skorzeny

"Garfield" is one of the classic comic strips of all time, and it spawned several classic TV series and specials. This is one of them.

Okay, the idea of taking the usual gang of people and sending them to Hawaii for some fun in the sun is not a new idea for sequels. Not even the idea of having the gang get mixed up with a forgotten tribe of polynesians who worship the volcano god and want to toss people into the pit of lava as a sacrifice is new. Having the lost tribe of Polynesians be a bunch of neo-1950's beatniks and surfer dudes is possibly a new spin on the old premise, however, and the humor is up to the usual Garfield standards.

Yes, this is a bunch of corporate-created commercial fluff, but for what it is, it's still pretty darn funny.

Basically, Ludwig Van Beethoven gets the "Citizen Kane" treatment.

Beethoven dies, and his last will and testament leaves his entire estate to an unnamed "Immortal Beloved", the great love of his life. Anton Schindler, a former student and secretary to the great composer, becomes obsessed with discovering the identity of this woman and carrying out his mentor's dying wish.

Could this great love of his life be one of the aristocratic women who shared his life and his bed? One of his many cooks and servants? A childhood sweetheart? Schindler spends the entire movie searching, while the various candidates tell the story of how their lives were affected and changed by their encounters with Ludwig Van Beethoven.

Great acting, especially from Gary Oldman in a rare non-villian role, excellent cinematography, and good directing make this a movie I watch again and again. You really learn to understand something of Beethoven, not an easy man to understand. The last ten minutes or so, especially the premiere performance of his 9th Symphony, still can move me to tears despite multiple viewings.

(For a really disturbing evening of viewing, follow up this movie with Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange", with it's much darker view of Beethoven's music, hee hee!)

I haven't seen this show in YEARS. I dimly remember this as being my favorite show when I was about 4 years old. All I remember now is that Morgan the Helicopter Pilot was cute and that this show made me REALLY want a Police Truck Toy.

From what little else I can remember about the show, it was basically a cross between "CHiP's" and "Baywatch". Sort of a funky late-70's cop show set on the beach.