharing pain is the best way to deal with it.
I know the dialog was terrible, but is that any excuse for the way he would trip over his tongue before every line. I read another user comment that mentioned that his co-star seemed to throw up in her mouth during the love scene but I will admit that I missed that (I think my eyes were bleeding at the time or my mind just blocked it out).
But truly the most disturbing fact is that Rockwood managed to get work after this film. His credit list is distressingly large.
The plot for this film is very simple, a recently released criminal (played by Rockwood) convinces his ex-girlfriend to help him rip off her boss. Unfortunately what he does not realize is that the guy that he targeted enjoys setting traps for the thieves who try for his treasure. Most of the films run time involves our hapless heroes trying to solve some basic puzzles while inching closer to the big prize.
Don't let the tongue in cheek reviews fool you. This is a truly awful movie that people should watch once simply to have a basis for comparison the next time someone complains about a bad film. No matter what movie is bothering them you can step up and say "you don't know what crap is until you endure beyond the 7th door". My only regret with watching this film was not getting a tape in the vcr quick enough so I could force others to watch it. Sometimes sharing pain is the best way to deal with it.
Watchable if you're also doing something else.
soulful018 March 2022
In no way does this move ever approach anything like good. I've seen productions by HS kids that were better. There was no acting, just people standing in front of a camera delivering lines like they were reading recipes out loud. The writing, again, I've seen better from HS students. This whole movie had the feel of a film school project from a not an "A" student. All of that said, I still found it mildly entertaining with a surprise twist at the end. No, I won't spoil it for you, you'll have to watch it for yourself. Why should we be the only ones to suffer? Seriously though, if you have an hour to kill it's definitely watchable, as long as your sorting your coupons, folding laundry or engaging in some other mindless task. There is a mild sense of curiosity at what the next room will be, but you're more than likely to laugh rather than jump when you see it. And the stone, brick and concrete walls are somewhat less wooden than Lazar. The corpse really was the best actor, as a previous reviewer mentioned. If you're not a fan of bad movies, there's nothing to recommend this one. If you enjoy B or worse movies, give this one a try.
A bad, bad movie
CDiablo24 January 2023
I don't mind a certain type of bad movie but this one commits the ultimate sin of being plain boring. This low budget film was sold to me as "horror" on Tubi, is more of a "why was this made?" oddity than anything.
Why exactly was this made? It's not engaging, it doesn't have a good story nor character development. It isn't really exciting or funny or anything. It's the closest thing to watching nothing while watching something.
2 characters go through several bland(4 walls of brick, 4 walls of plain drywall) rooms and "solve riddles" and avoid "traps" leading to a completely nonsensical ending.
You would think this might be a vanity project for star Lazar Rockwood, but it is not. He is just a ugly, poor actor with a minimal grasp on the english language. I don't know how or why he got this role. His co-star is fine I guess but neither of them were given any worthwhile dialogue anyways.
This kind of has the feel of a lost "Tales From the Darkside" episode but 3 times the length.
Other than some bad acting and the occasional unintentional funny line this has nothing going for it so save your time.
Why exactly was this made? It's not engaging, it doesn't have a good story nor character development. It isn't really exciting or funny or anything. It's the closest thing to watching nothing while watching something.
2 characters go through several bland(4 walls of brick, 4 walls of plain drywall) rooms and "solve riddles" and avoid "traps" leading to a completely nonsensical ending.
You would think this might be a vanity project for star Lazar Rockwood, but it is not. He is just a ugly, poor actor with a minimal grasp on the english language. I don't know how or why he got this role. His co-star is fine I guess but neither of them were given any worthwhile dialogue anyways.
This kind of has the feel of a lost "Tales From the Darkside" episode but 3 times the length.
Other than some bad acting and the occasional unintentional funny line this has nothing going for it so save your time.
Lazar Rockwood!
BandSAboutMovies16 June 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Boris has just been released from jail and has been agreed to do just one more heist - rob the mansion of paraplegic millionaire Lord Breston, who just so happens to be his ex-girlfriend Wendy's boss. That's the simplest explanation for a movie that is so much more.
