karohemd | 22 Jul 2004

22 Jul 2004

On my way to the cinema and back I walked past what used to be the Boat Race. The mutation is almost finished, the signs are already out. It's now called "The Vine - Bar and Kitchen", just what everybody feared it would end up being, a trendy, nondescript ... thing like so many others.
I usually don't condone vandalism at all but this makes me want to take a cricket bat and smash everything to bits...

Short explanation to non-Cambridge folk:
The Boat Race used to be a pub with live music every night where lots of young local bands had their first gig and even some big names (The Levellers, Oasis) played. It was a dark and shoddy place, as many alternative venues are but it had a heart. It was sold off to a big pub chain, Enterprise Inns in January this year. Then for a long time nothing happened and now it's been refurbished in the last month or so. Lots of tall windows, halogen lighting, bright wooden floor, brightly painted walls, all very clinical and sterile.

Current Mood: blah

Went to see Shrek 2 and had tears in my eyes with laughter in several places. I think I need to watch this several times more, ideally with company, to get all the references.
Definite improvements in the production, making the characters more realistic which led to some very wrong connotations, like when Puss licks his crotch as cats do but here it's just wrong...

It's not just a kids' film, there are several levels of humour to it which makes it a lot of fun. I'm definitely getting this on DVD when it comes out.

A very short but very cool bit was the Tom Waits song when the king enters the inn.

If you haven't seen it, don't leave when the credits start, there's a short but wonderful bit in between. Nothing at the very end, though.

Interestingly, the Ugly Stepsister is spoken by Larry King in the US version and by Jonathan Ross in the UK version.