Doris Malcolm

Thriller about four sadistic criminals who, after escaping during a transfer, take over a posh Manhattan apartment complex and start looting and terrorizing its occupants during New York City's famous 1977 blackout.

Browning is a PI with a bad cold, who's sent to investigate a case by a mysterious client. He stumbles across the body of a young woman and is stabbed to death, and when he wakes up in heaven, they tell him he's "marginal material," and they can only decide on his final destination through one last assignment: to go back and solve his own murder. As a dog. A cute fluffy little dog (Benji). Undaunted, Browning begins to investigate the case as best he can around his canine disabilities (dialing the phone presents a special challenge) to solve the murders, save the girl, and see justice done.

A shy old man works up the gumption to meet a woman on whom he has a crush.

A suicidal tuba player hires a hit-man to rub him out. The next day he falls in love.