This piece of Canadian strangeness was directed by B. D. Benedikt, who is also the "inventor of a brand new literary style, popularly called RELIGIOUS THRILLERS. But instead of OUR SPIES over-smarting THEIR SPIES, the invisible GOD's and SATAN's agents fight for our souls!"
Boris is played by Lazar Rockwood, whose name is nearly as amazing as his screen presence. It's as if someone got a time machine and went back in time after saying, "You think Tommy Wiseau is strange? How my Molson."
Seriously, Lazar is something else. So few of the things that he says are comprehensible to Western ears. He seems nervous and fidgety on screen, yet the things he mumbles and screams (yes, at the same time) are gloriously repeatable. He's also wearing the finest Canadian tuxedo ever.
Our hero has been convinced by his ex-girl that her boss's house would be easy to break into. However, when they sneak into the basement a few days later, a door slams shut behind them and a loudspeaker says that they must make their way past seven doors and through six chambers of elaborate deathtraps and deadly puzzles. That said - if they survive - they will gain the reward of their dreams.
So imagine if Indiana Jones was in a movie made by David Lynch with little to no budget, shot like a TV movie and with a virtual unknown in the lead instead of Harrison Ford. Now, ingest as many drugs as you can find in your home. There - you have a small idea of what this movie is like.
Can Boris make it through the various deathtraps? Will it have an insane ending? Are the extras on the disk even weirder than the movie itself? You'll have to get the DVD yourself.
This piece of Canadian strangeness was directed by B. D. Benedikt, who is also the "inventor of a brand new literary style, popularly called RELIGIOUS THRILLERS. But instead of OUR SPIES over-smarting THEIR SPIES, the invisible GOD's and SATAN's agents fight for our souls!"
Boris is played by Lazar Rockwood, whose name is nearly as amazing as his screen presence. It's as if someone got a time machine and went back in time after saying, "You think Tommy Wiseau is strange? How my Molson."
Seriously, Lazar is something else. So few of the things that he says are comprehensible to Western ears. He seems nervous and fidgety on screen, yet the things he mumbles and screams (yes, at the same time) are gloriously repeatable. He's also wearing the finest Canadian tuxedo ever.
Our hero has been convinced by his ex-girl that her boss's house would be easy to break into. However, when they sneak into the basement a few days later, a door slams shut behind them and a loudspeaker says that they must make their way past seven doors and through six chambers of elaborate deathtraps and deadly puzzles. That said - if they survive - they will gain the reward of their dreams.
So imagine if Indiana Jones was in a movie made by David Lynch with little to no budget, shot like a TV movie and with a virtual unknown in the lead instead of Harrison Ford. Now, ingest as many drugs as you can find in your home. There - you have a small idea of what this movie is like.
Can Boris make it through the various deathtraps? Will it have an insane ending? Are the extras on the disk even weirder than the movie itself? You'll have to get the DVD yourself.
Lazar Rockwood: The Making of a Legend
BrianSingleton5 October 2003
Shot near Toronto, Ontario, this proudly Canadian horror film is truly one-of-a-kind. Beyond the 7th Door is a testament of shear, provocative film-making brilliance in the same league as the world heavyweight champion, "Science Crazed" (truly and indisputably, the worst movie ever made...and I dare you to prove me wrong!)
A trashy couple take a painfully slow journey through an empty castle with seven rooms of deadly traps in search of a mysterious millionaire's hidden treasure. The pair are guided by the voice of a man sounding identical to the voice of Canadian actor Dan Woods (aka Mr. Raditch on the original, and far superior, Degrassi series). Woods is not credited, but the voice is a dead ringer. You be the judge.
Story aside, Beyond the 7th Door is particularly infamous for the casting of phenom actor Lazar Rockwood, the movie's hypnotically hideous "leading man". Rockwood looks like a real-life version of Moe the Bartender crossed with The Toxic Avenger, his presence is nothing short of mesmerizing. Playing an ex-convict named Boris, Rockwood struggles through every line of every scene with broken English and autistic body language. Jerking and twitching spastically, wagging his tongue about, waving his tape measure and Batman-style tool belt, and hopelessly trying to maintain some small shred of dignity, Rockwood literally chews the scenery!
