German language teachers and students are always on the lookout for interesting ways to present lessons or improve vocabulary. This DVD series may be a helpful resource. The vocabulary is simple, and the episodes are only 52 minutes long.

‘Nonni und Manni’ is a *REGION 2* DVD production released in 1988. If you do not have a DVD player capable of playing Region 2 titles, go to A-Language-Guide.com and browse through the ‘Advice’ section, or access the information at videohelp.com. Multi-region compatible DVD players are available at your local Wal-Mart for very reasonable prices. All it takes is a few clicks of the remote control, and your DVD unit will be able to play DVDs from anywhere in the world.

The original ‘Nonni und Manni’ TV series was produced in Icelandic – which is a North Germanic language. The German production has well-dubbed audio, spoken clearly at an easy-to-understand pace. There are no idioms and dialect accents to deal with. Intermediate to advanced students should be able to understand the speech (which, by the way, has no subtitles).

The ‘Nonni und Manni’ series is based on characters from children’s books written by Jon Svensson. Adults will enjoy the storyline as well.The Plot:

1869: Nonni and Manni live near a small village on the coast of Iceland with their mother (Sigrid) and grandmother. Their father boarded a ship headed overseas before 8-year-old Manni was born, and the family has been awaiting his return.

One day a stranger named Harald comes ashore with the sad news that Nonni and Manni’s father has died. The family begins the mourning process, and Harald helps out on their farm in return for board. The boys form a bond with him, and begin to look up to him as a father figure. A local businessman, who is quite smitten with Sigrid, becomes increasingly irate about the situation.

A rich farmer in the village is murdered. Harald is blamed for the incident, and decides to flee into the mountains. Nonni and Manni are determined to help keep him safe and prove his innocence. With the help of a friend, they locate a secure hiding place.

As might be expected from any 12-year-old, Nonni devises several trips to the hideout with his little brother. They put themselves into peril by doing so, and the story progresses with several life-threatening close calls.Miscellaneous Information:

The magnificent beauty of Iceland was the stage for this series. Production techniques in the mid 1980s did not use special effects like CGI graphics. The polar bear attack scenes are a smidgen unrealistic – but the suspense is maintained, nonetheless.

The background music is beautiful, with a distinctive melancholic edge. The theme song, ‘Ocean’, is in English – which seems to be the case with many foreign series. Costumes appear to have been well-researched. The boys wear wool outfits that appear a big irregular and bumpy, as you would expect from handmade clothing. The hats and hairstyles of the women are definitely something you won’t see in a North American western movie.

-Series writer: Joshua Sinclair I

-Director: Ágúst Guðmundsson

-Theme Song: Klaus Doldinger

-Online Purchasing: Amazon.de, Ebay, Abebooks.com. etc.The same extra features are included on each DVD: More German language resources are available at A Language Guide – and you will find other articles at 1st Rate Articles – as well as 111 Travel Directory . . . Visit 111 Travel Directory before you travel abroad to study or practice your new language skills.asap travel scarborough

Before CGI, The Incredible Hulk rampaged in our TV sets in the form of a body builder (Lou Ferrigno) painted in green. He moved in slow motion and was having a bad hairday. The Hulk 2008 paid tribute to the TV series through various references that include scenes and character names that fans of the TV series would or should recognize. DVDs of the Hulk TV series are available in case you can’t recall any of the scenes. Here they are in no particular order: * The Hulk TV series Lonely Man Theme played in the background as Bruce Banner walked in the city streets of Guatemala while holding up his tattered pants. * Lou Ferrigno cameo as a security guard getting bribed by Banner with a pizza. * Bill Bixby in a TV show (The Courtship of Eddie’s Father) shown at the early scenes when Banner was at his Brazilian apartment. Bill Bixby played Dr. David Banner in the TV series. A slight, but noticeable name change for the Hulk’s alter ego. * Bill Bixby and Ed Norton as Dr David Banner with gamma ray crosshairs on their forehead. The setup is the same as the TV series including the rotating chair and the crosshair on Banner’s forehead. * “You wouldn’t like me when I’m hungry.” Said in Portuguese by Banner to the thugs in the factory while rescuing Martina played by Débora Nascimento. Acknowledged by Banner as not making sense, the line made famous by Bixby is “Don’t make me angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.” * Student named Jack McGee speaking to the news media as a witness to the fight between the soldiers and the green giant. He’s the first character in the movie who described Banner’s alter ego as “a Hulk.” In the TV series, the news reporter who hounded Bixby’s Banner is named Jack McGee. * Close up of Norton’s eyes at the initial stage of Hulk transformation. Seen in the factory, Bixby’s Banner also goes through the same transformation and close up shots of his eyes were seen by audiences. * David B. as the recipient’s name on the envelope when Banner opened the package revealing Betty Ross’s necklace presumably from the pawnshop. David Banner is Bixby’s character name. Bruce Banner is Norton’s character name. Which, by the way, is the same name in the comic books. Did I miss any? For a complete list of easter eggs, hints, and allusions in The Incredible Hulk movie, please see Planet Comic Book Radio. Planet Comic Book Radio is a weekly talkshow and blog on everything comic books.One Tree Hill

Tag Feature says “Light Up Stars”
Seller does not guarantee how long the batteries last though!

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