DVDizzy Forum

Are you a fan of Latin American Telenovelas? If so, which one is your favorite and why?

For those of you who don't know, Telenovelas are the Latin-American versions of Soap Operas, except they are tv series with a predetermined fixed run. They last anywhere from 4 months to a year, sometimes two, but very rarely more than that. They generally air 5 Mon-Fri episodes per week. Most Telenovelas follow a Cinderella-like premise (poor girl falls in love with rich guy who has evil girlfriend/mother/stepmother who doesn't approve, and poor girl finds out she is the heir to a fortune, etc.). However in recent years, more realistic and diverse plots have been popping up, and favorite successful telenovelas from the past are being readapted and remade. Major makers and exporters of Telenovelas include Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Brazil and Spain. The Phillippines is also now making succesful versions of licensed Mexican telenovelas.

So, which one is your favorite?

Mine is one from 1986 called "Cuna De Lobos (Den of Wolves)", a story about a rich family and the struggles to keep the inheritance and perpetuate the bloodline. The most memorable character is the matriach of the family, a rich and elegant lady who wears an eye-patch and hides the secret that she is a serial killer who doesn't hesitate to eliminate anyone who gets in the way of her plans. Although there is a Cinderella-like character here too (who becomes the victim of the "wolves" that returns to take vengeance), this one departs from the Cinderella formula as the plot is mainly a criminal mistery. A must see!!!

You can order a DVD version of CUNA DE LOBOS from Amazon.com here http://www.amazon.com/Cuna-De-Lobos/dp/ ... a+de+lobos (it includes English subtitles) or see it online on YouTube

Read about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuna_de_lobos

I really want to write something here so you get at least one reply. I don't know what to say though.







So, um ... Hi. Have any naughty mods merged any of your threads lately?

Hahaha!!! Good one! Thanks for that!

No, no merges lately. Though I don't care anymore. I'm not throwing any more fits.

As for the topic, you should check it out. Some of those are really good. They do have English subtitles in the DVD formats.

Ooh, I have a real reply for you! Every once in a while, I'll turn on a telenovela on TV to practise my Spanish listening skills. I can understand a lot of Spanish if it's spoken slowly, but the faster it is, the less I understand. Anyway, I'd like to start on one from the beginning, so I have context, maybe even with subtitles, so I can learn new words. Do you have a recommendation for a very first, relatively easy to follow telenovela? The one you recommended sounded good, but a little complicated for an intermediate speaker like me.

Linden wrote:Ooh, I have a real reply for you! Every once in a while, I'll turn on a telenovela on TV to practise my Spanish listening skills. I can understand a lot of Spanish if it's spoken slowly, but the faster it is, the less I understand. Anyway, I'd like to start on one from the beginning, so I have context, maybe even with subtitles, so I can learn new words. Do you have a recommendation for a very first, relatively easy to follow telenovela? The one you recommended sounded good, but a little complicated for an intermediate speaker like me.

There are tons. If you look up "Telenovelas" on Amazon, you can choose a DVD of many that are available, and they've all got subtitles. This one is very good, and I highly recommend it. As far as language goes, they're all the same. But the subtitles will help. Other very good ones are "La Madrastra" and "La Usurpadora" (The Stepmother and The Usurper, respectively). Both are very interesting stories.