Forced to endure Rockwood's company is the only other cast in the film, Boris's ex-girlfriend and partner in crime, Wendy (or as Lazar might say, "Vendy"), played by Bonnie Beck. Beck is a porno-calibre actress, but next to Lazar, you mistake her for Katherine Hepburn. In a memorable exchange at a coffee shop, Wendy criticizes Boris by saying, "Boris, you're not even a good thief!". Rockwood earnestly replies, "I'm getting better!". Outstanding.
However, the true horror of Beyond the 7th Door is watching a shirtless and sexually charged Lazar Rockwood ravage Wendy's unfortunate body in a dirty, sludge-filled basement. The punchline being that she actually requests this! (I suspect this may have happened between takes and was accidentally caught on film, then thrown in by director Bennedikt for reality TV shock value...though it's a theory)
The hands-down greatest moment in the film is Rockwood jump kicking through a cement wall, flying mullet and all! This should have been looped at least a dozen times, then a dozen more in slow motion. It's genius! The second best part could have been the ultimate death of Boris in the final moments caused, appropriately, by his own unthinkable incompetence... but Rockwood can't even DIE properly! His body explodes OFF camera with not a trace of blood to be seen! (Though this does set it up for Beyond the 7th Door 2: Beyond the 8th Door! Did Rockwood really die? Who knows?)
In the end, Beyond the 7th Door leaves you with many more questions than answers, mostly about Rockwood himself and the events surrounding his involvement. Although these questions will likely never be answered, when the final credits role you will be left dumbfounded and perplexed for weeks to come.
Since Hollywood is on a never ending bender of butchering classic films in remake or "re-imagining" format, I suggest remaking this one. I also would like a Special Edition DVD of Beyond the 7th Door with 5 commentary tracks of Lazar Rockwood reciting one-liners from the film and a 3 hour featurette documenting Rockwood's entire career. A full-colour photo gallery of Rockwood would also be nice, plus some shirtless promotional stills and half a dozen international trailers.
I'll be waiting with my money on the table.
A trashy couple take a painfully slow journey through an empty castle with seven rooms of deadly traps in search of a mysterious millionaire's hidden treasure. The pair are guided by the voice of a man sounding identical to the voice of Canadian actor Dan Woods (aka Mr. Raditch on the original, and far superior, Degrassi series). Woods is not credited, but the voice is a dead ringer. You be the judge.
Story aside, Beyond the 7th Door is particularly infamous for the casting of phenom actor Lazar Rockwood, the movie's hypnotically hideous "leading man". Rockwood looks like a real-life version of Moe the Bartender crossed with The Toxic Avenger, his presence is nothing short of mesmerizing. Playing an ex-convict named Boris, Rockwood struggles through every line of every scene with broken English and autistic body language. Jerking and twitching spastically, wagging his tongue about, waving his tape measure and Batman-style tool belt, and hopelessly trying to maintain some small shred of dignity, Rockwood literally chews the scenery!
Forced to endure Rockwood's company is the only other cast in the film, Boris's ex-girlfriend and partner in crime, Wendy (or as Lazar might say, "Vendy"), played by Bonnie Beck. Beck is a porno-calibre actress, but next to Lazar, you mistake her for Katherine Hepburn. In a memorable exchange at a coffee shop, Wendy criticizes Boris by saying, "Boris, you're not even a good thief!". Rockwood earnestly replies, "I'm getting better!". Outstanding.
However, the true horror of Beyond the 7th Door is watching a shirtless and sexually charged Lazar Rockwood ravage Wendy's unfortunate body in a dirty, sludge-filled basement. The punchline being that she actually requests this! (I suspect this may have happened between takes and was accidentally caught on film, then thrown in by director Bennedikt for reality TV shock value...though it's a theory)
The hands-down greatest moment in the film is Rockwood jump kicking through a cement wall, flying mullet and all! This should have been looped at least a dozen times, then a dozen more in slow motion. It's genius! The second best part could have been the ultimate death of Boris in the final moments caused, appropriately, by his own unthinkable incompetence... but Rockwood can't even DIE properly! His body explodes OFF camera with not a trace of blood to be seen! (Though this does set it up for Beyond the 7th Door 2: Beyond the 8th Door! Did Rockwood really die? Who knows?)
