Two Thrillers from Sony Pictures
The Covenant (January 1/07)
 The Covenant is yet another brainless, utterly disposable thriller geared exclusively towards teenagers - as evidenced by the headache-inducing soundtrack and mind-numbingly simplistic storyline. Featuring an expectedly sloppy screenplay written by noted b-movie hack J.S. Cardone, the film follows four modern-day warlocks as they're confronted by a fellow conjurer with overtly megalomaniacal tendencies. Though directed by Renny Harlin, The Covenant possesses precisely the sort of generic visuals that have come to be associated with films of this ilk - a problem that's exacerbated by the overuse of egregiously shoddy computer effects. The inclusion of a romantic subplot that feels as though it'd be more at home in a Harlequin novel doesn't do the movie any favors, nor does the presence of charisma-free actors Steven Strait and Laura Ramsey in leading roles (both of whom were clearly based solely on their looks). In the end, it's easy enough to envision The Covenant appealing to viewers with exceedingly indiscriminating demands - as there's virtually nothing here that we haven't seen countless times before.
 out of
Night Skies (January 9/07)
 Night Skies follows five friends - including A.J. Cook's Lilly, George Stults' Matt, and Gwendoline Yeo's June - as they're confronted with increasingly sinister forces after their RV breaks down in the middle of a desolate forest, where they also encounter a shady ex-soldier (played by Jason Connery). There's little worth recommending in Night Skies aside from a fairly effective final 15 minutes (which is set aboard an alien ship), with the majority of the film devoted to the padded-out misadventures of these uniformly unpleasant characters. Screenwriter Eric Miller doesn't give the viewer a single reason to care about any of these people, and exacerbates the problem by emphasizing laughably overwrought instances of dialogue. This is clearly the sort of story that demands the big-budget Hollywood treatment, as evidenced by the egregiously low-rent production values and all-around vibe of needlessness (ie the movie can't help but come off as a second-rate riff on Fire in the Sky).
 out of
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