The Black Stallion (1979)

This is one of those titles I heard of as a kid but never got the initiative to check out. I couldn't have told you any difference between it and Black Beauty. Well, despite the recency of my last viewing based on a kid's book, I didn't wait any longer.

My sources don't say when and where it takes place, but from the book, I'm guessing the early '40s, starting on a ship departing North Africa and ending somewhere in the US. Alec, who's about 13, becomes a castaway along with an untamed Arabian horse who had been roped up on the ship. After they've done each other several good turns, Alec gets the stallion, whom he uncreatively dubs "the Black," to be more docile toward him. Upon rescue (much sooner than I predicted), Alec demands to take the Black with him. But life behind a suburban fence doesn't suit the Black....

After Hours (1985)

After my semi-success with The King of Comedy, I decided to give another Martin Scorsese black comedy a shot. In a way, it's the opposite: Where the former bothered and discouraged the director, the latter was just the pick-me-up he needed after his initial failure to launch The Last Temptation of Christ. It must have been especially rewarding to writer Joseph Minion, who had never sold a feature script before.

Paul (Griffin Dunne) leads a dull existence as a word processor, until he happens to meet and bond with the attractive Marcy (Rosanna Arquette). He decides to meet her again at her home in SoHo, a long cab ride from his place. His misfortune begins on that ride when his only paper money flies out the window (remember, there were no ATMs in those days) and mounts as he learns more about Marcy than he wanted to know. For the rest of the night/movie, he just wants to go home, but the obstacles keep piling on, eventually to dangerous levels. Way to make a dull existence look good.