Film: Blue Velvet

Blue Velvet was showing at the Prince Charles cinema last night. So I said I'd take myself along, grab a Chinese beforehand.

The usual squash on the Tube, and I headed for my favourite Chinese in Chinatown - The Black Bean. Sadly, they were in the throes of a power cut, and escorted me to their sister restaurant just down the road, on the corner - The Golden Pagoda. Where the staff are friendly and fairly quick, the house white is kinda vinegary, the toilets are in the usual mess, and the spring rolls are so-so. But I will say that the szechuan is the equal of any I've had anywhere. I was seated just inside the door, so had a good view of the guys from the electricity company, who fiddled around in the access hole for a bit and fixed the power. As I noticed when the lights came on in the Golden Pagoda (I hadn't actually noticed they were off!) and the manager popped out with a couple of cans of something for them, in gratitude.

Then I mooched around Leicester Square, read my Evening Standard, and noticed a Haagen-Dazs place on the corner, just down from the cinema. Chinatown isn't great on desserts, so I decided to head there after finishing my paper. Well, and if they didn't have a sit-down section as well! So, after perusing the menu, I settled on the Chocoholic. Naturally. :-) And still made the film in time.

'Twas the first in their David Lynch season. Queue wasn't as bad as the last time I was there, although I had noticed a large crowd there earlier, whatever was on upstairs. Blue Velvet was in the downstairs screen - the one with the nice, reclining leather seats. Goodee. When the film started, I had that feeling I always have with David Lynch - "Oh no, why did I bother? This is going to be so hard to watch..!" and after a few minutes, was hooked. For anyone who hasn't seen it, it's a dark thriller from the 80s, with the late Dennis Hopper doing his usual dangerous lunatic turn, terrorising a haggard-looking Isabella Rossellini, and investigated by a pair of mawkish youngsters, Kyle MacLachlan (whose black suits - shirt and all - and earring serve to show us that he's not as strait-laced as he looks) and Laura Dern (whose mouth makes interesting shapes when she's upset). This is quite a disturbing film (not a rarity with David Lynch) and not recommended for those with delicate constitutions. Parts seem dated and ridiculous - other parts are among the darkest things I've ever seen in the cinema. Quite a mix. A few comments from audience members at various bits, but these were the sort of comments you get from people who are familiar with, and love, the film. Not annoying at all. And in the diner, when Geoffrey (Kyle MacLachlan) scoots over to Sandy's (Laura Dern) seat, someone let out a loud "woo-hoo!" and everyone laughed. And applauded when the film was over. This is a classic, we'll never tire of it. And now I know where that scene comes from, with Dennis Hopper taking an oxygen mask off his face with a grin! At last.. I can rest easy.

And so into the sardine can and home. Heading out in Guildford tonight, to the Beijing restaurant.