The Doorway (2000)
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Rick has been given keys to a house so he can clean it up in exchange for free boarding. He’s also brought a few friends along for the semester, however the house’s occupants didn’t agree to this lease. Seems the house was once owned by Walter Van Buren, a crotchety old man who in the 1600’s held orgies and devil worship on his land. After the town had had enough of this sin, they burned his house down, then reconstructed another. But moving in hasn’t been all fun and games as weird things start to happen and soon, the group of four will need a paranormal expert to help fight off these demons. But the house stand above a doorway to hell and may God fear whomever wins this battle.
Overall: Can’t think of what to make of this film. 4 people going to a house to clean it up: sounds like “Hard to Die” or “Evil Toons.” And then while cleaning the group bursts into a musical tune and all seems happy: I’m thinking “Secret of My Success” here. Next thing you know, there’s tons of nudity and everyone is engaging in an orgy: thinking “Erotic Witch Project 2.” Then the 4 escape the house and run to get help and then VOLUNTARILY go back. Then they seem to battle the demon and win – a few escape and then go back in, again! Finally they figure out what originally happened to Van Buren’s wife. My biggest wonder now is, with every horror film you can think of where the biggest reason so many characters die, is that no one can ever “escape” from the violence. People are stuck in a house, stuck in the woods, don’t know they are being killed 1 by 1, etc...no one ever escapes to safety until the end. Here ½ way thru the 4 escape safely. Fine, end the film. But this film has all the protagonists return. This is where you wonder what they were really thinking when they wrote this up. And then the very end pulls a “Nine to Five” and gives us a few lines about the incident as if this was a true story. They copied so many films and still couldn’t find a good tight story to go with it. Roy Scheider has let his career slip, big-time and the rest of these people have never done anything. I’m shocked that only 1 woman in the whole film managed to keep her clothes on. Comparison: Poltergiest meets Practical Magic |
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