In the end, Beyond the 7th Door leaves you with many more questions than answers, mostly about Rockwood himself and the events surrounding his involvement. Although these questions will likely never be answered, when the final credits role you will be left dumbfounded and perplexed for weeks to come.
Since Hollywood is on a never ending bender of butchering classic films in remake or "re-imagining" format, I suggest remaking this one. I also would like a Special Edition DVD of Beyond the 7th Door with 5 commentary tracks of Lazar Rockwood reciting one-liners from the film and a 3 hour featurette documenting Rockwood's entire career. A full-colour photo gallery of Rockwood would also be nice, plus some shirtless promotional stills and half a dozen international trailers.
I'll be waiting with my money on the table.
Imagine, if you will, that Tommy Wiseau made the movie Saw...
rickmacnamara12 December 2021
In the annals of Canadian cinema, IMHO, there are only two actors who fully deserve the title Action Hero: the first is, of course, Bruce J. Mitchell who portrayed reformed Zioxx cultist Zap Rowsdower in The Final Sacrifice; the second is Lazar Rockwood as Boris in Beyond the Seventh Door. It is a mystery for the Ages how Tommy Wiseau has become a beloved film industry icon and household name, while Lazar Rockwood continues to be almost ignored. Rockwood's performance in this movie is curious, to say the least. At times, his engagement or lack thereof, is almost like he is in a different movie from his costar. Bonnie Beck. And yet, I could not look away. The film itself is not bad and builds up a satisfying claustrophobic atmosphere. Ms. Beck is quite fetching in her short skirt and becomes even more so as the movie goes on and she loses more and more of her outfit.
Ben Kerr as Dead Man or more accurately Dead (but still breathing every time he appears in the scene) Man was a delight and Rockwood could have taken a lesson from Kerr's restrained performance.
To be honest, this film is genuinely entertaining. Rookwood's lack of acting chops, Bonnie Beck's feminine charms, and Toronto street reformer Ben Kerr playing a breathing dead guy put this in my Pantheon of Great Cinema.
Ben Kerr as Dead Man or more accurately Dead (but still breathing every time he appears in the scene) Man was a delight and Rockwood could have taken a lesson from Kerr's restrained performance.
To be honest, this film is genuinely entertaining. Rookwood's lack of acting chops, Bonnie Beck's feminine charms, and Toronto street reformer Ben Kerr playing a breathing dead guy put this in my Pantheon of Great Cinema.
Rockwood Robbed by Oscars
mikewiebe4 August 2004
It brought many a tear to my eye to see such a magical performance. Boris, portrayed by Hollywood heartthrob Lazar Rockwood, is perhaps the finest crafted, written and performed character in film history. You completely forget about Lazar's natural good looks, charm and intelligence and only see what he wants you to see, Boris, a second rate thief with a possible drug addiction and severe mental illness. Sometimes you think he's epileptic, sometimes autistic and other times it seems like he was just pulled out of the gutter, given a pack a smokes and told to stand in front of a camera. Lazar's performance was so flawless that during the sex scene in the grungy sewer/basement, I actually felt ill to my stomach, as I'm sure Lazar and the Director intended. I still get a little woozy just thinking about it, truly unbelievable stuff.
1987 - Paul Newman won best actor for Color of Money and best picture went to Platoon. Lazar and Beyond the 7th Door didn't even receive a nomination.
If nothing else the makeup crew should have received a nod for creating a believable "Boris" out of hansom leading man Rockwood.
Keep the faith Lazar, don't get discouraged, performances like this will eventually be recognized for what they are - pure brilliance.
1987 - Paul Newman won best actor for Color of Money and best picture went to Platoon. Lazar and Beyond the 7th Door didn't even receive a nomination.
If nothing else the makeup crew should have received a nod for creating a believable "Boris" out of hansom leading man Rockwood.
Keep the faith Lazar, don't get discouraged, performances like this will eventually be recognized for what they are - pure brilliance.
The Casablanca of "bad" movies.
Hespeler27 May 2004
In all seriousness, this film and particularly Lazar Rockwood are so exceptionally bad that it's hard to not watch this movie...multiple times. Canadian cinema and Hollywood have missed the boat on not using Lazar more often, he is the "car wreck" of acting. I just can't look away.
