THE DOORWAY (2000) 1 1/2 stars

Director: Michael B. Druxman

Starring: Roy Scheider, Teresa DePriest, Christian Harmony

It's not hard to imagine Roger Corman sitting in his office during the pitch session for The Doorway and saying, "Guys, this movie has been done a thousand times before... so one more ain't gonna hurt." The story involves four college kids who agree to fix up an old house in exchange for $10,000 and free room and board. Of course, they come to find out that the house was built on the same land where evil satanic activities were held centuries earlier, and sure enough, a demonic spirit soon begins to terrorize them. Enter paranormal expert Scheider, who shows up long enough to collect a paycheck and give the film a much-needed shot of credibility (although it's still a shame to see him slumming in garbage like this). The rest of the been-there, seen-that cliches fall predictably into place as the kids try to stop hell from literally breaking loose. At the risk of this sounding like praise (which, I assure you, would be faint at best), I will say that the film isn't a total loss. There are a couple of good old-fashioned splatter effects, and scenes of gratuitous nudity are pleasingly abundant. If you're a 14-year-old boy with hormones in overdrive, that might be enough to recommend it. But anyone else who happens upon this Doorway is advised to walk on by.