We're off to see Wizard

Watching the Wizard of Oz with someone who has never seen it, nor heard too much about it before is a really awesome experience. This American classic is filled with famous quotes that almost any one who was born and raised in the United States has heard of. But it’s not the same in Central Europe. I don’t know why movies like the 3-D one with the blue people the name of which I can’t think of right now make it across seas, but the Wizard of Oz didn’t. I’d like to share some of the comments that came from the particular Czech person I was watching this great film with.

During the opening credits, he saw the word "Munchkins":

CM: What are munchkins? Is it like something you munch?

M: They're little people.

CM: But do you think the name has something to do with munch.

Me: They're people.

CM: Maybe they got the term from something related to munching. Makes eating noises/motions

Me: losing patience I don't know where the term 'Munchkin' comes from, just watch the movie.

(According to Wikianswers, it appears to be a made-up term made popular by the Wizard of Oz)

We had to stop to turn on the captions because they speak really quickly. Even to me it sounded like they were speaking faster than other movies. But then again it's probably because I had just heard relatively the same dialog done countless times at community theater speed.

When Dorothy started singing “Somewhere over the Rainbow”:

Czech Man: pssh, That’s not her real voice.

Me: Um, yes it is.

CM: No way, it’s like a woman’s voice

M: Yeah, I know. And she’s only like 15 or 17 or something like that. (I just looked it up, she was 16 when it was made)

The greatest reaction was definitely when the Munchkins first came out:

CM: Whoa! Are those people?!?!

Me: See, those are the Munchkins.

CM: How did they find so many?

Me: America's a big country.

In the middle of the Lolly Pop Guild's performance:

CM: uncontrollable laughter, stop then pause This is kind of creepy.

Then we eventually just settled in to watching the movie, only to be interrupted by me constantly saying:

Me: This is a famous quote! (I really can't count the number of times I said that).

and

Me: Ooo, that's my part! (referring to the underscoring) (I played in the pit this summer.)

My friend enjoyed the movie so much, we went back and played all of the songs again. It was interesting for me to watch with the captions because there's a lot of song lyrics especially that I would otherwise miss. He's also really interested in the original story by L. Frank Baum. Luckily for us, we just found the story amongst in his Grandmother's books. It was a Russian version that was translated back into 6th grade level English, but the story should be intact.