I rated this film a 10/10 and meant it, a film this "bad" yet wonderful, is as rare as any "good" 10/10 film there is.
It's a shame that this film is rarely seen outside of Canada. A true cinematic treasure that will stand the test of time.
Bravo!
I rated this film a 10/10 and meant it, a film this "bad" yet wonderful, is as rare as any "good" 10/10 film there is.
It's a shame that this film is rarely seen outside of Canada. A true cinematic treasure that will stand the test of time.
Bravo!
'Welcome to my chamber of terror...whoever you are...'
Weirdling_Wolf5 January 2023
When the eerily Billy Drago lookalike, but demonstratively not actor-like, Boris (Lazar Rockwood) is released from prison following his bungled participation in an aborted heist, he fatefully hooks up with his seemingly disinterested ex, the maddeningly delicious, sweet-lipped Femme Fatale, Wendy (Bonnie Beck) who somewhat fortuitously has recently gained access to a key that supposedly leads to her wealthy boss's 'secret room/treasure chamber' that allegedly overflows with unimaginable wealth and brightly glistering booty! With pleasingly brisk exposition, honey-hipped, Wendy and the catastrophically inept thief, Boris enter this crepuscular, multilayered domain, and with laudable alacrity their triumphantly weird, deliciously daft, absurdly contrived nocturnal adventures begin in deadly, treasure-seeking earnest!
My initial keenness in seeing 'Beyond The Seventh Door' was in revisiting the spectacularly odd, engagingly hyperbolic acting of the majestically monikered, Lazar Rockwood, a singularly strange Thespian whose implausibly cool handle is no less conspicuous than his monumental lack of dramatic subtlety, but it is this very autistic overkill which adds considerable 'Bad Movie' grist to this joyfully absurd and winningly implausible tale of an evil plutocrat's labyrinthine castle and its myriad, puzzle-laden chambers that might, perhaps, lead our plucky protagonists to their imminent doom!
Happily, my giddy anticipation of, Lazar's 'acting' proved entirely justified, as maverick dramatist, Mr. Rockwood manifested yet another hysterical display of his sympathetically earnest, hilariously unrefined 'acting', while perhaps not quite on par with his tweaked epicness in 'Fearless Tigers' but still so consistently off-key and stridently bereft of nuance as to suggest that this was some warped satire, the subversive director repeatedly taunting the actors with his asinine dialogue and increasingly implausible narrative contrivances! While 'Beyond The Seventh Door' never quite reached the heroic heights of extreme B-Movie buffoonery, the quirky puzzles were suitably puzzle-y, and it was frequently very, VERY silly indeed! (One can also enjoy a brain-nuking drinking game by having a wee dram each time Wendy inanely calls out, 'Boris!!!???')
My initial keenness in seeing 'Beyond The Seventh Door' was in revisiting the spectacularly odd, engagingly hyperbolic acting of the majestically monikered, Lazar Rockwood, a singularly strange Thespian whose implausibly cool handle is no less conspicuous than his monumental lack of dramatic subtlety, but it is this very autistic overkill which adds considerable 'Bad Movie' grist to this joyfully absurd and winningly implausible tale of an evil plutocrat's labyrinthine castle and its myriad, puzzle-laden chambers that might, perhaps, lead our plucky protagonists to their imminent doom!
Happily, my giddy anticipation of, Lazar's 'acting' proved entirely justified, as maverick dramatist, Mr. Rockwood manifested yet another hysterical display of his sympathetically earnest, hilariously unrefined 'acting', while perhaps not quite on par with his tweaked epicness in 'Fearless Tigers' but still so consistently off-key and stridently bereft of nuance as to suggest that this was some warped satire, the subversive director repeatedly taunting the actors with his asinine dialogue and increasingly implausible narrative contrivances! While 'Beyond The Seventh Door' never quite reached the heroic heights of extreme B-Movie buffoonery, the quirky puzzles were suitably puzzle-y, and it was frequently very, VERY silly indeed! (One can also enjoy a brain-nuking drinking game by having a wee dram each time Wendy inanely calls out, 'Boris!!!???')
Oscar wasn't calling Lazar?
danreguly8 February 2005
Lazar Rockwood. An actor. A star. A sex object. A God? While he portrayed the somewhat clumsy, absent-minded, speech-slurring ex-con Boris in BEYOND THE 7TH DOOR, one has to wonder how and/or why his oh-so-obvious butchery of acting occurred? His performance, being substandard to the Nth degree, can only be a brilliant tactic by Lazar himself, saving a low-budget independent film from the obscurities in which 99.99% of low-budget films reside---no where! This movie would have been nothing if not for Rockwood's heart-felt gutsy performance, one that was over-looked by the Academy, but somehow unacceptably,the Gemeni awards (or whatever TV and film awards are in Canada) were not appeased by him, or the film itself. Imagine Robert DeNiro or Morgan Freeman or Jack Nicholson in the starring slot, and then honestly ask yourself: would this have been a better movie with a big name star or Lazar Rockwood in the lead role? Think about it! Its not wonder that this movie launched a stellar career for Rockwood; he WAS the movie. Decent plot, average co-star (although not in Rockwood's league, as an actor or as a looker), poor script that was saved by Rockwood's own brilliance, and virtually NO budget...still a film worth watching, but only for a truly remarkable star performance, by an actor whose first language is not English--could you tell?
Neat little oddball Canadian thriller
Woodyanders18 June 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Ex-con and career thief Boris (an endearingly awkward performance by Lazar Rockwood) convinces former old flame Wendy (a winningly spunky portrayal by fetching brunette Bonnie Beck) to rob the castle of Wendy's crippled boss Lord Breston. However, said castle turns out to have kinds of elaborate booby traps in it.
Writer/director Bozidar D. Benedikt keeps the crafty and engrossing story moving along at a constant pace, offers an inspired blend of the crime and thriller genres, builds a good deal of tension and spooky claustrophobic atmosphere, and even delivers a cool surprise twist at the end. The sharp rat-a-tat-tat banter between Boris and Wendy adds plenty of spark. However, it's the gloriously idiosyncratic presence of the singular Rockwood that makes this movie so much loopy fun to watch: With his less than stellar command of the English language, goofy facial expressions, enormous mullet, chunky build, and inept, yet still engagingly earnest attempts at acting, Rockwood rates as an absolute hoot to behold from start to finish. A nifty obscurity.
Writer/director Bozidar D. Benedikt keeps the crafty and engrossing story moving along at a constant pace, offers an inspired blend of the crime and thriller genres, builds a good deal of tension and spooky claustrophobic atmosphere, and even delivers a cool surprise twist at the end. The sharp rat-a-tat-tat banter between Boris and Wendy adds plenty of spark. However, it's the gloriously idiosyncratic presence of the singular Rockwood that makes this movie so much loopy fun to watch: With his less than stellar command of the English language, goofy facial expressions, enormous mullet, chunky build, and inept, yet still engagingly earnest attempts at acting, Rockwood rates as an absolute hoot to behold from start to finish. A nifty obscurity.
Small World It Truly Is
religiousright8 July 2005
Mr Reguly is correct, since about 15 years ago, we discovered this movie at the same time in high school.
Mr. Rockwood defined our high school lives, and I am forever grateful. At least I think I am. We did drink a lot.
Seriously though, this film is terrible, but is so infinitely quotable that any fan of B cinema owes it to themselves to seek it out!! How Lazar Rockwood was never picked up as a leading man in Hollywood is beyond me. Well, perhaps its because he can't act, or merely because he is just so unappealing to the eye. Perhaps we will never know. Mr. Rockwood makes me prouder to be Canadian than Celine Dion ever will!
Bornagainst (Ryan)
Mr. Rockwood defined our high school lives, and I am forever grateful. At least I think I am. We did drink a lot.
Seriously though, this film is terrible, but is so infinitely quotable that any fan of B cinema owes it to themselves to seek it out!! How Lazar Rockwood was never picked up as a leading man in Hollywood is beyond me. Well, perhaps its because he can't act, or merely because he is just so unappealing to the eye. Perhaps we will never know. Mr. Rockwood makes me prouder to be Canadian than Celine Dion ever will!
Bornagainst (Ryan)
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